@article {pmid40214099, year = {2025}, author = {Owen-Smith, N}, title = {Reconciling Species Concepts: An Ecological Perspective.}, journal = {American journal of biological anthropology}, volume = {186}, number = {4}, pages = {e70047}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.70047}, pmid = {40214099}, issn = {2692-7691}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Humans ; Fossils ; *Hominidae/classification ; Ecosystem ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Species concepts remain contentious, both in paleoanthropology and in modern taxonomy. The lineage-based concept emphasizing evolutionary independence is most fundamental, but in practice is generally represented by proxy evidence of morphological or genetic divergence. This has resulted in a troubling proliferation of species names in the hominin fossil record. Pseudo-extinctions where lineages persisted under a new species name need to be distinguished from cases where lineages ended terminally-the implications for ecological adaptability are diametrically opposed. Furthermore, the ecological criterion for species coexistence is widely overlooked. The competitive exclusion principle holds that species sharing closely similar niches cannot continue to coexist in the same place at the same time. Notably, the largely vegetarian Paranthropus lineage remained distinct from the diverging, more versatile Homo lineage until fading from the fossil record during the later Pleistocene. Claims that additional hominin species existed are ecologically suspect unless supported by evidence of adequate niche separation. Modern examples where there has been equivocation in lineage recognition are illustrated for bovids, giraffids, baboons, and elephants. Furthermore, the mechanisms that resulted in the displacement of Neanderthals by modern humans are reappraised from an ecological perspective. Representations of evolutionary divergence as a bushy tree need to be superseded by the emerging paradigm of reticulate lineages diverging and coalescing through time and space.}, }
@article {pmid40175549, year = {2025}, author = {Salem, N and van de Loosdrecht, MS and Sümer, AP and Vai, S and Hübner, A and Peter, B and Bianco, RA and Lari, M and Modi, A and Al-Faloos, MFM and Turjman, M and Bouzouggar, A and Tafuri, MA and Manzi, G and Rotunno, R and Prüfer, K and Ringbauer, H and Caramelli, D and di Lernia, S and Krause, J}, title = {Ancient DNA from the Green Sahara reveals ancestral North African lineage.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {40175549}, issn = {1476-4687}, abstract = {Although it is one of the most arid regions today, the Sahara Desert was a green savannah during the African Humid Period (AHP) between 14,500 and 5,000 years before present, with water bodies promoting human occupation and the spread of pastoralism in the middle Holocene epoch[1]. DNA rarely preserves well in this region, limiting knowledge of the Sahara's genetic history and demographic past. Here we report ancient genomic data from the Central Sahara, obtained from two approximately 7,000-year-old Pastoral Neolithic female individuals buried in the Takarkori rock shelter in southwestern Libya. The majority of Takarkori individuals' ancestry stems from a previously unknown North African genetic lineage that diverged from sub-Saharan African lineages around the same time as present-day humans outside Africa and remained isolated throughout most of its existence. Both Takarkori individuals are closely related to ancestry first documented in 15,000-year-old foragers from Taforalt Cave, Morocco[2], associated with the Iberomaurusian lithic industry and predating the AHP. Takarkori and Iberomaurusian-associated individuals are equally distantly related to sub-Saharan lineages, suggesting limited gene flow from sub-Saharan to Northern Africa during the AHP. In contrast to Taforalt individuals, who have half the Neanderthal admixture of non-Africans, Takarkori shows ten times less Neanderthal ancestry than Levantine farmers, yet significantly more than contemporary sub-Saharan genomes. Our findings suggest that pastoralism spread through cultural diffusion into a deeply divergent, isolated North African lineage that had probably been widespread in Northern Africa during the late Pleistocene epoch.}, }
@article {pmid40163722, year = {2025}, author = {Ruan, QJ and Li, H and Xiao, PY and Li, B and Monod, H and Sumner, A and Zhao, KL and Liu, JH and Jia, ZX and Wang, CX and Fan, AC and Moncel, MH and Marwick, B and Peresani, M and Wang, YP and Chen, FH and Delpiano, D}, title = {Quina lithic technology indicates diverse Late Pleistocene human dynamics in East Asia.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {122}, number = {14}, pages = {e2418029122}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.2418029122}, pmid = {40163722}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {TPESER202210//Open Research Fund of TPESER/ ; 41988101//National Natural Science Foundation of China BSCTPES/ ; 42471180//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; DP210100717//Australian Research Council/ ; FAR2023//University of Ferrara/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Archaeology ; Animals ; *Technology/history ; *Fossils ; China ; Asia, Eastern ; History, Ancient ; }, abstract = {The Late Pleistocene of Eurasia is key for understanding interactions between early modern humans and different types of archaic human groups. During this period, lithic technology shows more diversity and complexity, likely indicating flexible adaptative strategies. However, cultural variability as expressed by technological types remains vague in large parts of eastern Eurasia, like in China. Here, we report a complete Quina technological system identified from the study of the Longtan site in Southwest China. The site has been securely dated to ca. 60 to 50 thousand years ago (ka), with compelling evidence of core exploitation, production of large and thick flakes, shaping and maintenance of scrapers exhibiting the whole Quina concept, typical of contemporary European Middle Paleolithic technologies developed by Neanderthal groups adapted to climatic oscillations during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 and early MIS 3. The finding of a Quina lithic assemblage in China not only demonstrates the existence of a Middle Paleolithic technology in the region but also shows large-scale analogies with Neanderthal behaviors in western Europe. Longtan substantially extends the geographic distribution of this technical behavior in East Asia. Although its origin remains unclear, implications for Pleistocene hominin dispersal and adaptation to diverse ecological settings are considered. The Longtan lithic evidence also provides perspectives for understanding the cultural evolutionary situation before the large-scale arrivals of early modern humans in East Asia predating ~45 ka.}, }
@article {pmid40163477, year = {2025}, author = {Ragsdale, AP}, title = {Archaic introgression and the distribution of shared variation under stabilizing selection.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {21}, number = {3}, pages = {e1011623}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1011623}, pmid = {40163477}, issn = {1553-7404}, abstract = {Many phenotypic traits are under stabilizing selection, which maintains a population's mean phenotypic value near some optimum. The dynamics of traits and trait architectures under stabilizing selection have been extensively studied for single populations at steady state. However, natural populations are seldom at steady state and are often structured in some way. Admixture and introgression events may be common, including over human evolutionary history. Because stabilizing selection results in selection against the minor allele at a trait-affecting locus, alleles from the minor parental ancestry will be selected against after admixture. We show that the site-frequency spectrum can be used to model the genetic architecture of such traits, allowing for the study of trait architecture dynamics in complex multi-population settings. We use a simple deterministic two-locus model to predict the reduction of introgressed ancestry around trait-contributing loci. From this and individual-based simulations, we show that introgressed-ancestry is depleted around such loci. When introgression between two diverged populations occurs in both directions, as has been inferred between humans and Neanderthals, the locations of such regions with depleted introgressed ancestry will tend to be shared across populations. We argue that stabilizing selection for shared phenotypic optima may explain recent observations in which regions of depleted human-introgressed ancestry in the Neanderthal genome overlap with Neanderthal-ancestry deserts in humans.}, }
@article {pmid40161630, year = {2025}, author = {Casten, LG and Koomar, T and Thomas, TR and Koh, JY and Hofamman, D and Thenuwara, S and Momany, A and O'Brien, M and Murray, JC and Tomblin, JB and Michaelson, JJ}, title = {Rapidly evolved genomic regions shape individual language abilities in present-day humans.}, journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1101/2025.03.07.641231}, pmid = {40161630}, issn = {2692-8205}, abstract = {1 Minor genetic changes have produced profound differences in cognitive abilities between humans and our closest relatives, particularly in language. Despite decades of research, ranging from single-gene studies to broader evolutionary analyses[1, 2, 3, 4, 5], key questions about the genomic foundations of human language have persisted, including which sequences are involved, how they evolved, and whether similar changes occur in other vocal learning species. Here we provide the first evidence directly linking rapidly evolved genomic regions to language abilities in contemporary humans. Through extensive analysis of 65 million years of evolutionary events in over 30,000 individuals, we demonstrate that Human Ancestor Quickly Evolved Regions (HAQERs)[5] - sequences that rapidly accumulated mutations after the human-chimpanzee split - specifically influence language but not general cognition. These regions evolved to shape language development by altering binding of Forkhead domain transcription factors, including FOXP2 . Strikingly, language-associated HAQER variants show higher prevalence in Neanderthals than modern humans, have been stable throughout recent human history, and show evidence of convergent evolution across other mammalian vocal learners. An unexpected pattern of balancing selection acting on these apparently beneficial alleles is explained by their pleiotropic effects on prenatal brain development contributing to birth complications, reflecting an evolutionary trade-off between language capability and reproductive fitness. By developing the Evolution Stratified-Polygenic Score analysis, we show that language capabilities likely emerged before the human-Neanderthal split - far earlier than previously thought[3, 6, 7]. Our findings establish the first direct link between ancient genomic divergence and present-day variation in language abilities, while revealing how evolutionary constraints continue to shape human cognitive development.}, }
@article {pmid40134218, year = {2025}, author = {Janivara, R and Hazra, U and Pfennig, A and Harlemon, M and Kim, MS and Eaaswarkhanth, M and Chen, WC and Ogunbiyi, A and Kachambwa, P and Petersen, LN and Jalloh, M and Mensah, JE and Adjei, AA and Adusei, B and Joffe, M and Gueye, SM and Aisuodionoe-Shadrach, OI and Fernandez, PW and Rohan, TE and Andrews, C and Rebbeck, TR and Adebiyi, AO and Agalliu, I and Lachance, J}, title = {Uncovering the genetic architecture and evolutionary roots of androgenetic alopecia in African men.}, journal = {HGG advances}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {100428}, doi = {10.1016/j.xhgg.2025.100428}, pmid = {40134218}, issn = {2666-2477}, abstract = {Androgenetic alopecia is a highly heritable trait. However, much of our understanding about the genetics of male pattern baldness comes from individuals of European descent. Here, we examined a dataset comprising 2,136 men from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa that were genotyped using the MADCaP Array. We first tested how genetic predictions of baldness generalize from Europe to Africa and found that polygenic scores from European GWAS yielded AUC statistics that ranged from 0.513 to 0.546, indicating that genetic predictions of baldness generalized poorly from European to African populations. Subsequently, we conducted an African GWAS of androgenetic alopecia, focusing on self-reported baldness patterns at age 45. After correcting for age at recruitment, population structure, and study site, we identified 266 moderately significant associations, 51 of which were independent (p-value < 10[-5], r[2] < 0.2). Most baldness associations were autosomal, and the X chromosome does not appear to have a large impact on baldness in African men. Although Neanderthal alleles have previously been associated with skin and hair phenotypes, within the limits of statistical power, we did not find evidence that continental differences in the genetic architecture of baldness are due to Neanderthal introgression. While most loci that are associated with androgenetic alopecia do not have large iHS or FST statistics, multiple baldness-associated SNPs near the EDA2R and AR genes have large allele frequency differences between continents. Collectively, our findings illustrate how population genetic differences contribute to the limited portability of polygenic predictions across ancestries.}, }
@article {pmid40132491, year = {2025}, author = {Schuh, A and Gunz, P and Villa, C and Maureille, B and Toussaint, M and Abrams, G and Hublin, JJ and Freidline, SE}, title = {Human midfacial growth pattern differs from that of Neanderthals and chimpanzees.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {202}, number = {}, pages = {103667}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103667}, pmid = {40132491}, issn = {1095-8606}, abstract = {Present-day humans have small and retracted midfaces, while Neanderthals possess large and forwardly projected midfaces. To understand the ontogenetic patterns underlying these characteristic morphologies, we compared maxillary growth and development from birth to adulthood in present-day humans (Homo sapiens; n = 128), Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis; n = 13), and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus; n = 33) using macroscopic (i.e., geometric morphometrics) and microscopic (i.e., surface histology) approaches. Using geometric morphometrics to quantify macroscopic patterns of growth and development, we found that the midfaces of present-day humans are on average already smaller at birth than those of Neanderthals and grow more slowly after birth. In particular, we find an early cessation of growth around adolescence, which is unique to our species. Microscopically, this is reflected in reduced amounts of bone resorption, indicative of decreased cellular activities linked to bone development. Greater amounts of bone formation in the infraorbital and nasal regions and faster growth rates are responsible for the large Neanderthal midface. These results highlight the importance of postnatal ontogeny (especially in late stages) for explaining facial differences between Neanderthals and present-day humans, as well as part of the gracilization process characteristic of present-day humans.}, }
@article {pmid40102687, year = {2025}, author = {Cousins, T and Scally, A and Durbin, R}, title = {A structured coalescent model reveals deep ancestral structure shared by all modern humans.}, journal = {Nature genetics}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {40102687}, issn = {1546-1718}, support = {207492/Z/17/Z//Wellcome Trust (Wellcome)/ ; 108864/B/15/Z//Wellcome Trust (Wellcome)/ ; }, abstract = {Understanding the history of admixture events and population size changes leading to modern humans is central to human evolutionary genetics. Here we introduce a coalescence-based hidden Markov model, cobraa, that explicitly represents an ancestral population split and rejoin, and demonstrate its application on simulated and real data across multiple species. Using cobraa, we present evidence for an extended period of structure in the history of all modern humans, in which two ancestral populations that diverged ~1.5 million years ago came together in an admixture event ~300 thousand years ago, in a ratio of ~80:20%. Immediately after their divergence, we detect a strong bottleneck in the major ancestral population. We inferred regions of the present-day genome derived from each ancestral population, finding that material from the minority correlates strongly with distance to coding sequence, suggesting it was deleterious against the majority background. Moreover, we found a strong correlation between regions of majority ancestry and human-Neanderthal or human-Denisovan divergence, suggesting the majority population was also ancestral to those archaic humans.}, }
@article {pmid40069367, year = {2025}, author = {Zaidner, Y and Prévost, M and Shahack-Gross, R and Weissbrod, L and Yeshurun, R and Porat, N and Guérin, G and Mercier, N and Galy, A and Pécheyran, C and Barbotin, G and Tribolo, C and Valladas, H and White, D and Timms, R and Blockley, S and Frumkin, A and Gaitero-Santos, D and Ilani, S and Ben-Haim, S and Pedergnana, A and Pietraszek, AV and García, P and Nicosia, C and Lagle, S and Varoner, O and Zeigen, C and Langgut, D and Crouvi, O and Borgel, S and Sarig, R and May, H and Hershkovitz, I}, title = {Evidence from Tinshemet Cave in Israel suggests behavioural uniformity across Homo groups in the Levantine mid-Middle Palaeolithic circa 130,000-80,000 years ago.}, journal = {Nature human behaviour}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {40069367}, issn = {2397-3374}, support = {2229/23//Israel Science Foundation (ISF)/ ; 91/6391//Israel Science Foundation (ISF)/ ; 1458/19//Israel Science Foundation (ISF)/ ; 1084/23//Israel Science Foundation (ISF)/ ; NGS-72344R-20//National Geographic Society/ ; NGS-51135R-18//National Geographic Society/ ; }, abstract = {The south Levantine mid-Middle Palaeolithic (mid-MP; ~130-80 thousand years ago (ka)) is remarkable for its exceptional evidence of human morphological variability, with contemporaneous fossils of Homo sapiens and Neanderthal-like hominins. Yet, it remains unclear whether these hominins adhered to discrete behavioural sets or whether regional-scale intergroup interactions could have homogenized mid-MP behaviour. Here we report on our discoveries at Tinshemet Cave, Israel. The site yielded articulated Homo remains in association with rich assemblages of ochre, fauna and stone tools dated to ~100 ka. Viewed from the perspective of other key regional sites of this period, our findings indicate consolidation of a uniform behavioural set in the Levantine mid-MP, consisting of similar lithic technology, an increased reliance on large-game hunting and a range of socially elaborated behaviours, comprising intentional human burial and the use of ochre in burial contexts. We suggest that the development of this behavioural uniformity is due to intensified inter-population interactions and admixture between Homo groups ~130-80 ka.}, }
@article {pmid40063818, year = {2025}, author = {Ma, X and Lu, Y and Stoneking, M and Xu, S}, title = {Neanderthal adaptive introgression shaped LCT enhancer region diversity without linking to lactase persistence in East Asian populations.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {122}, number = {11}, pages = {e2404393122}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.2404393122}, pmid = {40063818}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {2023YFC2605400//MOST | National Key Research and Development Program of China (NKPs)/ ; 32030020 32288101//MOST | National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)/ ; 23JS1410100//shanghai science and technology commission program/ ; Key Projects Development Fund//the office of global partnerships/ ; }, mesh = {*Lactase/genetics/metabolism ; Humans ; Animals ; *Enhancer Elements, Genetic/genetics ; *Haplotypes ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Asian People/genetics ; Genetic Introgression ; Selection, Genetic ; Black People/genetics ; East Asian People ; }, abstract = {Positive selection at the 2q21.3 enhancer region for lactase gene (LCT) expression in Europeans and Africans has long been attributed to selection for lactase persistence (LP), the capacity of adults to digest lactose in milk, presumably because of the benefits associated with milk consumption. While considered a classic example of gene-culture coevolution, recently doubts have been raised about the link between selection at 2q21.3 and LP. Analysis of additional populations could shed further light; here, we demonstrate that a haplotype spanning ~467 kb at the 2q21.3 locus has risen to high frequency in East Asians (~25%) but is absent from Africans and Europeans. This haplotype likely derived from Neanderthals and has been under positive selection in East Asians. The East Asian-specific haplotype is associated with alterations in LCT expression and promoter methylation in certain cell types, similar to what is observed with LP-associated haplotypes in Europeans. Moreover, its frequency is comparable to that of LP in East Asians, suggesting a potential association with LP in East Asians. However, it is highly unlikely that selection in East Asians was related to milk-drinking habits. We find that this haplotype impacts the expression of UBXN4, DARS1, and DARS1-AS1 in immune cells and is associated with neutrophil and white blood cell counts. Hence, the selection might be linked to certain aspects of immune function. This implies that selection on 2q21.3 has thus either occurred for different reasons in different populations or the selection observed in other populations is also not due to LP.}, }
@article {pmid40053588, year = {2025}, author = {Linscott, B and Devièse, T and Duarte, C and Trinkaus, E and Zilhão, J}, title = {Direct hydroxyproline radiocarbon dating of the Lapedo child (Abrigo do Lagar Velho, Leiria, Portugal).}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {11}, number = {10}, pages = {eadp5769}, doi = {10.1126/sciadv.adp5769}, pmid = {40053588}, issn = {2375-2548}, mesh = {*Radiometric Dating/methods ; Humans ; Portugal ; *Hydroxyproline/analysis ; *Archaeology/methods ; Animals ; Bone and Bones/chemistry ; Fossils ; Neanderthals ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; }, abstract = {The 1998 discovery of a nearly intact Gravettian human burial in the Lapedo Valley (Leiria, Portugal) propelled the Lagar Velho rockshelter to worldwide fame. The ochre-stained skeleton of the Lapedo child, a juvenile aged around four or five, exhibited a mosaic of Neanderthal and anatomically modern human features argued to reflect admixture between the two human populations. Here, we present direct compound-specific radiocarbon dates for the child's skeleton [27,780 to 28,550 calibrated years before present (cal B.P.)] and five associated bones from the burial and underlying contexts. We reassess the chronology and archaeological interpretation of the burial in light of these new dates and demonstrate the suitability of hydroxyproline radiocarbon dating for poorly preserved Paleolithic samples that otherwise fail routine radiocarbon pretreatment methods.}, }
@article {pmid40022290, year = {2025}, author = {Adegboyega, MT and Grote, MN and Weaver, TD}, title = {Predicting the Position of Hip Bones Within the Pelvic Girdle: A Case Study of the Kebara 2 Neanderthal.}, journal = {American journal of biological anthropology}, volume = {186}, number = {2}, pages = {e70014}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.70014}, pmid = {40022290}, issn = {2692-7691}, support = {//University of California, Davis, Department of Anthropology/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Pelvic Bones/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Female ; Male ; Humans ; Pelvis/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Adult ; Anthropology, Physical ; Regression Analysis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Poor preservation of hominin pelvises and the lack of soft tissue in the fossil record inhibits researchers' abilities to ascertain the true geometry of hominin pelvic girdles. The reconstruction process becomes subjective, largely relying on researchers' anatomical expertise, particularly, when the sacrum is absent or cannot be used to orient the hip bones. The bilateral symmetry of the pelvis, however, offers an opportunity to use one side to reconstruct potentially missing data on the other side.<br><br>METHODS: We developed a regression model to predict the translation and rotation actions that are needed to transform a hip bone onto the location of its pair. We collected landmarks and curve semilandmarks on a training sample of medical CT scans of 103 adult humans. A reduced rank regression model was trained to predict the values that would fit each right hip bone on its left pair. Then, we applied the model to two reconstructions of the Kebara 2 Neanderthal pelvis and assessed how well, it predicted the reconstructions (assuming the sacrum was absent), which were made using the preserved sacrum.<br><br>RESULTS: Euclidean errors from the model were significantly lower than errors from a mean form model and an observed form pairwise model.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Regression modeling that takes advantage of bilateral symmetry can be used to reliably predict "missing" human hip bones and Kebara 2's reconstructed left hip bones. This method can be employed in conjunction with a researcher's anatomical expertise and other techniques to reduce subjectivity in the fossil pelvis reconstruction process.}, }
@article {pmid40009574, year = {2025}, author = {Degioanni, A and Cabut, S and Condemi, S and Smith, RS}, title = {Climate change in Europe between 90 and 50 kyr BP and Neanderthal territorial habitability.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {20}, number = {2}, pages = {e0308690}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0308690}, pmid = {40009574}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {*Neanderthals ; Animals ; *Climate Change ; Europe ; Humans ; Fossils ; Ecosystem ; }, abstract = {After having lived as the dominant human species in Europe for over 200 kyr, Homo neanderthalensis (the Neanderthals) disappeared around 40 kyr BP (Before Present) Higham T (2014). Competition with Homo sapiens, who arrived in Europe around the same time, is often invoked to explain this extinction. Others have argued that climate change may have reduced the living space of this population making its disappearance more rapid. In order to test the climate change hypothesis we modelled the Neanderthals' ecological niches in Europe between 90 and 50 kyr BP through paleoenvironmental reconstructions and Eco-Cultural Niche Modelling. We selected five environmental variables (orographic height, mean annual precipitation, mean temperature of the coldest month, carrying capacity and friction, see below) from climate model simulations of 5 periods between 90 and 50 kyr BP in Europe. We used Structural Similarity (SSIM) index to compare the probability maps of suitable niches to Neanderthals performed by Maxent. After a strong initial environmental change between the first (P1 = 90 to 83 kyr BP) and second (P2 = 83 to 69 kyr BP) periods, our results show that large areas highly suitable for Neanderthal occupation persisted across Europe. As our results show an increase/stability of the areas suitable to Neanderthals, the question of the cause of the decrease or displacement of the Neanderthal population towards southern Europe after this climatic change remains open.}, }
@article {pmid39999512, year = {2025}, author = {Olsen, ST and White, S}, title = {Facial morphologies of Middle Pleistocene Europe: Morphological mosaicism and the evolution of Homo neanderthalensis.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {201}, number = {}, pages = {103645}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103645}, pmid = {39999512}, issn = {1095-8606}, abstract = {The phylogeny of the Middle Pleistocene hominins is a matter of intense scientific debate. Important phylogenetic and taxonomic uncertainties remain, not least due to conflicting results of phylogenetic analyses when methodologies or morphological focus differ. Geography has been proposed to play a key role in Middle Pleistocene hominin diversity, with a European group potentially ancestral to Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) and an African group possibly ancestral to Homo sapiens, but the evidence is equivocal. In this study, we explore the connection between geography and facial morphology in Middle Pleistocene hominins with a particular emphasis on the potential Neanderthal affinities of the European group. Furthermore, to assess the impact of methodology on the results, we use a multimethod approach in which morphological affinities in both facial shape and discrete facial traits are assessed on a dataset consisting of 38 fossil and 20 recent hominin skulls divided into five groups (European and non-European Middle Pleistocene hominins, H. sapiens, H. neanderthalensis, and Homo erectus/Homo ergaster). Two main conclusions emerge from these analyses. First, methodological approach has a marked impact on the recorded pattern of morphological affinity, which may explain result discrepancies among previous studies. Second, this disparity may be caused by morphological mosaicism and polymorphism in the facial region of Middle Pleistocene hominins. The results provide some support for a closer connection between European Middle Pleistocene hominins and Neanderthals in terms of discrete facial traits, but not in overall facial shape, raising questions about the process of evolution of the Neanderthal facial phenotype. As a consequence of these results, we argue that greater attention needs to be paid to clarifying the broader evolutionary processes guiding hominin evolution during this period.}, }
@article {pmid39979299, year = {2025}, author = {Urciuoli, A and Martínez, I and Quam, R and Arsuaga, JL and Keeling, BA and Diez-Valero, J and Conde-Valverde, M}, title = {Semicircular canals shed light on bottleneck events in the evolution of the Neanderthal clade.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {16}, number = {1}, pages = {972}, pmid = {39979299}, issn = {2041-1723}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; *Semicircular Canals/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; *Phylogeny ; Humans ; }, abstract = {Revealing the evolutionary processes which resulted in the derived morphologies that characterize the Neanderthal clade has been an important task for paleoanthropologists. One critical method to quantify evolutionary changes in the morphology of hominin populations is through evaluating morphological phenotypic diversity (i.e., disparity) in phylogenetically informative bones as a close proxy to neutral evolutionary processes. The goal of this study is to quantify the degree of disparity in the Neanderthal clade. We hypothesize that a reduction in bony labyrinth disparity is indicative of the underlying genetic variation resulting from bottleneck events. We apply a deformation-based geometric morphometric approach to investigate semicircular canal and vestibule shape of a chronologically broad sample of individuals belonging to the Neanderthal lineage. Our results identify a significant reduction in disparity after the start of Marine Isotope Stage 5 supporting our hypothesis of a late bottleneck, possibly leading to the derived morphology of Late Pleistocene Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid39971893, year = {2025}, author = {Breton, &#xc9; and Kaufmann, T}, title = {An evolutionary perspective on the genetics of anorexia nervosa.}, journal = {Translational psychiatry}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, pages = {59}, pmid = {39971893}, issn = {2158-3188}, support = {323961//Norges Forskningsr&#xe5;d (Research Council of Norway)/ ; }, mesh = {*Anorexia Nervosa/genetics ; Humans ; Female ; *Menarche/genetics ; *Body Mass Index ; *Genome-Wide Association Study ; *Biological Evolution ; Adolescent ; Multifactorial Inheritance/genetics ; Animals ; Phenotype ; }, abstract = {Anorexia nervosa (AN) typically emerges around adolescence and predominantly affects females. Recent progress has been made in identifying biological correlates of AN, but more research is needed to pinpoint the specific mechanisms that lead to its development and maintenance. There is a known phenotypic link between AN, growth and sexual maturation, yet the genetic overlap between these phenotypes remains enigmatic. One may hypothesize that shared factors between AN, energy metabolism and reproductive functions may have been under recent evolutionary selection. Here, we characterize the genetic overlap between AN, BMI and age at menarche, and aimed to reveal recent evolutionary factors that may help explain the origin of AN. We obtained publicly available GWAS summary statistics of AN, BMI and age at menarche and studied the polygenic overlap between them. Next, we used Neandertal Selective Sweep scores to explore recent evolutionary selection. We found 22 loci overlapping between AN and BMI, and 9 loci between AN and age at menarche, with 7 of these not previously associated with AN. We found that loci associated with AN may have been under particular evolutionary dynamic. Chronobiology appeared relevant to the studied genetic overlaps and prone to recent evolutionary selection, offering a promising avenue for future research. Taken together, our findings contribute to the understanding of the genetic underpinning of AN. Ultimately, better knowledge of the biological origins of AN may help to target specific biological processes and facilitate early intervention in individuals who are most at risk.}, }
@article {pmid39962554, year = {2025}, author = {Liang, SA and Ren, T and Zhang, J and He, J and Wang, X and Jiang, X and He, Y and McCoy, RC and Fu, Q and Akey, JM and Mao, Y and Chen, L}, title = {A refined analysis of Neanderthal-introgressed sequences in modern humans with a complete reference genome.}, journal = {Genome biology}, volume = {26}, number = {1}, pages = {32}, pmid = {39962554}, issn = {1474-760X}, mesh = {*Neanderthals/genetics ; Humans ; Animals ; *Genome, Human ; Genetic Introgression ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Leveraging long-read sequencing technologies, the first complete human reference genome, T2T-CHM13, corrects assembly errors in previous references and resolves the remaining 8% of the genome. While studies on archaic admixture in modern humans have so far relied on the GRCh37 reference due to the availability of archaic genome data, the impact of T2T-CHM13 in this field remains unexplored.<br><br>RESULTS: We remap the sequencing reads of the high-quality Altai Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes onto GRCh38 and T2T-CHM13. Compared to GRCh37, we find that T2T-CHM13 significantly improves read mapping quality in archaic samples. We then apply IBDmix to identify Neanderthal-introgressed sequences in 2504 individuals from 26 geographically diverse populations using different reference genomes. We observe that commonly used pre-phasing filtering strategies in public datasets substantially influence archaic ancestry determination, underscoring the need for careful filter selection. Our analysis identifies&#x2009;approximately&#x2009;51&#xa0;Mb of Neanderthal sequences unique to T2T-CHM13, predominantly in genomic regions where GRCh38 and T2T-CHM13 assemblies diverge. Additionally, we uncover novel instances of population-specific archaic introgression in diverse populations, spanning genes involved in metabolism, olfaction, and ion-channel function. Finally, to facilitate the exploration of archaic alleles and adaptive signals in human genomics and evolutionary research, we integrate these introgressed sequences and adaptive signals across all reference genomes into a visualization database, ASH (www.arcseqhub.com).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our study enhances the detection of archaic variations in modern humans, highlights the importance of utilizing the T2T-CHM13 reference, and provides novel insights into the functional consequences of archaic hominin admixture.}, }
@article {pmid39953642, year = {2025}, author = {Abood, S and Oota, H}, title = {Human dispersal into East Eurasia: ancient genome insights and the need for research on physiological adaptations.}, journal = {Journal of physiological anthropology}, volume = {44}, number = {1}, pages = {5}, pmid = {39953642}, issn = {1880-6805}, mesh = {Humans ; *Human Migration ; Animals ; *Adaptation, Physiological/genetics ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; }, abstract = {Humans have long pondered their genesis. The answer to the great question of where Homo sapiens come from has evolved in conjunction with biotechnologies that have allowed us to more brightly illuminate our distant past. The "Multiregional Evolution" model was once the hegemonic theory of Homo sapiens origins, but in the last 30 years, it has been supplanted by the "Out of Africa" model. Here, we review the major findings that have resulted in this paradigmatic shift. These include hominin brain expansion, classical insight from the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) regarding the timing of the divergence point between Africans and non-Africans, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes. These findings largely bolstered the "Out of Africa" model, although they also revealed a small degree of introgression of the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes into those of non-African Homo sapiens. We also review paleogenomic studies for which migration route, north or south, early migrants to East Eurasia most likely traversed. Whichever route was taken, the migrants moved to higher latitudes, which necessitated adaptation for lower light conditions, colder clines, and pro-adipogenic mechanisms to counteract food scarcity. Further genetic and epigenetic investigations of these physiological adaptations constitute an integral aspect of the story of human origins and human migration to East Asia.}, }
@article {pmid39868299, year = {2025}, author = {Khouri-Farah, N and Winchester, EW and Schilder, BM and Robinson, K and Curtis, SW and Skene, NG and Leslie-Clarkson, EJ and Cotney, J}, title = {Gene expression patterns of the developing human face at single cell resolution reveal cell type contributions to normal facial variation and disease risk.}, journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1101/2025.01.18.633396}, pmid = {39868299}, issn = {2692-8205}, abstract = {Craniofacial development gives rise to the complex structures of the face and involves the interplay of diverse cell types. Despite its importance, our understanding of human-specific craniofacial developmental mechanisms and their genetic underpinnings remains limited. Here, we present a comprehensive single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) atlas of human craniofacial development from craniofacial tissues of 24 embryos that span six key time points during the embryonic period (4-8 post-conception weeks). This resource resolves the transcriptional dynamics of seven major cell types and uncovers distinct major cell types, including muscle progenitors and cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs), as well as dozens of subtypes of ectoderm and mesenchyme. Comparative analyses reveal substantial conservation of major cell types, alongside human biased differences in gene expression programs. CNCCs, which play a crucial role in craniofacial morphogenesis, exhibit the lowest marker gene conservation, underscoring their evolutionary plasticity. Spatial transcriptomics further localizes cell populations, providing a detailed view of their developmental roles and anatomical context. We also link these developmental processes to genetic variation, identifying cell type-specific enrichments for common variants associated with facial morphology and rare variants linked to orofacial clefts. Intriguingly, Neanderthal-introgressed sequences are enriched near genes with biased expression in cartilage and specialized ectodermal subtypes, suggesting their contribution to modern human craniofacial features. This atlas offers unprecedented insights into the cellular and genetic mechanisms shaping the human face, highlighting conserved and distinctly human aspects of craniofacial biology. Our findings illuminate the developmental origins of craniofacial disorders, the genetic basis of facial variation, and the evolutionary legacy of ancient hominins. This work provides a foundational resource for exploring craniofacial biology, with implications for developmental genetics, evolutionary biology, and clinical research into congenital anomalies.}, }
@article {pmid39848961, year = {2025}, author = {Mazières, S and Condemi, S and El Nemer, W and Chiaroni, J}, title = {Rapid change in red cell blood group systems after the main Out of Africa of Homo sapiens.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, pages = {1597}, pmid = {39848961}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {ANR-20-CE03-0002//Agence Nationale de la Recherche/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Blood Group Antigens/genetics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Genetic Variation ; Haplotypes ; Phylogeny ; Erythrocytes ; Alleles ; Africa ; }, abstract = {Despite the advances in paleogenomics, red cell blood group systems in ancient human populations remain scarcely known. Pioneer attempts showed that Neandertal and Denisova, two archaic hominid populations inhabiting Eurasia, expressed blood groups currently found in sub-Saharans and a rare "rhesus", part of which is found in Oceanians. Herein we fully pictured the blood group genetic diversity of 22 Homo sapiens and 14 Neandertals from Eurasia living between 120,000 and 20,000 years before present (yBP). From the ABO, Rh, Kell, Duffy, Kidd, MNS, Diego, H, secretor and Indian systems, we noted that the blood group allele diversity in the Neandertals remained unchanged since 120,000 yBP, while H. sapiens conquered Eurasia with blood group alleles presently exclusive to non-African populations, suggesting they may have differentiated right after the Out of Africa, between 70,000 and 45,000 yBP. Notably, Ust'Ishim possessed unknown alleles that may illustrate the lost genetic heritage of the early Eurasians. Lastly, Neandertals shared a unique Rh haplotype from which we updated the current RHD phylogeny. The contribution of this study is twofold. It enlightens the expansion patterns of H sapiens and recalls the anthropological effectiveness of genetic polymorphisms currently being surveyed for transfusion safety and pregnancy monitoring.}, }
@article {pmid39836586, year = {2025}, author = {Casanova, EL and Feltus, FA}, title = {Neandertal DNA and the Human Mind: DNA inherited from our extinct relatives may affect modern human cognition.}, journal = {Scientific American}, volume = {332}, number = {2}, pages = {42}, doi = {10.1038/scientificamerican022025-ZJUzYFHXtbEy09x2LIFMa}, pmid = {39836586}, issn = {0036-8733}, }
@article {pmid39836570, year = {2025}, author = {Bryner, J}, title = {Blobs and Green Monsters: Our February issue covers new Alzheimer's guidelines, teens' transcendent thinking, Neandertal DNA in all of us, and more.}, journal = {Scientific American}, volume = {332}, number = {2}, pages = {4}, doi = {10.1038/scientificamerican022025-SEPEKDBlVCyUKCmn5na3F}, pmid = {39836570}, issn = {0036-8733}, }
@article {pmid39807710, year = {2025}, author = {Blessing, MA}, title = {Behavioural modernity is dead: Long live behavioural modernity.}, journal = {The Behavioral and brain sciences}, volume = {48}, number = {}, pages = {e5}, doi = {10.1017/S0140525X24001018}, pmid = {39807710}, issn = {1469-1825}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Cognition/physiology ; Biological Evolution ; Symbolism ; Cultural Evolution ; }, abstract = {Using Neanderthal symbolism, I extend on Stibbard-Hawkes to show that reconsidering the link between cognitive capacity and material culture extends beyond matters of preservation. A reconceptualization of behavioural modernity inclusive of both extant and extinct populations must begin with an honest theoretical separation of biological and behavioural modernity, which requires to critically engage with how we frame the underlying questions.}, }
@article {pmid39801370, year = {2025}, author = {Sandroni, V and Chaumette, B}, title = {Understanding the Emergence of Schizophrenia in the Light of Human Evolution: New Perspectives in Genetics.}, journal = {Genes, brain, and behavior}, volume = {24}, number = {1}, pages = {e70013}, doi = {10.1111/gbb.70013}, pmid = {39801370}, issn = {1601-183X}, support = {//Institut National de la Sant&#xe9; et de la Recherche M&#xe9;dicale/ ; //Agence R&#xe9;gionale de Sant&#xe9; &#xce;le-de-France/ ; //Agence Nationale de la Recherche/ ; //French Congress of Psychiatry/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; *Schizophrenia/genetics ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Evolution, Molecular ; Hominidae/genetics ; }, abstract = {Schizophrenia is a frequent and disabling disease. The persistence of the disorder despite its harmful consequences represents an evolutionary paradox. Based on recent discoveries in genetics, scientists have formulated the "price-to-pay" hypothesis: schizophrenia would be intimately related to human evolution, particularly to brain development and human-specific higher cognitive functions. The objective of the present work is to question scientific literature about the relationship between schizophrenia and human evolution from a genetic point of view. In the last two decades, research investigated the association between schizophrenia and a few genetic evolutionary markers: Human accelerated regions, segmental duplications, and highly repetitive DNA such as the Olduvai domain. Other studies focused on the action of natural selection on schizophrenia-associated genetic variants, also thanks to the complete sequencing of archaic hominins' genomes (Neanderthal, Denisova). Results suggested that a connection between human evolution and schizophrenia may exist; nonetheless, much research is still needed, and it is possible that a definitive answer to the evolutionary paradox of schizophrenia will never be found.}, }
@article {pmid39788103, year = {2025}, author = {Kun, E and Sohail, M and Narasimhan, VM}, title = {The trait-specific timing of accelerated genomic change in the human lineage.}, journal = {Cell genomics}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, pages = {100740}, doi = {10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100740}, pmid = {39788103}, issn = {2666-979X}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Genome-Wide Association Study ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Macaca mulatta/genetics ; Phenotype ; Genomics/methods ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Humans exhibit distinct characteristics compared to our primate and ancient hominin ancestors. To investigate genomic bursts in the evolution of these traits, we use two complementary approaches to examine enrichment among genome-wide association study loci spanning diseases and AI-based image-derived brain, heart, and skeletal tissue phenotypes with genomic regions reflecting four evolutionary divergence points. These regions cover epigenetic differences among humans and rhesus macaques, human accelerated regions (HARs), ancient selective sweeps, and Neanderthal-introgressed alleles. Skeletal traits such as pelvic width and limb proportions showed enrichment in evolutionary annotations that mirror morphological changes in the primate fossil record. Additionally, we observe enrichment of loci associated with the longitudinal fasciculus in human-gained epigenetic elements since macaques, the visual cortex in HARs, and the thalamus proper in Neanderthal-introgressed alleles, implying that associated cognitive functions such as language processing, decision-making, sensory signaling, and motor control are enriched at different evolutionary depths.}, }
@article {pmid39766821, year = {2024}, author = {Shimada, MK and Nishida, T}, title = {Haplotype-Based Approach Represents Locus Specificity in the Genomic Diversification Process in Humans (Homo sapiens).}, journal = {Genes}, volume = {15}, number = {12}, pages = {}, doi = {10.3390/genes15121554}, pmid = {39766821}, issn = {2073-4425}, support = {23101506, 20H05139, 22H04454, 18K06452, 21K06366//Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; *Haplotypes ; *Genome, Human ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Animals ; Genomics/methods ; Genetics, Population ; Genetic Variation ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recent progress in evolutionary genomics on human (Homo sapiens) populations has revealed complex demographic events and genomic changes. These include population expansion with complicated migration, substantial population structure, and ancient introgression from other hominins, as well as human characteristics selections. Nevertheless, the genomic regions in which such evolutionary events took place have remained unclear.<br><br>METHODS: Here, we focused on eight loci containing the haplotypes that were previously presented as atypical for the mutation pattern in sequence and/or geographic distribution pattern with the model of recent African origin, which constitute two major clusters: African only, and global. This was the consensus model before information regarding introgression from Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis) was available. We compared diversity in identical datasets of the modern human population genome, with the 1000 Genomes project among them.<br><br>RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: This study identified representative genomic regions that show traces of various demographic events and genomic changes that modern humans have undergone by categorizing the relationships in sequence similarity and in worldwide geographic distribution among haplotypes.}, }
@article {pmid39765216, year = {2025}, author = {Stringer, C}, title = {Human evolution: The lonely Neanderthal?.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {35}, number = {1}, pages = {R29-R31}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2024.11.043}, pmid = {39765216}, issn = {1879-0445}, mesh = {*Neanderthals/genetics ; Animals ; *Fossils ; *Biological Evolution ; Humans ; France ; }, abstract = {A recently excavated Neanderthal skeleton from southern France has yielded DNA from a distinct lineage, different from other late Neanderthals. This suggests Neanderthals expanded and diversified about 120,000 years ago, and some of that diversity persisted in Europe until near the time of their extinction.}, }
@article {pmid24146934, year = {2013}, author = {Lozano, M and Subirà, ME and Aparicio, J and Lorenzo, C and Gómez-Merino, G}, title = {Toothpicking and periodontal disease in a Neanderthal specimen from Cova Foradà site (Valencia, Spain).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {8}, number = {10}, pages = {e76852}, pmid = {24146934}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Geography ; Humans ; Maxilla/pathology ; Neanderthals ; Periodontal Diseases/*pathology ; Spain ; Tooth/*pathology ; }, abstract = {We present a Neanderthal maxilla (CF-1) from Cova Foradà site (Oliva, Valencia, Spain) with periodontal disease and evidence of attempts to alleviate pain with the use of a toothpick. Two interproximal grooves have been found on the distal surfaces of the upper left Pm(3) and M(1) of CF-1 maxilla. The location, morphology and size of the grooves coincide with other interproximal grooves found on the teeth of other fossil specimens. Heavy dental wear and periodontal disease would have caused the Cova Foradà Neanderthal specimen pain and discomfort, which the individual attempted to mitigate using some kind of dental probe.}, }
@article {pmid39729880, year = {2024}, author = {Henrion, J and Maureille, B and Beauval, C and Vanderesse, N and Hublin, JJ and Hardy, M}, title = {The Grotte du Bison Neandertals (Arcy-sur-Cure, France).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {199}, number = {}, pages = {103631}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103631}, pmid = {39729880}, issn = {1095-8606}, abstract = {The Grotte du Bison, in Arcy-sur-Cure (Yonne, France), yielded a large assemblage of 49 Neandertal remains from late Mousterian layers, offering critical insights for the study of Middle to Upper Paleolithic populations of Western Europe. Previous studies described the external morphology of 13 isolated teeth and a partial maxilla. Building on this previous work, the current study provides further descriptions and analyses of the remains, including one postcranial fragment, six cranial fragments, two maxillary fragments, and 40 isolated teeth. The dental remains are examined for a more detailed assessment of the metric and nonmetric variability of their external and internal morphologies. We focus our description on preservation, health status, and age at death, and we assess the minimum number of individuals. The dental variability is also compared to that of Middle and Upper Pleistocene hominins. Our results indicate that the collection represents at least nine to 17 individuals, comprising mostly children and adolescents. Five to seven pairings are identified based on shared dental traits, developmental criteria, such as perikymata and pitted hypoplasia, wear patterns, and taphonomic alterations. This collection exhibits characteristic Neandertal features, including occasionally markedly expressed traits (e.g., I[1] and P[3] ridging and tubercular expressions), as well as a homogenous expression of accessory structures (particularly for the molars). The highest morphological variability is observed on maxillary premolar roots, which display different stages of root fusion, mesially placed hypercementosis, and pulp cavity extension. This collection also reflects the morphological and behavioral diversity observed in the other Arcy-sur-Cure caves.}, }
@article {pmid39672950, year = {2024}, author = {Tournebize, R and Chikhi, L}, title = {Ignoring population structure in hominin evolutionary models can lead to the inference of spurious admixture events.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {39672950}, issn = {2397-334X}, support = {ANR-10-LABX-25-01//Agence Nationale de la Recherche (French National Research Agency)/ ; ANR-10-LABX-25-01//Agence Nationale de la Recherche (French National Research Agency)/ ; }, abstract = {Genomic and ancient DNA data have revolutionized palaeoanthropology and our vision of human evolution, with indisputable landmarks like the sequencing of Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes. Yet, using genetic data to identify, date and quantify evolutionary events-such as ancient bottlenecks or admixture-is not straightforward, as inferences may depend on model assumptions. In the last two decades, the idea that Neanderthals and members of the Homo sapiens lineage interbred has gained momentum. From the status of unlikely theory, it has reached consensus among human evolutionary biologists. This theory is mainly supported by statistical approaches that depend on demographic models minimizing or ignoring population structure, despite its widespread occurrence and the fact that, when ignored, population structure can lead to the inference of spurious demographic events. We simulated genomic data under a structured and admixture-free model of human evolution, and found that all the tested admixture approaches identified long Neanderthal fragments in our simulated genomes and an admixture event that never took place. We also observed that several published admixture models failed to predict important empirical diversity or admixture statistics, and that we could identify several scenarios from our structured model that better predicted these statistics jointly. Using a simulated time series of ancient DNA, the structured scenarios could also predict the trajectory of the empirical D statistics. Our results suggest that models accounting for population structure are fundamental to improve our understanding of human evolution, and that admixture between Neanderthals and H. sapiens needs to be re-evaluated in the light of structured models. Beyond the Neanderthal case, we argue that ancient hybridization events, which are increasingly documented in many species, including with other hominins, may also benefit from such re-evaluation.}, }
@article {pmid39672157, year = {2024}, author = {Li, Q and Faux, P and Wentworth Winchester, E and Yang, G and Chen, Y and Ramírez, LM and Fuentes-Guajardo, M and Poloni, L and Steimetz, E and Gonzalez-José, R and Acuña, V and Bortolini, MC and Poletti, G and Gallo, C and Rothhammer, F and Rojas, W and Zheng, Y and Cox, JC and Patel, V and Hoffman, MP and Ding, L and Peng, C and Cotney, J and Navarro, N and Cox, TC and Delgado, M and Adhikari, K and Ruiz-Linares, A}, title = {PITX2 expression and Neanderthal introgression in HS3ST3A1 contribute to variation in tooth dimensions in modern humans.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2024.11.027}, pmid = {39672157}, issn = {1879-0445}, abstract = {Dental morphology varies greatly throughout evolution, including in the human lineage, but little is known about the biology of this variation. Here, we use multiomics analyses to examine the genetics of variation in tooth crown dimensions. In a human cohort with mixed continental ancestry, we detected genome-wide significant associations at 18 genome regions. One region includes EDAR, a gene known to impact dental features in East Asians. Furthermore, we find that EDAR variants increase the mesiodistal diameter of all teeth, following an anterior-posterior gradient of decreasing strength. Among the 17 novel-associated regions, we replicate 7/13 in an independent human cohort and find that 4/12 orthologous regions affect molar size in mice. Two association signals point to compelling candidate genes. One is ∼61 kb from PITX2, a major determinant of tooth development. Another overlaps HS3ST3A1, a paralogous neighbor of HS3ST3B1, a tooth enamel knot factor. We document the expression of Pitx2 and Hs3st3a1 in enamel knot and dental epithelial cells of developing mouse incisors. Furthermore, associated SNPs in PITX2 and HS3ST3A1 overlap enhancers active in these cells, suggesting a role for these SNPs in gene regulation during dental development. In addition, we document that Pitx2 and Hs3st3a1/Hs3st3b1 knockout mice show alterations in dental morphology. Finally, we find that associated SNPs in HS3ST3A1 are in a DNA tract introgressed from Neanderthals, consistent with an involvement of HS3ST3A1 in tooth size variation during human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid39667410, year = {2024}, author = {Sümer, AP and Rougier, H and Villalba-Mouco, V and Huang, Y and Iasi, LNM and Essel, E and Mesa, AB and Furtwaengler, A and Peyrégne, S and de Filippo, C and Rohrlach, AB and Pierini, F and Mafessoni, F and Fewlass, H and Zavala, EI and Mylopotamitaki, D and Bianco, RA and Schmidt, A and Zorn, J and Nickel, B and Patova, A and Posth, C and Smith, GM and Ruebens, K and Sinet-Mathiot, V and Stoessel, A and Dietl, H and Orschiedt, J and Kelso, J and Zeberg, H and Bos, KI and Welker, F and Weiss, M and McPherron, S and Schüler, T and Hublin, JJ and Velemínský, P and Brůžek, J and Peter, BM and Meyer, M and Meller, H and Ringbauer, H and Hajdinjak, M and Prüfer, K and Krause, J}, title = {Earliest modern human genomes constrain timing of Neanderthal admixture.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-024-08420-x}, pmid = {39667410}, issn = {1476-4687}, abstract = {Modern humans arrived in Europe more than 45,000 years ago, overlapping at least 5,000 years with Neanderthals[1-4]. Limited genomic data from these early modern humans have shown that at least two genetically distinct groups inhabited Europe, represented by Zlatý kůň, Czechia[3] and Bacho Kiro, Bulgaria[2]. Here we deepen our understanding of early modern humans by analyzing one high-coverage genome and five low-coverage genomes from ~45,000 year-old remains from Ilsenhöhle in Ranis, Germany[4], and a further high-coverage genome from Zlatý kůň. We show that distant familial relationships link the Ranis and Zlatý kůň individuals and that they were part of the same small, isolated population that represents the deepest known split from the Out-of-Africa lineage. Ranis genomes harbor Neanderthal segments that originate from a single admixture event shared with all non-Africans that we date to ~45,000-49,000 years ago. This implies that ancestors of all non-Africans sequenced to-date resided in a common population at this time, and further suggests that modern human remains older than 50,000 years from outside Africa represent different non-African populations.}, }
@article {pmid39667186, year = {2024}, author = {López-Rey, JM and García-Martínez, D and Bastir, M}, title = {Shanidar 3 'rings the bell': Virtual ribcage reconstruction and its implications for understanding the Neanderthal bauplan.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {199}, number = {}, pages = {103629}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103629}, pmid = {39667186}, issn = {1095-8606}, abstract = {The study of the ribcage is fundamental to understanding hominin evolution. However, ribs and vertebrae are scarce in the fossil record. Although Neanderthals are one of the most represented and, therefore, one of the most studied fossil Homo species, it is controversial whether there is a standardized Neanderthal ribcage morphotype that could differ from modern humans. Hence, we used three-dimensional geometric morphometrics to reconstruct and compare the Neanderthal ribcage of Shanidar 3 with another Neanderthal specimen, Kebara 2, and with 58 Homo sapiens individuals of worldwide distribution. Shape differences among the Neanderthal and H. sapiens ribcages were analyzed by a hierarchical cluster using the Euclidean distances among the permuted Procrustes distances between groups. Size differences between the Neanderthal and H. sapiens ribcages were examined using a permutation test on centroid size. To examine the potential for allometry, we performed a linear regression of Procrustes coordinates on centroid size of the sample, followed by a principal component analysis in form space. Our results show that Shanidar 3 has the 'bell-shaped' thorax typically described for Neanderthals. In fact, the shapes of both Shanidar 3 and Kebara 2 ribcages cluster apart from that of H. sapiens, being closer to cold-adapted individuals. The study of the centroid size supports similarities between Neanderthals and cold-adapted H. sapiens since significant size differences were found only between Neanderthals and temperate/tropical recent humans. The linear regression and principal component analysis showed an allometric relationship between ribcage size and shape, suggesting Neanderthals had larger and stockier ribcages than most H. sapiens, although they fall within the H. sapiens range of variation. Finally, ribcage similarities found between Shanidar 3 and Kebara 2, both inhabiting warm Levantine locations during the Upper Pleistocene, could challenge the conventional idea of a cold-adapted bauplan in Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid39666853, year = {2024}, author = {Iasi, LNM and Chintalapati, M and Skov, L and Mesa, AB and Hajdinjak, M and Peter, BM and Moorjani, P}, title = {Neanderthal ancestry through time: Insights from genomes of ancient and present-day humans.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {386}, number = {6727}, pages = {eadq3010}, doi = {10.1126/science.adq3010}, pmid = {39666853}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {*Neanderthals/genetics ; Animals ; *Gene Flow ; Humans ; *Genome, Human ; *Selection, Genetic ; DNA, Ancient/analysis ; }, abstract = {Gene flow from Neanderthals has shaped genetic and phenotypic variation in modern humans. We generated a catalog of Neanderthal ancestry segments in more than 300 genomes spanning the past 50,000 years. We examined how Neanderthal ancestry is shared among individuals over time. Our analysis revealed that the vast majority of Neanderthal gene flow is attributable to a single, shared extended period of gene flow that occurred between 50,500 to 43,500 years ago, as evidenced by ancestry correlation, colocalization of Neanderthal segments across individuals, and divergence from the sequenced Neanderthals. Most natural selection-positive and negative-on Neanderthal variants occurred rapidly after the gene flow. Our findings provide new insights into how contact with Neanderthals shaped modern human origins and adaptation.}, }
@article {pmid39577372, year = {2024}, author = {Tagore, D and Akey, JM}, title = {Archaic hominin admixture and its consequences for modern humans.}, journal = {Current opinion in genetics &amp; development}, volume = {90}, number = {}, pages = {102280}, doi = {10.1016/j.gde.2024.102280}, pmid = {39577372}, issn = {1879-0380}, abstract = {As anatomically modern humans dispersed out of Africa, they encountered and mated with now extinct hominins, including Neanderthals and Denisovans. It is now well established that all non-African individuals derive approximately 2% of their genome from Neanderthal ancestors and individuals of Melanesian and Australian aboriginal ancestry inherited an additional 2%-5% of their genomes from Denisovan ancestors. Attention has started to shift from documenting amounts of archaic admixture and identifying introgressed segments to understanding their molecular, phenotypic, and evolutionary consequences and refining models of human history. Here, we review recent insights into admixture between modern and archaic humans, emphasizing methodological innovations and the functional and phenotypic effects Neanderthal and Denisovan sequences have in contemporary individuals.}, }
@article {pmid39565777, year = {2024}, author = {Richards, MP and Mannino, MA and Jaouen, K and Dozio, A and Hublin, JJ and Peresani, M}, title = {Correction: Strontium isotope evidence for Neanderthal and modern human mobility at the upper and middle palaeolithic site of Fumane Cave (Italy).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {19}, number = {11}, pages = {e0314425}, pmid = {39565777}, issn = {1932-6203}, abstract = {[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254848.].}, }
@article {pmid39523570, year = {2024}, author = {Lozano, M and Soler, J and López-Onaindia, D and Solés, A and Julià, R and Ceperuelo, D and Lorenzo, C and Soler, N}, title = {Middle Pleistocene teeth from Arbreda Cave (Serinyà, northeastern Iberian Peninsula).}, journal = {American journal of biological anthropology}, volume = {185}, number = {4}, pages = {e25037}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.25037}, pmid = {39523570}, issn = {2692-7691}, support = {PACEA-UMR5199//EVODIBIO and EURAPAL/ ; PID2021-122355NB-C32//the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the "Mar&#xed;a de Maeztu" excellence accreditation (CEX2019-000945- M), from the FEDER/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci&#xf3;n-Agencia Estatal de Investigaci&#xf3;n/ ; N&#xb0;895713Neander-TALe//Marie Sk&#x142;odowska-Curie Actions/ ; CLT009/18/00092//Departament de Cultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya/ ; IdEx "Investments for the Future" program / GPR Hu//University of Bordeaux/ ; POS_2019_1_0024//Basque Government postdoctoral Fellowship/ ; 2017SGR-1688//AGAUR/ ; 22021SGR01239//AGAUR/ ; }, mesh = {Spain ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Humans ; *Caves ; *Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry ; Adult ; Infant ; Paleodontology ; X-Ray Microtomography ; Molar/anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: We report the discovery and description of three human teeth from the Middle Paleolithic archaeological levels of Arbreda Cave (Serinyà, Catalonia, NE Iberian Peninsula).<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: The teeth, two molars (one right dm2 and one right M2) from Level N (older than 120 kyr) and one P[3] from Level J (dated between 71 and 44 kyr), were morphologically described based on microCT images and compared with Neanderthal and Homo sapiens specimens.<br><br>RESULTS: The teeth belong to a minimum of three individuals: one adult and one infant from Level N and one juvenile from Level J. The premolar from Mousterian Level J, the best preserved of the three teeth, exhibits characteristics to those from our comparative sample of Homo neanderthalensis, such as the crown measurements, EDJ traits, enamel thickness and volume of the pulp cavity.<br><br>DISCUSSION: In contrast to the clear Neanderthal characteristics observed in the P[3] from Level J, the high degree of dental wear and poor state of preservation precludes definitive taxonomic designations of the two teeth from Level N. However, the crown dimensions and some tissue proportions are consistent with a probable assignation to Homo neanderthalensis. The teeth from Level N come from a context of long and recurrent occupations of the cave, whereas the archaeological context of the tooth from Level J is indicative of short and seasonal occupations of the cave, which may indicate a change in the lifestyle strategies of the last Neanderthals of the Iberian Peninsula.}, }
@article {pmid39502191, year = {2024}, author = {Pilliol, V and Mahmoud Abdelwadoud, B and Aïcha, H and Lucille, T and Gérard, A and Hervé, T and Michel, D and Ghiles, G and Elodie, T}, title = {Methanobrevibacter oralis: a comprehensive review.}, journal = {Journal of oral microbiology}, volume = {16}, number = {1}, pages = {2415734}, pmid = {39502191}, issn = {2000-2297}, abstract = {Methanobrevibacter oralis (M. oralis) has predominated human oral microbiota methanogenic archaea as far back as the Palaeolithic era in Neanderthal populations and gained dominance from the 18[th] century onwards. M. oralis was initially isolated from dental plaque samples collected from two apparently healthy individuals allowing its first characterization. The culture of M. oralis is fastidious and has been the subject of several studies to improve its laboratory growth. Various PCR methods are used to identify M. oralis, targeting either the 16S rRNA gene or the mcrA gene. However, only one RTQ-PCR system, based on a chaperonin gene, offers specificity, and allows for microbial load quantification. Next-generation sequencing contributed five draft genomes, each approximately 2.08 Mb (±0.052 Mb) with a 27.82 (±0.104) average GC%, and two ancient metagenomic assembled genomes. M. oralis was then detected in various oral cavity sites in healthy individuals and those diagnosed with oral pathologies, notably periodontal diseases, and endodontic infections. Transmission pathways, possibly involving maternal milk and breastfeeding, remain to be clarified. M. oralis was further detected in brain abscesses and respiratory tract samples, bringing its clinical significance into question. This review summarizes the current knowledge about M. oralis, emphasizing its prevalence, associations with dysbiosis and pathologies in oral and extra-oral situations, and symbiotic relationships, with the aim of paving the way for further investigations.}, }
@article {pmid39501127, year = {2024}, author = {Ongaro, L and Huerta-Sanchez, E}, title = {A history of multiple Denisovan introgression events in modern humans.}, journal = {Nature genetics}, volume = {56}, number = {12}, pages = {2612-2622}, pmid = {39501127}, issn = {1546-1718}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Genome, Human ; *Hominidae/genetics ; *Fossils ; Genetic Introgression ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Selection, Genetic ; Evolution, Molecular ; Biological Evolution ; Genetics, Population ; }, abstract = {The identification of a new hominin group in the Altai mountains called Denisovans was one of the most exciting discoveries in human evolution in the last decade. Unlike Neanderthal remains, the Denisovan fossil record consists of only a finger bone, jawbone, teeth and skull fragments. Leveraging the surviving Denisovan segments in modern human genomes has uncovered evidence of at least three introgression events from distinct Denisovan populations into modern humans in the past. Each of them presents different levels of relatedness to the sequenced Altai Denisovan, indicating a complex relationship between these sister lineages. Here we review the evidence suggesting that several Denisovan populations, who likely had an extensive geographical range, were adapted to distinct environments and introgressed into modern humans multiple times. We further discuss how archaic variants have been affected by demographic history, negative and positive selection and close by proposing possible new lines of future research.}, }
@article {pmid39429655, year = {2024}, author = {Farhud, DD and Azari, M and Rahbar, M}, title = {Tuberculosis in Human Bones from 4000 Years Ago, Iran.}, journal = {Iranian journal of public health}, volume = {53}, number = {9}, pages = {2103-2112}, pmid = {39429655}, issn = {2251-6093}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is a contagious and infectious disease; in the first stage, it destroys the lungs and in the next stage other body organs, such as the spine and long bones. This disease is transmitted through an infected person and due to the weakness of the immune system, the infection intensifies. Tuberculosis has two stages: low activity and high activity. In this article, we have discussed the signs of tuberculosis destruction with high intensity on the bones of prehistory human remains.<br><br>METHODS: The examples of our research are related to human remains from the ancient cemetery of 4000 years ago from Sagezabad region of Qazvin Province of Iran. That period of history coincides with the Iron Age 2 and 3 in the region. People inside the Sagezabad cemetery were very near to early urban (the late rural) society.<br><br>RESULTS: By matching the form of bone destruction with international atlases for tuberculosis, we have reached a satisfactory result in this article. Due to the strong penetration of the infection into the bones, destruction in the remains was high, so it has simplified the diagnosis for us.<br><br>CONCLUSION: We found tuberculosis among the bones. This common ancient disease existed even among Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid39357284, year = {2024}, author = {Fuchs, J and García-Tabernero, A and Rosas, A and Camus, H and Metz, L and Slimak, L and Zanolli, C}, title = {The dentition of a new adult Neanderthal individual from Grotte Mandrin, France.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {196}, number = {}, pages = {103599}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103599}, pmid = {39357284}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {*Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; Animals ; France ; *Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology ; Dentition ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {Grotte Mandrin is located in the middle Rhône River Valley, in Mediterranean France, and has yielded 11 Pleistocene archeological and paleoanthropological layers (ranging from the oldest layer J to the youngest layer B) dating from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 to MIS 3. We report here the nearly complete dentition of an adult Neanderthal individual, nicknamed 'Thorin,' associated to the last phase of the Post-Neronian II, in layer B2 (∼44.50-42.25 ka). A previous paleogenetic analysis revealed that Thorin is a male individual and that he shows a deep genetic divergence with other penecontemporaneous Neanderthals from western Europe that possibly occurred ∼105 ka. The 31 teeth of Thorin (including two distomolars) are described and analyzed using microcomputed tomography imaging and are compared with other Neanderthals and modern humans. Based on direct observation and measurements on the fossil remains, and using microtomographic imaging, tooth wear, nonmetric characters, crown dimensions, and dental tissue proportions were investigated, and the shape of the enamel-dentine junction of the M[2], M2, and M3 was analyzed by geometric morphometrics. Our results indicate that Thorin's teeth show dental characteristics typical of MIS 5-3 Neanderthals. It is also the first time that the presence of two distomolars is reported in a Neanderthal individual, a trait that is rare among modern human populations. Combined with the genetic peculiarities of this individual, the results of the present study imply either a process of morphological convergence among the latest Neanderthal groups or an underestimation of the genetic variability of recent Neanderthal groups.}, }
@article {pmid39333171, year = {2024}, author = {Sánchez-Yustos, P and Marín-Arroyo, AB and Arnold, LJ and Luque, L and Kehl, M and López-Sáez, JA and Carrancho Alonso, &#xc1; and Demuro, M and Sanz-Royo, A and Buckley, M and Maíllo-Fernández, JM and Cuartero-Monteagudo, F and Llamazares-González, J and Ruiz-Alonso, M and Luelmo-Lautenschlaeger, R and García-Soto, E and Alcaraz-Castaño, M}, title = {Initial Upper Palaeolithic lithic industry at Cueva Millán in the hinterlands of Iberia.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {21705}, pmid = {39333171}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {818299//the European Research Council/ ; 805478/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {*Archaeology ; Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Spain ; Fossils/history ; Industry/history ; History, Ancient ; }, abstract = {The extended period of coexistence between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens in Europe coincided with the emergence of regionally distinctive lithic industries, signalling the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic. The Iberian Peninsula was on the periphery of pioneering Upper Palaeolithic developments, with archaeological remains primarily found in northern territories. We report the discovery of an initial Upper Palaeolithic lithic industry at Cueva Millán in the hinterlands of Iberia. This industry, termed here Arlanzian, not only represents the earliest and southernmost evidence of such industries in Iberia but also lacks a direct counterpart. However, it exhibits chronological and technological parallels with the lithic industries associated with the earliest expansion of Homo sapiens throughout Eurasia. We interpret this as potential evidence of its intrusive nature, but not necessarily associated with a migration event, as more complex scenarios derived from inter-population connectivity must be also considered. The biological identity of the Arlanzian makers remains unknown, but they coexisted with declining Neanderthal groups from neighbouring territories.}, }
@article {pmid39288002, year = {2024}, author = {Relethford, JH}, title = {Craniometric variation and the ancestry of modern humans.}, journal = {American journal of biological anthropology}, volume = {185}, number = {4}, pages = {e25028}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.25028}, pmid = {39288002}, issn = {2692-7691}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Africa South of the Sahara/ethnology ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Cephalometry ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; White People ; Sub-Saharan African People ; Asian People ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Ancient and contemporary DNA provide information about geographic variation in the ancestry of present-day humans. All living populations have ancestry from early Homo sapiens originating in sub-Saharan Africa. Populations of Eurasian descent also have a small amount of Neandertal ancestry. This study examines whether craniometric distances between recent modern human samples reflect this geographic variation in ancestry. Among recent modern humans, Eurasians are expected to be more similar to Neandertals, whereas both sub-Saharan Africans and Eurasians are expected to be equidistant from early H. sapiens.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on 33 craniometric traits from 2524 recent modern humans were compared with data from the literature for Neandertals and early H. sapiens. Mahalanobis distances were computed for each modern specimen to both the Neandertal and early H. sapiens means. These distances were examined for differences between recent humans from sub-Saharan Africa (N&#x2009;=&#x2009;373) and those of Eurasian descent (N&#x2009;=&#x2009;2151).<br><br>RESULTS: Eurasians as a group are significantly closer than sub-Saharan Africans to Neandertals. There is no significant difference between the distances of sub-Saharan Africans and Eurasians to early H. sapiens.<br><br>DISCUSSION: The differences between sub-Saharan Africans and Eurasians for both Neandertals and early H. sapiens are as expected. Although there has been geographic differentiation among recent modern humans, including differences in Neandertal admixture, these differences have not affected overall similarity of recent modern sub-Saharan Africans and Eurasians to the earliest samples of H. sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid39271648, year = {2024}, author = {Higham, T and Frouin, M and Douka, K and Ronchitelli, A and Boscato, P and Benazzi, S and Crezzini, J and Spagnolo, V and McCarty, M and Marciani, G and Falcucci, A and Rossini, M and Arrighi, S and Dominici, C and Devièse, T and Schwenninger, JL and Martini, I and Moroni, A and Boschin, F}, title = {Chronometric data and stratigraphic evidence support discontinuity between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens in the Italian Peninsula.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, pages = {8016}, pmid = {39271648}, issn = {2041-1723}, support = {324139//EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 European Research Council (H2020 Excellent Science-European Research Council)/ ; }, mesh = {*Neanderthals ; Italy ; Animals ; Humans ; *Bayes Theorem ; *Fossils ; Radiometric Dating/methods ; Archaeology/methods ; History, Ancient ; }, abstract = {The process by which Palaeolithic Europe was transformed from a Neanderthal-dominated region to one occupied exclusively by Homo sapiens has proven challenging to diagnose. A blurred chronology has made it difficult to determine when Neanderthals disappeared and whether modern humans overlapped with them. Italy is a crucial region because here we can identify not only Late Mousterian industries, assumed to be associated with Neanderthals, but also early Upper Palaeolithic industries linked with the appearance of early H. sapiens, such as the Uluzzian and the Aurignacian. Here, we present a chronometric dataset of 105 new determinations (74 radiocarbon and 31 luminescence ages) from four key southern Italian sites: Cavallo, Castelcivita, Cala, and Oscurusciuto. We built Bayesian-based chronometric models incorporating these results alongside the relative stratigraphic sequences at each site. The results suggest; 1) that the disappearance of Neanderthals probably pre-dated the appearance of early modern humans in the region and; 2) that there was a partial overlap in the chronology of the Uluzzian and Protoaurignacian, suggesting that these industries may have been produced by different human groups in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid39265525, year = {2024}, author = {Slimak, L and Vimala, T and Seguin-Orlando, A and Metz, L and Zanolli, C and Joannes-Boyau, R and Frouin, M and Arnold, LJ and Demuro, M and Devièse, T and Comeskey, D and Buckley, M and Camus, H and Muth, X and Lewis, JE and Bocherens, H and Yvorra, P and Tenailleau, C and Duployer, B and Coqueugniot, H and Dutour, O and Higham, T and Sikora, M}, title = {Long genetic and social isolation in Neanderthals before their extinction.}, journal = {Cell genomics}, volume = {4}, number = {9}, pages = {100593}, pmid = {39265525}, issn = {2666-979X}, mesh = {*Neanderthals/genetics ; Animals ; *Fossils ; Social Isolation ; Humans ; Genome ; Extinction, Biological ; France ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal genomes have been recovered from sites across Eurasia, painting an increasingly complex picture of their populations' structure that mostly indicates that late European Neanderthals belonged to a single metapopulation with no significant evidence of population structure. Here, we report the discovery of a late Neanderthal individual, nicknamed "Thorin," from Grotte Mandrin in Mediterranean France, and his genome. These dentognathic fossils, including a rare example of distomolars, are associated with a rich archeological record of Neanderthal final technological traditions in this region ∼50-42 thousand years ago. Thorin's genome reveals a relatively early divergence of ∼105 ka with other late Neanderthals. Thorin belonged to a population with a small group size that showed no genetic introgression with other known late European Neanderthals, revealing some 50 ka of genetic isolation of his lineage despite them living in neighboring regions. These results have important implications for resolving competing hypotheses about causes of the disappearance of the Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid39261722, year = {2024}, author = {Sun, W and Yang, T and Sun, F and Liu, P and Gao, J and Lan, X and Xu, W and Pang, Y and Li, T and Li, C and Liang, Q and Chen, H and Liu, X and Tan, W and Zhu, H and Wang, F and Cheng, F and Zhai, W and Kim, HN and Zhang, J and Zhang, L and Lu, L and Xi, Q and Deng, G and Huang, Y and Jin, X and Chen, X and Liu, W}, title = {An IGHG1 variant exhibits polarized prevalence and confers enhanced IgG1 antibody responses against life-threatening organisms.}, journal = {Nature immunology}, volume = {25}, number = {10}, pages = {1809-1819}, pmid = {39261722}, issn = {1529-2916}, support = {2021YFC2300503//Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology)/ ; 2021YFC2302403//Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology)/ ; 32141004//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; 81825010//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; 81930061//National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Immunoglobulin G/immunology ; *COVID-19/immunology/genetics ; *SARS-CoV-2/immunology ; Mice ; *Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/genetics/immunology ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Antibody Formation/genetics/immunology ; Haplotypes ; Memory B Cells/immunology ; Female ; Genetic Variation ; Male ; }, abstract = {Evolutionary pressures sculpt population genetics, whereas immune adaptation fortifies humans against life-threatening organisms. How the evolution of selective genetic variation in adaptive immune receptors orchestrates the adaptation of human populations to contextual perturbations remains elusive. Here, we show that the G396R coding variant within the human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) heavy chain presents a concentrated prevalence in Southeast Asian populations. We uncovered a 190-kb genomic linkage disequilibrium block peaked in close proximity to this variant, suggestive of potential Darwinian selection. This variant confers heightened immune resilience against various pathogens and viper toxins in mice. Mechanistic studies involving severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and vaccinated individuals reveal that this variant enhances pathogen-specific IgG1[+] memory B cell activation and antibody production. This G396R variant may have arisen on a Neanderthal haplotype background. These findings underscore the importance of an IGHG1 variant in reinforcing IgG1 antibody responses against life-threatening organisms, unraveling the intricate interplay between human evolution and immune adaptation.}, }
@article {pmid39241178, year = {2024}, author = {Caporale, AL and Cinalli, AR and Rubinstein, M and Franchini, LF}, title = {The Human Accelerated Region HAR202 Controls NPAS3 Expression in the Developing Forebrain Displaying Differential Enhancer Activity Between Modern and Archaic Human Sequences.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {41}, number = {10}, pages = {}, pmid = {39241178}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {//Agencia Nacional de Promoci&#xf3;n Cient&#xed;fica y Tecnol&#xf3;gica/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Prosencephalon/metabolism ; *Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; *Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/genetics/metabolism ; Mice ; *Zebrafish/genetics ; *Enhancer Elements, Genetic ; Evolution, Molecular ; Mice, Transgenic ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; }, abstract = {It has been proposed that the phenotypic differences in cognitive abilities between humans and our closest living relatives, chimpanzees, are largely due to changes in the regulation of neurodevelopmental genes. We have previously found that the neurodevelopmental transcription factor gene NPAS3 accumulates the largest number of human accelerated regions (HARs), suggesting it may play some role in the phenotypic evolution of the human nervous system. In this work, we performed a comparative functional analysis of NPAS3-HAR202 using enhancer reporter assays in transgenic zebrafish and mice. We found that the Homo sapiens HAR202 ortholog failed to drive reporter expression to the zebrafish nervous system, in high contrast to the strong expression displayed by the rest of the vertebrate ortholog sequences tested. Remarkably, the HAR202 ortholog from archaic humans (Neanderthals/Denisovans) also displayed a pan-vertebrate expression pattern, despite the fact that archaic and modern humans have only one nucleotide substitution. Moreover, similar results were found when comparing enhancer activity in transgenic mice, where we observed a loss of activity of the modern human version in the mouse developing brain. To investigate the functional importance of HAR202, we generated mice lacking HAR202 and found a remarkable decrease of Npas3 expression in the forebrain during development. Our results place HAR202 as one of the very few examples of a neurodevelopmental transcriptional enhancer displaying functional evolution in the brain as a result of a fast molecular evolutionary process that specifically occurred in the human lineage.}, }
@article {pmid39227658, year = {2024}, author = {Richard, M and Del Val, M and Fewlass, H and Sinet-Mathiot, V and Lanos, P and Pons-Branchu, E and Puaud, S and Hublin, JJ and Moncel, MH}, title = {Multi-method dating reveals 200 ka of Middle Palaeolithic occupation at Maras rock shelter, Rhône Valley, France.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {20474}, pmid = {39227658}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {*Neanderthals ; *Archaeology ; Animals ; *Radiometric Dating/methods ; France ; Humans ; Fossils ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology ; Geologic Sediments/analysis ; Bayes Theorem ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy/methods ; Uranium/analysis ; History, Ancient ; }, abstract = {The emergence of the Middle Palaeolithic, and its variability over time and space are key questions in the field of prehistoric archaeology. Many sites have been documented in the south-eastern margins of the Massif central and the middle Rhône valley, a migration path that connects Northern Europe with the Mediterranean. Well-dated, long stratigraphic sequences are essential to understand Neanderthals dynamics and demise, and potential interactions with Homo sapiens in the area, such as the one displayed at the Maras rock shelter ("Abri du Maras"). The site is characterised by exceptional preservation of archaeological remains, including bones dated using radiocarbon ([14]C) and teeth using electron spin resonance combined with uranium series (ESR/U-series). Optically stimulated luminescence was used to date the sedimentary deposits. By combining the new ages with previous ones using Bayesian modelling, we are able to clarify the occupation time over a period spanning 200,000 years. Between ca. 250 and 40 ka, the site has been used as a long-term residence by Neanderthals, specifically during three interglacial periods: first during marine isotopic stage (MIS) 7, between 247 ± 34 and 223 ± 33 ka, and then recurrently during MIS 5 (between 127 ± 17 and 90 ± 9 ka) and MIS 3 (up to 39,280 cal BP).}, }
@article {pmid39227643, year = {2024}, author = {Guran, SH and Yousefi, M and Kafash, A and Ghasidian, E}, title = {Reconstructing contact and a potential interbreeding geographical zone between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {20475}, pmid = {39227643}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {402379177//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; }, mesh = {*Neanderthals ; Animals ; Humans ; *Fossils ; Archaeology ; Geography ; }, abstract = {While the interbreeding of Homo neanderthalensis (hereafter Neanderthal) and Anatomically modern human (AMH) has been proven, owing to the shortage of fossils and absence of appropriate DNA, the timing and geography of their interbreeding are not clearly known. In this study, we applied ecological niche modelling (maximum entropy approach) and GIS to reconstruct the palaeodistribution of Neanderthals and AMHs in Southwest Asia and Southeast Europe and identify their contact and potential interbreeding zone during marine isotope stage 5 (MIS 5), when the second wave of interbreeding occurred. We used climatic variables characterizing the environmental conditions of MIS 5 ca. 120 to 80 kyr (averaged value) along with the topography and coordinates of Neanderthal and modern human archaeological sites to characterize the palaeodistribution of each species. Overlapping the models revealed that the Zagros Mountains were a contact and potential interbreeding zone for the two human species. We believe that the Zagros Mountains acted as a corridor connecting the Palearctic/Afrotropical realms, facilitating northwards dispersal of AMHs and southwards dispersal of Neanderthals during MIS 5. Our analyses are comparable with archaeological and genetic evidence collected during recent decades.}, }
@article {pmid39160167, year = {2024}, author = {Mateo-Lomba, P and Ollé, A and Fernández-Marchena, JL and Saladié, P and Marín, J and Chacón, MG and Vallverdú, J and Cáceres, I}, title = {First identification of a Neanderthal bone spear point through an interdisciplinary analysis at Abric Romaní (NE Iberian Peninsula).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {19160}, pmid = {39160167}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {CEX2019-000945-M//Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation/ ; PID2021-122355NB-C32//MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF A way of making Europe/ ; PID2022-138590NB-C41//MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF A way of making Europe/ ; SGR 2021 01239//AGAUR/ ; SGR 2021 01237//AGAUR/ ; SGR 2021 01238//AGAUR/ ; 2023PFR-URV-01239//URV/ ; URV, 2023PFR-URV-0127//URV/ ; 2022PFR-URV- 64//URV/ ; 2023PFR-URV-01238//URV/ ; PRE2019-087734//MICINN/ ; ARQ001SOL-201-2022//Departament de Cultura of the Generalitat de Catalunya/ ; CIAPOS/2022/022//Generalitat Valenciana/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; *Fossils ; *Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Archaeology ; Humans ; History, Ancient ; }, abstract = {Osseous industry has been observed at an increasing number of Neanderthal sites. Bone fragments were used for practical purposes, and a range of bone shaping techniques were employed. The variability of bone tools observed in different assemblages reflects considerable functional diversity. However, no bone spear points have been reported from these contexts. A comprehensive analysis of a bone spear point from the Middle Palaeolithic site of Abric Romaní (Barcelona, Spain) is presented. Through an interdisciplinary, multi-technique, and multi-scale approach combining technology, taphonomy, and functional analysis, compelling evidence for manufacture, use, and hafting was uncovered. The specimen exhibits clear signs of intentional knapping. The presence of microscopic linear impact marks, an impact fracture at the tip and potential internal stress fractures indicate its use as a spear. Furthermore, the observed wear pattern and a morphological adjustment of the trabecular tissue support the hafting hypothesis. Abric Romaní contributes to our understanding of Neanderthal hunting behaviour and the significance of composite bone tools in their technological repertoire 50,000 years ago. This discovery highlights the flexibility and adaptability of Neanderthal technology, providing evidence of bone technology that is sometimes obscured in the archaeological record and offering valuable insights into their hunting strategies during the Middle Palaeolithic.}, }
@article {pmid39144742, year = {2024}, author = {Zhao, W}, title = {Reconstructing human history from ancient genomes: an interview with Nobel laureate Svante Pääbo.}, journal = {National science review}, volume = {11}, number = {9}, pages = {nwae120}, doi = {10.1093/nsr/nwae120}, pmid = {39144742}, issn = {2053-714X}, abstract = {Professor Svante Pääbo, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2022 for his discoveries in ancient hominine genomes and human evolution. His pioneering work in sequencing and interpreting the paleo genomes of Neanderthals and Denisovans, as well as their relationship with the modern human genome, was groundbreaking in terms of our understanding of human origins. Nowadays, we can even use commercial kits to easily detect the proportion of Neanderthal genes in our own genomes. Recently, NSR conducted an interview with Professor Pääbo to learn about his interesting work chasing the ancient genomes and reconstructing human evolutionary and migration history from the DNA evidence, as well as his perspective on paleo genome studies and his advice to young researchers: follow your interests and be ready to try some crazy things.}, }
@article {pmid39132848, year = {2024}, author = {Richards, GD and Jabbour, RS and Guipert, G and Defleur, A}, title = {Early Neanderthal mandibular remains from Baume Moula-Guercy (Soyons, Ardèche).}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25550}, pmid = {39132848}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {03-Activity-059//Arthur A. Dugoni/ ; }, abstract = {We provide an ontogenetically-based comparative description of mandibular remains from Last Interglacial deposits (MIS 5e) at Baume Moula-Guercy and examine their affinities to European and Middle Eastern Middle-to-Late Pleistocene (≈MIS 14-MIS 1) Homo. Description of the M-G2-419 right partial mandibular corpus with M1-3 (15-16.0 years ±0.5 years) and mandibular fragments M-F4-77 and M-S-TNN1 is with reference to original fossils, casts, CT scans, literature descriptions, and virtual reconstructions. Our comparative sample is ontogenetically based and divided into a Preneanderthal-Neanderthal group and a Homo sapiens group. These groups are subdivided into (1) Preneanderthals (≈MIS 14-9), Early Neanderthals (MIS 7-5e), and Late Neanderthals (MIS 5d-3), and (2) Middle (MIS 5) and Upper (MIS 3-Pre-MIS 1) Paleolithic and recent H. sapiens. Standard techniques were employed for developmental age and sex determinations and measurements. The M-G2-419 mandible possesses corpus features that link it most closely with the Sima de los Huesos Preneanderthal and Early Neanderthal groups. These include mental foramen position, number, and height on the corpus, anterior marginal tubercle position, and mylohyoid line orientation. Metrically, the M-G2-419 mandibular corpus is small relative to adults in all groups, but the thickness/height relationship is like the adult condition. The thickness of the corpus is more like Neanderthal children than adolescents. Molar crown features suggest affinities with the Preneanderthal-Neanderthal group. The Moula-Guercy mandibles possess a combination of Neanderthal-associated features that provides insights into MIS 7-5e paleodeme variation and the timing of appearance of MIS 5d-3 Neanderthal facial features.}, }
@article {pmid39091830, year = {2024}, author = {Pfennig, A and Lachance, J}, title = {The evolutionary fate of Neanderthal DNA in 30,780 admixed genomes with recent African-like ancestry.}, journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {39091830}, issn = {2692-8205}, support = {R35 GM133727/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Following introgression, Neanderthal DNA was initially purged from non-African genomes, but the evolutionary fate of remaining introgressed DNA has not been explored yet. To fill this gap, we analyzed 30,780 admixed genomes with African-like ancestry from the All of Us research program, in which Neanderthal alleles encountered novel genetic backgrounds during the last 15 generations. Observed amounts of Neanderthal DNA approximately match expectations based on ancestry proportions, suggesting neutral evolution. Nevertheless, we identified genomic regions that have significantly less or more Neanderthal ancestry than expected and are associated with spermatogenesis, innate immunity, and other biological processes. We also identified three novel introgression desert-like regions in recently admixed genomes, whose genetic features are compatible with hybrid incompatibilities and intrinsic negative selection. Overall, we find that much of the remaining Neanderthal DNA in human genomes is not under strong selection, and complex evolutionary dynamics have shaped introgression landscapes in our species.}, }
@article {pmid39032165, year = {2024}, author = {Seghi, F and Sorrentino, R and Bailey, SE and Piccirilli, E and Vazzana, A and Bortolini, E and Higgins, OA and Marciani, G and Orlando, MA and Spinapolice, EE and Moroni, A and Benazzi, S}, title = {Morphological and morphometric study of the hominin dental casts from Grotta-Riparo di Uluzzo C (Apulia, southern Italy).}, journal = {American journal of biological anthropology}, volume = {185}, number = {1}, pages = {e24998}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.24998}, pmid = {39032165}, issn = {2692-7691}, support = {European Union - Next Generation EU PRIN 2022 TRAC//European Commission/ ; PNRR PE5 - CHANGES - SPOKE 5//European Commission/ ; European Union - Next Generation EU PRIN 2022 TRACE//European Commission/ ; }, mesh = {Italy ; Animals ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Tooth, Deciduous/anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Models, Dental ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Grotta-Riparo di Uluzzo C (Apulia, southern Italy) is a pivotal site for investigating the evolution of the Middle Paleolithic and the earliest phases of the Upper Paleolithic in southern Italy, as the extensive stratigraphic record of this site includes a thick Mousterian sequence followed by the Uluzzian. Here, we investigate the taxonomic affinity of seven unpublished deciduous human teeth retrieved from the site of Uluzzo C in 1960.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: The teeth are represented by seven plaster dental casts, which are housed at the Museo Civico di Paleontologia e Paletnologia in Maglie (Lecce, Apulia). The location of the original specimens remains unknown, rendering these casts the only human remains evidence yielded by Uluzzo C to date. Based on occlusal-view photographs and digital models of the casts, we examined the external morphology and morphometry of the teeth, comparing them to Homo sapiens and H. neanderthalensis samples. Through geometric morphometric methods and statistical analyses, we analyzed the crown outline of the deciduous molars.<br><br>RESULTS: The teeth show morphological and morphometric features that are variably found in H. neanderthalensis, H. sapiens, or both. Specifically, crown outline analysis shows that all molars fall within H. neanderthalensis variability, except for Uluzzo 853 (lower right deciduous first molar), which falls within H. sapiens variability.<br><br>DISCUSSION: This study provides the first taxonomic assessment of the hominin teeth from Uluzzo C. The results contribute additional insights into the Paleolithic peopling of southern Italy during a crucial period marked by the persistence of post-Tyrrhenian Neanderthal techno-complexes and the arrival of H. sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid39029412, year = {2024}, author = {Dodat, PJ and Albalat, E and Balter, V and Couture-Veschambre, C and Hardy, M and Henrion, J and Holliday, T and Maureille, B}, title = {Diverse bone-calcium isotope compositions in Neandertals suggest different dietary strategies.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {193}, number = {}, pages = {103566}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103566}, pmid = {39029412}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals ; *Diet ; *Bone and Bones/chemistry ; *Calcium Isotopes/analysis ; France ; Fossils ; }, abstract = {Zooarcheological and geochemical evidence suggests Neanderthals were top predators, but their adherence to a strictly carnivorous diet has been questioned. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of calcium-stable isotopes to evaluate trophic and ecological relationships. Here, we measure the δ[44/42]Ca values in bone samples from Mousterian contexts at Grotte du Bison (Marine Isotope Stage 3, Yonne, France) and Regourdou (Marine Isotope Stage 5, Dordogne, France) in two new Neanderthal individuals, associated fauna, and living local plants. We use a Bayesian mixing model to estimate the dietary composition of these Neanderthal individuals, plus a third one already analyzed. The results reveal three distinct diets: a diet including accidental or voluntary consumption of bone-based food, an intermediate diet, and a diet without consumption of bone-based food. This finding is the first demonstration of diverse subsistence strategies among Neanderthals and as such, reconciles archaeological and geochemical dietary evidence.}, }
@article {pmid39011558, year = {2024}, author = {Ma, X and Lu, Y and Xu, S}, title = {Adaptive Evolution of Two Distinct Adaptive Haplotypes of Neanderthal Origin at the Immunoglobulin Heavy-chain Locus in East Asian and European Populations.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {41}, number = {7}, pages = {}, pmid = {39011558}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {2023YFC2605400//National Key Research and Development Program of China/ ; 32030020//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; //Office of Global Partnerships/ ; //Human Phenome Data Center of Fudan University/ ; }, mesh = {*Neanderthals/genetics ; Animals ; *Haplotypes ; Humans ; Europe ; Asia, Eastern ; Asian People/genetics ; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/genetics ; White People/genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Introgression ; Selection, Genetic ; East Asian People ; }, abstract = {Immunoglobulins (Igs) have a crucial role in humoral immunity. Two recent studies have reported a high-frequency Neanderthal-introgressed haplotype throughout Eurasia and a high-frequency Neanderthal-introgressed haplotype specific to southern East Asia at the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IGH) gene locus on chromosome 14q32.33. Surprisingly, we found the previously reported high-frequency Neanderthal-introgressed haplotype does not exist throughout Eurasia. Instead, our study identified two distinct high-frequency haplotypes of putative Neanderthal origin in East Asia and Europe, although they shared introgressed alleles. Notably, the alleles of putative Neanderthal origin reduced the expression of IGHG1 and increased the expression of IGHG2 and IGHG3 in various tissues. These putatively introgressed alleles also affected the production of IgG1 upon antigen stimulation and increased the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus. Additionally, the greatest genetic differentiation across the whole genome between southern and northern East Asians was observed for the East Asian haplotype of putative Neanderthal origin. The frequency decreased from southern to northern East Asia and correlated positively with the genome-wide proportion of southern East Asian ancestry, indicating that this putative positive selection likely occurred in the common ancestor of southern East Asian populations before the admixture with northern East Asian populations.}, }
@article {pmid38997559, year = {2024}, author = {Eisenstein, M}, title = {Neanderthal-human baby-making was recent - and brief.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1038/d41586-024-01452-3}, pmid = {38997559}, issn = {1476-4687}, }
@article {pmid38991054, year = {2024}, author = {Li, L and Comi, TJ and Bierman, RF and Akey, JM}, title = {Recurrent gene flow between Neanderthals and modern humans over the past 200,000 years.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {385}, number = {6705}, pages = {eadi1768}, doi = {10.1126/science.adi1768}, pmid = {38991054}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Gene Flow ; Genetic Introgression ; *Genome, Human ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Population Density ; Whole Genome Sequencing ; Extinction, Biological ; }, abstract = {Although it is well known that the ancestors of modern humans and Neanderthals admixed, the effects of gene flow on the Neanderthal genome are not well understood. We develop methods to estimate the amount of human-introgressed sequences in Neanderthals and apply it to whole-genome sequence data from 2000 modern humans and three Neanderthals. We estimate that Neanderthals have 2.5 to 3.7% human ancestry, and we leverage human-introgressed sequences in Neanderthals to revise estimates of Neanderthal ancestry in modern humans, show that Neanderthal population sizes were significantly smaller than previously estimated, and identify two distinct waves of modern human gene flow into Neanderthals. Our data provide insights into the genetic legacy of recurrent gene flow between modern humans and Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid38956433, year = {2024}, author = {Yaghmouri, M and Safdari Lord, J and Amini, M and Yekaninejad, MS and Izadi, P}, title = {The association of rs17713054 with Neanderthal origin at 3p21.31 locus with the severity of COVID-19 in Iranian patients.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {15058}, pmid = {38956433}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {58558//Tehran University of Medical Sciences/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/genetics/virology/epidemiology ; Iran/epidemiology ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Male ; Female ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Middle Aged ; *Severity of Illness Index ; *Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Animals ; *SARS-CoV-2/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Adult ; Haplotypes ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3/genetics ; Alleles ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genotype ; Aged ; }, abstract = {Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the diversity of clinical manifestations in patients has been a tremendous challenge. It seems that genetic variations, as one of the players, contribute to the variety of symptoms. Genome-wide association studies have demonstrated the influence of certain genomic regions on the disease prognosis. Particularly, a haplotype at 3p21.31 locus, inherited from Neanderthals, showed an association with COVID-19 severity. Despite several studies regarding this haplotype, some key variants are not sufficiently addressed. In the present study, we investigated the association of rs17713054 at 3p21.31 with COVID-19 severity. We analyzed the genotype of 251 Iranian COVID-19 patients (151 patients with asymptomatic to mild form as control and 100 patients with severe to critical symptoms without any comorbidities as case group) using the ARMS-PCR method. Results demonstrated that the A allele confers an almost twofold increased risk for COVID-19 severity (P value = 0.008). The AA genotype also raises the risk by more than 11 times following the recessive model (P value = 0.013). In conclusion, the A allele in rs17713054 was a risk allele in Iranian patients and was independently associated with COVID-19 severity. More studies are beneficial to confirm these findings in other populations and to develop strategies for risk assessment, prevention, and personalized medicine.}, }
@article {pmid38932149, year = {2024}, author = {Ferreira, RC and Alves, GV and Ramon, M and Antoneli, F and Briones, MRS}, title = {Reconstructing Prehistoric Viral Genomes from Neanderthal Sequencing Data.}, journal = {Viruses}, volume = {16}, number = {6}, pages = {}, pmid = {38932149}, issn = {1999-4915}, support = {20/08943-5//Funda&#xe7;&#xe3;o de Amparo &#xe0; Pesquisa do Estado de S&#xe3;o Paulo/ ; 311154/2021-2//National Council for Scientific and Technological Development/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics/virology ; *Genome, Viral ; *DNA, Ancient/analysis ; Evolution, Molecular ; DNA, Viral/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; DNA Viruses/genetics/classification/isolation &amp; purification ; Fossils/virology ; }, abstract = {DNA viruses that produce persistent infections have been proposed as potential causes for the extinction of Neanderthals, and, therefore, the identification of viral genome remnants in Neanderthal sequence reads is an initial step to address this hypothesis. Here, as proof of concept, we searched for viral remnants in sequence reads of Neanderthal genome data by mapping to adenovirus, herpesvirus and papillomavirus, which are double-stranded DNA viruses that may establish lifelong latency and can produce persistent infections. The reconstructed ancient viral genomes of adenovirus, herpesvirus and papillomavirus revealed conserved segments, with nucleotide identity to extant viral genomes and variable regions in coding regions with substantial divergence to extant close relatives. Sequence reads mapped to extant viral genomes showed deamination patterns of ancient DNA, and these ancient viral genomes showed divergence consistent with the age of these samples (≈50,000 years) and viral evolutionary rates (10[-5] to 10[-8] substitutions/site/year). Analysis of random effects showed that the Neanderthal mapping to genomes of extant persistent viruses is above what is expected by random similarities of short reads. Also, negative control with a nonpersistent DNA virus does not yield statistically significant assemblies. This work demonstrates the feasibility of identifying viral genome remnants in archaeological samples with signal-to-noise assessment.}, }
@article {pmid38924400, year = {2024}, author = {Conde-Valverde, M and Quirós-Sánchez, A and Diez-Valero, J and Mata-Castro, N and García-Fernández, A and Quam, R and Carretero, JM and García-González, R and Rodríguez, L and Sánchez-Andrés, &#xc1; and Arsuaga, JL and Martínez, I and Villaverde, V}, title = {The child who lived: Down syndrome among Neanderthals?.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {10}, number = {26}, pages = {eadn9310}, pmid = {38924400}, issn = {2375-2548}, mesh = {*Down Syndrome/psychology ; Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Child ; Female ; Male ; Child, Preschool ; }, abstract = {Caregiving for disabled individuals among Neanderthals has been known for a long time, and there is a debate about the implications of this behavior. Some authors believe that caregiving took place between individuals able to reciprocate the favor, while others argue that caregiving was produced by a feeling of compassion related to other highly adaptive prosocial behaviors. The study of children with severe pathologies is particularly interesting, as children have a very limited possibility to reciprocate the assistance. We present the case of a Neanderthal child who suffered from a congenital pathology of the inner ear, probably debilitating, and associated with Down syndrome. This child would have required care for at least 6 years, likely necessitating other group members to assist the mother in childcare.}, }
@article {pmid38916350, year = {2024}, author = {Sankaranarayanan, G and Kodiveri Muthukaliannan, G}, title = {Exploring antimicrobial resistance determinants in the Neanderthal microbiome.}, journal = {Microbiology spectrum}, volume = {12}, number = {8}, pages = {e0266223}, pmid = {38916350}, issn = {2165-0497}, support = {20/2022-ECR-II//Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Microbiota/genetics/drug effects ; *Neanderthals/genetics/microbiology ; *DNA, Ancient/analysis ; *Metagenomics ; *Bacteria/genetics/drug effects/classification/isolation &amp; purification ; *Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics ; Humans ; Feces/microbiology ; Metagenome ; Drug Resistance, Microbial/genetics ; Europe ; Fossils/microbiology ; }, abstract = {UNLABELLED: This study aimed to investigate the presence of antimicrobial resistance determinants (ARDs) in the Neanderthal microbiome through meticulous analysis of metagenomic data derived directly from dental calculus and fecal sediments across diverse Neanderthal sites in Europe. Employing a targeted locus mapping approach followed by a consensus strategy instead of an assembly-first approach, we aimed to identify and characterize ARDs within these ancient microbial communities. A comprehensive and redundant ARD database was constructed by amalgamating data from various antibiotic resistance gene repositories. Our results highlighted the efficacy of the KMA tool in providing a robust alignment of ancient metagenomic reads to the antibiotic resistance gene database. Notably, the KMA tool identified a limited number of ARDs, with only the 23S ribosomal gene from the dental calculus sample of Neanderthal remains at Goyet Troisieme Caverne exhibiting ancient DNA (aDNA) characteristics. Despite not identifying ARDs with typical ancient DNA damage patterns or negative distance proportions, our findings suggest a nuanced identification of putative antimicrobial resistance determinants in the Neanderthal microbiome's genetic repertoire based on the taxonomy-habitat correlation. Nevertheless, our findings are limited by factors such as environmental DNA contamination, DNA fragmentation, and cytosine deamination of aDNA. The study underscores the necessity for refined methodologies to unlock the genomic assets of prehistoric populations, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamics shaping the microbial landscape across history.<br><br>IMPORTANCE: The results of our analysis demonstrate the challenges in identifying determinants of antibiotic resistance within the endogenous microbiome of Neanderthals. Despite the comprehensive investigation of multiple studies and the utilization of advanced analytical techniques, the detection of antibiotic resistance determinants in the ancient microbial communities proved to be particularly difficult. However, our analysis did reveal the presence of some authentic ancient conservative genes, indicating the preservation of certain genetic elements over time. These findings raise intriguing questions about the factors influencing the presence or absence of antibiotic resistance in ancient microbial communities. It could be speculated that the spread of current antibiotic resistance, which has reached alarming levels in modern times, is primarily driven by anthropogenic factors such as the widespread use and misuse of antibiotics in medical and agricultural practices.}, }
@article {pmid38889149, year = {2024}, author = {Yermakovich, D and André, M and Brucato, N and Kariwiga, J and Leavesley, M and Pankratov, V and Mondal, M and Ricaut, FX and Dannemann, M}, title = {Denisovan admixture facilitated environmental adaptation in Papua New Guinean populations.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {121}, number = {26}, pages = {e2405889121}, pmid = {38889149}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {TK214//HM | Estonian Research Competency Council (Research Competency Council)/ ; 810645//EC | Horizon Europe | WPSERA | HORIZON EUROPE Reforming and enhancing the European Research and Innovation system (REERIS)/ ; MOBEC008//EC | European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)/ ; PAPUAEVOL 20-CE12-0003-01//Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie (ANRT)/ ; NA//French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs/ ; NA//Laboratoire d'Excellence TULIP (Labex TULIP)/ ; NA//Leakey Foundation (The Leakey Foundation)/ ; }, mesh = {Papua New Guinea ; Humans ; Animals ; *Haplotypes ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Adaptation, Physiological/genetics ; Genetics, Population ; }, abstract = {Neandertals and Denisovans, having inhabited distinct regions in Eurasia and possibly Oceania for over 200,000 y, experienced ample time to adapt to diverse environmental challenges these regions presented. Among present-day human populations, Papua New Guineans (PNG) stand out as one of the few carrying substantial amounts of both Neandertal and Denisovan DNA, a result of past admixture events with these archaic human groups. This study investigates the distribution of introgressed Denisovan and Neandertal DNA within two distinct PNG populations, residing in the highlands of Mt Wilhelm and the lowlands of Daru Island. These locations exhibit unique environmental features, some of which may parallel the challenges that archaic humans once confronted and adapted to. Our results show that PNG highlanders carry higher levels of Denisovan DNA compared to PNG lowlanders. Among the Denisovan-like haplotypes with higher frequencies in highlander populations, those exhibiting the greatest frequency difference compared to lowlander populations also demonstrate more pronounced differences in population frequencies than frequency-matched nonarchaic variants. Two of the five most highly differentiated of those haplotypes reside in genomic areas linked to brain development genes. Conversely, Denisovan-like haplotypes more frequent in lowlanders overlap with genes associated with immune response processes. Our findings suggest that Denisovan DNA has provided genetic variation associated with brain biology and immune response to PNG genomes, some of which might have facilitated adaptive processes to environmental challenges.}, }
@article {pmid38840007, year = {2024}, author = {Callaway, E}, title = {These Neanderthal fire pits offer an extraordinarily precise snapshot of ancient life.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {38840007}, issn = {1476-4687}, }
@article {pmid38802968, year = {2024}, author = {Roca-Ayats, N and Maceda, I and Bruque, CD and Martínez-Gil, N and Garcia-Giralt, N and Cozar, M and Mellibovsky, L and Van Hul, W and Lao, O and Grinberg, D and Balcells, S}, title = {Evolutionary and functional analyses of LRP5 in archaic and extant modern humans.}, journal = {Human genomics}, volume = {18}, number = {1}, pages = {53}, pmid = {38802968}, issn = {1479-7364}, support = {SAF 2016-75948R and PID2019-107188RB-C21//Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci&#xf3;n/ ; GRC 2017 SGR 937//Generalitat de Catalunya/ ; 2017SGR:00738//Catalan Government/ ; PGC2018-098574-B-I00//Ministerio de Econom&#xed;a y Competitividad/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; *Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-5/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Selection, Genetic/genetics ; Hominidae/genetics ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Bone Density/genetics ; Genome, Human/genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The human lineage has undergone a postcranial skeleton gracilization (i.e. lower bone mass and strength relative to body size) compared to other primates and archaic populations such as the Neanderthals. This gracilization has been traditionally explained by differences in the mechanical load that our ancestors exercised. However, there is growing evidence that gracilization could also be genetically influenced.<br><br>RESULTS: We have analyzed the LRP5 gene, which is known to be associated with high bone mineral density conditions, from an evolutionary and functional point of view. Taking advantage of the published genomes of archaic Homo populations, our results suggest that this gene has a complex evolutionary history both between archaic and living humans and within living human populations. In particular, we identified the presence of different selective pressures in archaics and extant modern humans, as well as evidence of positive selection in the African and South East Asian populations from the 1000 Genomes Project. Furthermore, we observed a very limited evidence of archaic introgression in this gene (only at three haplotypes of East Asian ancestry out of the 1000 Genomes), compatible with a general erasing of the fingerprint of archaic introgression due to functional differences in archaics compared to extant modern humans. In agreement with this hypothesis, we observed private mutations in the archaic genomes that we experimentally validated as putatively increasing bone mineral density. In particular, four of five archaic missense mutations affecting the first &#x3b2;-propeller of LRP5 displayed enhanced Wnt pathway activation, of which two also displayed reduced negative regulation.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: In summary, these data suggest a genetic component contributing to the understanding of skeletal differences between extant&#xa0;modern humans and archaic Homo populations.}, }
@article {pmid38798350, year = {2024}, author = {Iasi, LNM and Chintalapati, M and Skov, L and Mesa, AB and Hajdinjak, M and Peter, BM and Moorjani, P}, title = {Neandertal ancestry through time: Insights from genomes of ancient and present-day humans.}, journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {38798350}, issn = {2692-8205}, support = {R35 GM142978/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Gene flow from Neandertals has shaped the landscape of genetic and phenotypic variation in modern humans. We identify the location and size of introgressed Neandertal ancestry segments in more than 300 genomes spanning the last 50,000 years. We study how Neandertal ancestry is shared among individuals to infer the time and duration of the Neandertal gene flow. We find the correlation of Neandertal segment locations across individuals and their divergence to sequenced Neandertals, both support a model of single major Neandertal gene flow. Our catalog of introgressed segments through time confirms that most natural selection-positive and negative-on Neandertal ancestry variants occurred immediately after the gene flow, and provides new insights into how the contact with Neandertals shaped human origins and adaptation.}, }
@article {pmid38782948, year = {2024}, author = {Limmer, LS and Santon, M and McGrath, K and Harvati, K and El Zaatari, S}, title = {Differences in childhood stress between Neanderthals and early modern humans as reflected by dental enamel growth disruptions.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {11293}, pmid = {38782948}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {353106138//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ ; EP/X020819/1//Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council/ ; State Research Award 2014//Ministerium f&#xfc;r Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-W&#xfc;rttemberg/ ; 101019659//H2020 European Research Council/ ; 101001889//H2020 European Research Council/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Humans ; *Dental Enamel/growth &amp; development ; Child ; *Dental Enamel Hypoplasia ; Bayes Theorem ; Child, Preschool ; Male ; Fossils ; Female ; Stress, Physiological ; Infant ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals' lives were historically portrayed as highly stressful, shaped by constant pressures to survive in harsh ecological conditions, thus potentially contributing to their extinction. Recent work has challenged this interpretation, leaving the issue of stress among Paleolithic populations highly contested and warranting in-depth examination. Here, we analyze the frequency of dental enamel hypoplasia, a growth disruption indicator of early life stress, in the largest sample of Neanderthal and Upper Paleolithic dentitions investigated to date for these features. To track potential species-specific patterns in the ontogenetic distribution of childhood stress, we present the first comprehensive Bayesian modelling of the likelihood of occurrence of individual and matched enamel growth disruptions throughout ontogeny. Our findings support similar overall stress levels in both groups but reveal species-specific patterns in its ontogenetic distribution. While Neanderthal children faced increasing likelihoods of growth disruptions starting with the weaning process and culminating in intensity post-weaning, growth disruptions in Upper Paleolithic children were found to be limited around the period of weaning and substantially dropping after its expected completion. These results might, at least in part, reflect differences in childcare or other behavioral strategies between the two taxa, including those that were advantageous for modern humans' long-term survival.}, }
@article {pmid38782905, year = {2024}, author = {Yee, SW and Ferrández-Peral, L and Alentorn-Moron, P and Fontsere, C and Ceylan, M and Koleske, ML and Handin, N and Artegoitia, VM and Lara, G and Chien, HC and Zhou, X and Dainat, J and Zalevsky, A and Sali, A and Brand, CM and Wolfreys, FD and Yang, J and Gestwicki, JE and Capra, JA and Artursson, P and Newman, JW and Marquès-Bonet, T and Giacomini, KM}, title = {Illuminating the function of the orphan transporter, SLC22A10, in humans and other primates.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, pages = {4380}, pmid = {38782905}, issn = {2041-1723}, support = {GM117163//U.S. Department of Health &amp; Human Services | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)/ ; R01 EY032161/EY/NEI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM139875/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; GM139875//U.S. Department of Health &amp; Human Services | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)/ ; R01 GM117163/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; EY032161//U.S. Department of Health &amp; Human Services | NIH | National Eye Institute (NEI)/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Estradiol/metabolism ; HEK293 Cells ; Hominidae/genetics/metabolism ; Mutation, Missense ; Organic Cation Transport Proteins/metabolism/genetics ; *Primates/genetics ; Pseudogenes ; Substrate Specificity ; }, abstract = {SLC22A10 is an orphan transporter with unknown substrates and function. The goal of this study is to elucidate its substrate specificity and functional characteristics. In contrast to orthologs from great apes, human SLC22A10, tagged with green fluorescent protein, is not expressed on the plasma membrane. Cells expressing great ape SLC22A10 orthologs exhibit significant accumulation of estradiol-17β-glucuronide, unlike those expressing human SLC22A10. Sequence alignments reveal a proline at position 220 in humans, which is a leucine in great apes. Replacing proline with leucine in SLC22A10-P220L restores plasma membrane localization and uptake function. Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes show proline at position 220, akin to modern humans, indicating functional loss during hominin evolution. Human SLC22A10 is a unitary pseudogene due to a fixed missense mutation, P220, while in great apes, its orthologs transport sex steroid conjugates. Characterizing SLC22A10 across species sheds light on its biological role, influencing organism development and steroid homeostasis.}, }
@article {pmid38779339, year = {2024}, author = {Gennai, J}, title = {The Mousterian in North-Western Tuscany: publishing fieldwork documentation leads to a new stratigraphical interpretation of the Piano di Mommio sites.}, journal = {Open research Europe}, volume = {4}, number = {}, pages = {37}, pmid = {38779339}, issn = {2732-5121}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The Mousterian technocomplex is commonly associated with Neanderthals and therefore serves as a proxy for their presence across Europe. Stratified archaeological sites are the most informative because they can yield information about artefacts' spatial distribution and dating. Only a few of the Mousterian sites in Tuscany (Italy) met these conditions and most of these sites are concentrated in the North-Western area, with three specific sites situated in proximity to the village of Piano di Mommio, on the slopes of a small river canyon. Nevertheless, research on the sites stopped early on due to their small extent and complete excavation, which does not allow for additional fieldwork.<br><br>METHODS: This article presents previously unpublished field notes, reports, and images, which are then correlated with recent archaeological surveys.<br><br>RESULTS: This combination of historical and contemporary data aims to provide a more detailed understanding of the context in which the assemblages at these sites were found. The insights gained from this research shed light on the arrangement and positioning of artefacts at these locations, offering valuable information to guide future investigations on the assemblages.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The proposed stratigraphical interpretation adheres to the available information and therefore contributes to a future baseline for new research on the sites and on Neanderthal presence in the area.}, }
@article {pmid38778167, year = {2024}, author = {Marinelli, F and Moncel, MH and Lemorini, C}, title = {The use of bones as tools in Late Lower Paleolithic of Central Italy.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {11666}, pmid = {38778167}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {ANR-19-CE27-0011-01//Neandroots project/ ; }, mesh = {Italy ; Animals ; *Fossils ; *Bone and Bones ; *Archaeology ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Hominidae ; History, Ancient ; Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {The Latium area in Italy has yielded rich evidence of Lower Paleolithic sites with both faunal remains, artefacts, and human fossil remains, such as the Ceprano human skull. Many are the sites where lithic industry has been found in association with bone industry. Medium and large animals were a key resource because they provided an enormous amount of meat and fat. However, they were extensively exploited for their bones, rich in marrow, and as raw material for tool production. Bone tools are so far few documented for early period of time and especially for the Middle Pleistocene in Western Europe. We report here evidence of bone tools and their efficiency of use for hominin groups living in the Frosinone-Ceprano basin during the MIS 11/10, a key period which records behavioral innovations and onset of the Neanderthal behaviors. In three sites, Isoletta, Colle Avarone and Selvotta, several bone tools and bone flakes have been discovered (MIS 11/10). They were associated to stone artefacts part of the hominins tool-kit. Technological and use-wear analyses conducted on these bone industries, dated between 410 and 430 ka, yield relevant results to understand the effectiveness of the bones tools found associated with lithic series, including handaxes.}, }
@article {pmid38771659, year = {2024}, author = {Hubáček, JA and Šedová, L and Hellerová, V and Adámková, V and Tóthová, V}, title = {Increased prevalence of the COVID-19 associated Neanderthal mutations in the Central European Roma population.}, journal = {Annals of human biology}, volume = {51}, number = {1}, pages = {2341727}, doi = {10.1080/03014460.2024.2341727}, pmid = {38771659}, issn = {1464-5033}, mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/genetics/epidemiology ; *Roma/genetics ; Male ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; Female ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Mutation ; Middle Aged ; Czech Republic/epidemiology ; Adult ; Prevalence ; 2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Transcription Factors/genetics ; Aged ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and subsequent COVID-19 has spread world-wide and become pandemic with about 7 million deaths reported so far. Interethnic variability of the disease has been described, but a significant part of the differences remain unexplained and may be attributable to genetic factors.<br><br>AIM: To analyse genetic factors potentially influencing COVID-19 susceptibility and severity in European Roma minority.<br><br>SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Two genetic determinants, within OAS-1 (2-prime,5-prime-oligoadenylate synthetase 1, a key protein in the defence against viral infection; it activates RNases that degrade viral RNAs; rs4767027 has been analysed) and LZTFL1 (leucine zipper transcription factor-like 1, expressed in the lung respiratory epithelium; rs35044562 has been analysed) genes were screened in a population-sample of Czech Roma (N&#x2009;=&#x2009;302) and majority population (N&#x2009;=&#x2009;2,559).<br><br>RESULTS: For both polymorphisms, Roma subjects were more likely carriers of at least one risky allele for both rs4767027-C (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001) and rs35044562-G (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.00001) polymorphism. There were only 5.3% Roma subjects without at least one risky allele in comparison with 10.1% in the majority population (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.01).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: It is possible that different genetic background plays an important role in increased prevalence of COVID-19 in the Roma minority.}, }
@article {pmid38760502, year = {2024}, author = {Pauly, R and Johnson, L and Feltus, FA and Casanova, EL}, title = {Enrichment of a subset of Neanderthal polymorphisms in autistic probands and siblings.}, journal = {Molecular psychiatry}, volume = {29}, number = {11}, pages = {3452-3461}, pmid = {38760502}, issn = {1476-5578}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; *Autistic Disorder/genetics ; Genetic Association Studies/methods ; *Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genome, Human ; Genotype ; Hispanic or Latino/genetics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; *Siblings ; United States ; White/genetics ; Black or African American/genetics ; }, abstract = {Homo sapiens and Neanderthals underwent hybridization during the Middle/Upper Paleolithic age, culminating in retention of small amounts of Neanderthal-derived DNA in the modern human genome. In the current study, we address the potential roles Neanderthal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) may be playing in autism susceptibility in samples of black non-Hispanic, white Hispanic, and white non-Hispanic people using data from the Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research (SPARK), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), and 1000 Genomes (1000G) databases. We have discovered that rare variants are significantly enriched in autistic probands compared to race-matched controls. In addition, we have identified 25 rare and common SNPs that are significantly enriched in autism on different ethnic backgrounds, some of which show significant clinical associations. We have also identified other SNPs that share more specific genotype-phenotype correlations but which are not necessarily enriched in autism and yet may nevertheless play roles in comorbid phenotype expression (e.g., intellectual disability, epilepsy, and language regression). These results strongly suggest Neanderthal-derived DNA is playing a significant role in autism susceptibility across major populations in the United States.}, }
@article {pmid38739836, year = {2024}, author = {Helmbrecht, N and Lackner, M and Maricic, T and Pääbo, S}, title = {The modern human aryl hydrocarbon receptor is more active when ancestralized by genome editing.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {121}, number = {22}, pages = {e2402159121}, pmid = {38739836}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {PAABO//NOMIS Stiftung (NOMIS Foundation)/ ; }, mesh = {*Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/genetics/metabolism ; Humans ; *Gene Editing/methods ; Animals ; *Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/genetics/metabolism ; Evolution, Molecular ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Ligands ; }, abstract = {The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a transcription factor that has many functions in mammals. Its best known function is that it binds aromatic hydrocarbons and induces the expression of cytochrome P450 genes, which encode enzymes that metabolize aromatic hydrocarbons and other substrates. All present-day humans carry an amino acid substitution at position 381 in the AHR that occurred after the divergence of modern humans from Neandertals and Denisovans. Previous studies that have expressed the ancestral and modern versions of AHR from expression vectors have yielded conflicting results with regard to their activities. Here, we use genome editing to modify the endogenous AHR gene so that it encodes to the ancestral, Neandertal-like AHR protein in human cells. In the absence of exogenous ligands, the expression of AHR target genes is higher in cells expressing the ancestral AHR than in cells expressing the modern AHR, and similar to the expression in chimpanzee cells. Furthermore, the modern human AHR needs higher doses of three ligands than the ancestral AHR to induce the expression of target genes. Thus, the ability of AHR to induce the expression of many of its target genes is reduced in modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid38714790, year = {2024}, author = {Schmidt, P and Tennie, C}, title = {Problems with two recent Petri net analyses of Neanderthal adhesive technology.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {10481}, pmid = {38714790}, issn = {2045-2322}, }
@article {pmid38714734, year = {2024}, author = {Fajardo, S and Kozowyk, PRB and Langejans, GHJ}, title = {Reply to: Problems with two recent Petri net analyses of Neanderthal adhesive technology.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {10489}, pmid = {38714734}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {804151//EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 European Research Council (H2020 Excellent Science - European Research Council)/ ; }, }
@article {pmid38683367, year = {2024}, author = {Mansueto, A and Good, DJ}, title = {Conservation of a Chromosome 8 Inversion and Exon Mutations Confirm Common Gulonolactone Oxidase Gene Evolution Among Primates, Including H. Neanderthalensis.}, journal = {Journal of molecular evolution}, volume = {92}, number = {3}, pages = {266-277}, pmid = {38683367}, issn = {1432-1432}, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Exons/genetics ; *Phylogeny ; *Primates/genetics ; *Mutation/genetics ; Humans ; *L-Gulonolactone Oxidase/genetics ; *Chromosome Inversion/genetics ; Pseudogenes/genetics ; Conserved Sequence/genetics ; }, abstract = {Ascorbic acid functions as an antioxidant and facilitates other biochemical processes such as collagen triple helix formation, and iron uptake by cells. Animals which endogenously produce ascorbic acid have a functional gulonolactone oxidase gene (GULO); however, humans have a GULO pseudogene (GULOP) and depend on dietary ascorbic acid. In this study, the conservation of GULOP sequences in the primate haplorhini suborder were investigated and compared to the GULO sequences belonging to the primates strepsirrhini suborder. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the conserved GULOP exons in the haplorhini primates experienced a high rate of mutations following the haplorhini/strepsirrhini divergence. This high mutation rate has decreased during the evolution of the haplorhini primates. Additionally, indels of the haplorhini GULOP sequences were conserved across the suborder. A separate analysis for GULO sequences and well-conserved GULOP sequences focusing on placental mammals identified an in-frame GULO sequence in the Brazilian guinea pig, and a potential GULOP sequence in the pika. Similar to haplorhini primates, the guinea pig and lagomorph species have experienced a high substitution rate when compared to the mammals used in this study. A shared synteny to examine the conservation of local genes near GULO/GULOP identified a conserved inversion around the GULO/GULOP locus between the haplorhini and strepsirrhini primates. Fischer's exact test did not support an association between GULOP and the chromosomal inversion. Mauve alignment showed that the inversion of the length of the syntenic block that the GULO/GULOP genes belonged to was variable. However, there were frequent rearrangements around ~ 2 million base pairs adjacent to GULOP involving the KIF13B and MSRA genes. These data may suggest that genes acquiring deleterious mutations in the coding sequence may respond to these deleterious mutations with rapid substitution rates.}, }
@article {pmid38658463, year = {2024}, author = {Yousfi, FZE and Haroun, AE and Nebhani, C and Belayachi, J and Askander, O and Fahime, EE and Fares, H and Ennibi, K and Abouqal, R and Razine, R and Bouhouche, A}, title = {Prevalence of the protective OAS1 rs10774671-G allele against severe COVID-19 in Moroccans: implications for a North African Neanderthal connection.}, journal = {Archives of virology}, volume = {169}, number = {5}, pages = {109}, pmid = {38658463}, issn = {1432-8798}, mesh = {Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/genetics ; Africa, Northern ; Alleles ; *COVID-19/genetics/virology/epidemiology ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; North African People ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Prevalence ; }, abstract = {The clinical presentation of COVID-19 shows high variability among individuals, which is partly due to genetic factors. The OAS1/2/3 cluster has been found to be strongly associated with COVID-19 severity. We examined this locus in the Moroccan population for the occurrence of the critical variant rs10774671 and its respective haplotype blocks. The frequency of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the cluster of OAS immunity genes in 157 unrelated individuals of Moroccan origin was determined using an in-house exome database. OAS1 exon 6 of 71 SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals with asymptomatic/mild disease and 74 with moderate/severe disease was sequenced by the Sanger method. The genotypic, allelic, and haplotype frequencies of three SNPs were compared between these two groups. Finally, males in our COVID-19 series were genotyped for the Berber-specific marker E-M81. The prevalence of the OAS1 rs10774671-G allele in present-day Moroccans was found to be 40.4%, which is similar to that found in Europeans. However, it was found equally in both the Neanderthal GGG haplotype and the African GAC haplotype, with a frequency of 20% each. These two haplotypes, and hence the rs10774671-G allele, were significantly associated with protection against severe COVID-19 (p = 0.034, p = 0.041, and p = 0.008, respectively). Surprisingly, in men with the Berber-specific uniparental markers, the African haplotype was absent, while the prevalence of the Neanderthal haplotype was similar to that in Europeans. The protective rs10774671-G allele of OAS1 was found only in the Neanderthal haplotype in Berbers, the indigenous people of North Africa, suggesting that this region may have served as a stepping-stone for the passage of hominids to other continents.}, }
@article {pmid38638564, year = {2024}, author = {Chen, S and Tang, D and Deng, L and Xu, S}, title = {Asian-European differentiation of schizophrenia-associated genes driven by admixture and natural selection.}, journal = {iScience}, volume = {27}, number = {5}, pages = {109560}, pmid = {38638564}, issn = {2589-0042}, abstract = {The European-centered genome-wide association studies of schizophrenia (SCZ) may not be well applied to non-European populations. We analyzed 1,592 reported SCZ-associated genes using the public genome data and found an overall higher Asian-European differentiation on the SCZ-associated variants than at the genome-wide level. Notable examples included 15 missense variants, a regulatory variant SLC5A10-rs1624825, and a damaging variant TSPAN18-rs1001292. Independent local adaptations in recent 25,000 years, after the Asian-European divergence, could have contributed to such genetic differentiation, as were identified at a missense mutation LTN1-rs57646126-A in Asians, and a non-risk allele ZSWIM6-rs72761442-G in Europeans. Altai-Neanderthal-derived alleles may have opposite effects on SCZ susceptibility between ancestries. Furthermore, adaptive introgression was detected on the non-risk haplotype at 1q21.2 in Europeans, while in Asians it was observed on the SCZ risk haplotype at 3p21.31 which is also potentially ultra-violet protective. This study emphasizes the importance of including more representative Asian samples in future SCZ studies.}, }
@article {pmid38612593, year = {2024}, author = {Ferreira, RC and Rodrigues, CR and Broach, JR and Briones, MRS}, title = {Convergent Mutations and Single Nucleotide Variants in Mitochondrial Genomes of Modern Humans and Neanderthals.}, journal = {International journal of molecular sciences}, volume = {25}, number = {7}, pages = {}, pmid = {38612593}, issn = {1422-0067}, support = {20/08943-5//Funda&#xe7;&#xe3;o de Amparo &#xe0; Pesquisa do Estado de S&#xe3;o Paulo/ ; 311154/2021-2//National Council for Scientific and Technological Development/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Genome, Mitochondrial ; Mutation ; *Alzheimer Disease ; Nucleotides ; }, abstract = {The genetic contributions of Neanderthals to the modern human genome have been evidenced by the comparison of present-day human genomes with paleogenomes. Neanderthal signatures in extant human genomes are attributed to intercrosses between Neanderthals and archaic anatomically modern humans (AMHs). Although Neanderthal signatures are well documented in the nuclear genome, it has been proposed that there is no contribution of Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA to contemporary human genomes. Here we show that modern human mitochondrial genomes contain 66 potential Neanderthal signatures, or Neanderthal single nucleotide variants (N-SNVs), of which 36 lie in coding regions and 7 result in nonsynonymous changes. Seven N-SNVs are associated with traits such as cycling vomiting syndrome, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, and two N-SNVs are associated with intelligence quotient. Based on recombination tests, principal component analysis (PCA) and the complete absence of these N-SNVs in 41 archaic AMH mitogenomes, we conclude that convergent evolution, and not recombination, explains the presence of N-SNVs in present-day human mitogenomes.}, }
@article {pmid38565571, year = {2024}, author = {Yaworsky, PM and Nielsen, ES and Nielsen, TK}, title = {The Neanderthal niche space of Western Eurasia 145 ka to 30 ka ago.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {14}, number = {1}, pages = {7788}, pmid = {38565571}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {9062-00027B//Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Fossils ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals occupied Western Eurasia between 350 ka and 40 ka ago, during the climatically volatile Pleistocene. A key issue is to what extent Neanderthal populations expanded into areas of Western Eurasia and what conditions facilitated such range expansions. The range extent of Neanderthals is generally based on the distribution of Neanderthal material, but the land-altering nature of glacial periods has erased much of the already sparse material evidence of Neanderthals, particularly in the northern latitudes. To overcome this obstacle species distribution models can estimate past distributions of Neanderthals, however, most implementations are generally constrained spatially and temporally and may be artificially truncating the Neanderthal niche space. Using dated contexts from Neanderthal sites from across Western Eurasia, millennial-scale paleoclimate reconstructions, and a spatiotemporal species distribution model, we infer the fundamental climatic niche space of Neanderthals and estimate the extent of Neanderthal occupation. We find that (a.) despite the long timeframe, Neanderthals occupy a relatively narrow fundamental climatic niche space, (b.) the estimated projected potential Neanderthal niche space suggests a larger geographic range than the material record suggests, and (c.) that there was a general decline in the size of the projected potential Neanderthal niche from 145 ka ago onward, possibly contributing to their extinction.}, }
@article {pmid38558123, year = {2024}, author = {Aneli, S and Ceccatelli Berti, C and Gilea, AI and Birolo, G and Mutti, G and Pavesi, A and Baruffini, E and Goffrini, P and Capelli, C}, title = {Functional characterization of archaic-specific variants in mitonuclear genes: insights from comparative analysis in S. cerevisiae.}, journal = {Human molecular genetics}, volume = {33}, number = {13}, pages = {1152-1163}, doi = {10.1093/hmg/ddae057}, pmid = {38558123}, issn = {1460-2083}, support = {//Departments of Excellence/ ; //Italian Ministry for University and Research (MIUR, 2018-2022 and MUR, 2023-2027)/ ; //Programma Nazionale della Ricerca PNR 2021-2027 e PON "Ricerca e Innovazione" 2014-2020-progetti di ricerca su tematiche "Innovazione" e "Green"/ ; RF-2016-02361241//Italian Ministry of Health/ ; //University of Parma/ ; GGP19287A//Italian Telethon Foundation/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; *Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Animals ; Genetic Variation ; Mitochondria/genetics/metabolism ; Alleles ; Genetic Introgression ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal and Denisovan hybridisation with modern humans has generated a non-random genomic distribution of introgressed regions, the result of drift and selection dynamics. Cross-species genomic incompatibility and more efficient removal of slightly deleterious archaic variants have been proposed as selection-based processes involved in the post-hybridisation purge of archaic introgressed regions. Both scenarios require the presence of functionally different alleles across Homo species onto which selection operated differently according to which populations hosted them, but only a few of these variants have been pinpointed so far. In order to identify functionally divergent archaic variants removed in humans, we focused on mitonuclear genes, which are underrepresented in the genomic landscape of archaic humans. We searched for non-synonymous, fixed, archaic-derived variants present in mitonuclear genes, rare or absent in human populations. We then compared the functional impact of archaic and human variants in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Notably, a variant within the mitochondrial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase 2 (YARS2) gene exhibited a significant decrease in respiratory activity and a substantial reduction of Cox2 levels, a proxy for mitochondrial protein biosynthesis, coupled with the accumulation of the YARS2 protein precursor and a lower amount of mature enzyme. Our work suggests that this variant is associated with mitochondrial functionality impairment, thus contributing to the purging of archaic introgression in YARS2. While different molecular mechanisms may have impacted other mitonuclear genes, our approach can be extended to the functional screening of mitonuclear genetic variants present across species and populations.}, }
@article {pmid38552260, year = {2024}, author = {Rmoutilová, R and Brůžek, J and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Madelaine, S and Couture-Veschambre, C and Holliday, T and Maureille, B}, title = {Sex estimation of the adult Neandertal Regourdou 1 (Montignac, France): Implications for sexing human fossil remains.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {189}, number = {}, pages = {103470}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103470}, pmid = {38552260}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Male ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Genomics ; Paleontology ; *Hominidae ; France ; }, abstract = {Sex is a biological trait fundamental to the study of hominin fossils. Among the many questions that can be addressed are those related to taxonomy, biological variability, sexual dimorphism, paleoobstetrics, funerary selection, and paleodemography. While new methodologies such as paleogenomics or paleoproteomics can be used to determine sex, they have not been systematically applied to Pleistocene human remains due to their destructive nature. Therefore, we estimated sex from the coxal bone of the newly discovered pelvic remains of the Regourdou 1 Neandertal (Southwest France, MIS 5) based on morphological and metric data employing two methods that have been recently revised and shown to be reliable in multiple studies. Both methods calculate posterior probabilities of the estimate. The right coxal bone of Regourdou 1 was partially reconstructed providing additional traits for sex estimation. These methods were cross validated on 14 sufficiently preserved coxal bones of specimens from the Neandertal lineage. Our results show that the Regourdou 1 individual, whose postcranial skeleton is not robust, is a male, and that previous sex attributions of comparative Neandertal specimens are largely in agreement with those obtained here. Our results encourage additional morphological research of fossil hominins in order to develop a set of methods that are applicable, reliable, and reproducible.}, }
@article {pmid38489387, year = {2024}, author = {Groh, JS and Coop, G}, title = {The temporal and genomic scale of selection following hybridization.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {121}, number = {12}, pages = {e2309168121}, pmid = {38489387}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {R35 GM136290/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Genome/genetics ; Genomics ; Hybridization, Genetic ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Haplotypes ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Genomic evidence supports an important role for selection in shaping patterns of introgression along the genome, but frameworks for understanding the evolutionary dynamics within hybrid populations that underlie these patterns have been lacking. Due to the clock-like effect of recombination in hybrids breaking up parental haplotypes, drift and selection produce predictable patterns of ancestry variation at varying spatial genomic scales through time. Here, we develop methods based on the Discrete Wavelet Transform to study the genomic scale of local ancestry variation and its association with recombination rates and show that these methods capture temporal dynamics of drift and genome-wide selection after hybridization. We apply these methods to published datasets from hybrid populations of swordtail fish (Xiphophorus) and baboons (Papio) and to inferred Neanderthal introgression in modern humans. Across systems, upward of 20% of variation in local ancestry at the broadest genomic scales can be attributed to systematic selection against introgressed alleles, consistent with strong selection acting on early-generation hybrids. Signatures of selection at fine genomic scales suggest selection over longer time scales; however, we suggest that our ability to confidently infer selection at fine scales is likely limited by inherent biases in current methods for estimating local ancestry from contiguous segments of genomic similarity. Wavelet approaches will become widely applicable as genomic data from systems with introgression become increasingly available and can help shed light on generalities of the genomic consequences of interspecific hybridization.}, }
@article {pmid38477186, year = {2024}, author = {Pablos, A and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Tarsals from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain).}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {307}, number = {7}, pages = {2635-2664}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25425}, pmid = {38477186}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {PGC2018-093925-B-C33//MCI/AEI/FEDER, UE/ ; PGC2018-093925-B-C31//MCI/AEI/FEDER, UE/ ; PID2021-122355NB-C31//MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE/ ; 949330/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; EMERGIA20_00403//Junta de Andaluc&#xed;a, Spain/ ; //Junta de Castilla y Le&#xf3;n and Fundaci&#xf3;n Atapuerca/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Biological Evolution ; Tarsal Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; }, abstract = {Here, we provide a complete, updated, and illustrated inventory, as well as a comprehensive study, of the tarsals (rearfoot) recovered from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH, Atapuerca, Spain) in comparison to other Homo comparative samples, both extant and fossil. The minimum number of individuals (MNI) estimated from the tarsals has been established as 15, which represents 51.7% of the 29 dental individuals identified within the SH sample. Within the SH hominin foot sample, an exclusive combination of primitive or plesiomorphic and derived or autapomorphic traits can be observed when compared with other Homo individuals/populations. Other characters are shared among SH hominins and Neandertals that might represent shared derived or autapomorphic traits for this evolutionary line, and most are likely related to robusticity (e.g., rectangular-like trochlea of the talus, broad calcanei, broad naviculars, and short lateral cuneiforms). Additionally, we observed some exclusive autapomorphic traits in the SH tarsal sample (e.g., narrow head of the talus and short intermediate cuneiforms). A few exclusive traits in SH tarsal remains are even more robust than in Neandertals (e.g., broad lateral malleolar facet in talus, more projected sustentaculum tali, and broad medial cuneiform). These traits could suggest a slightly higher level of gracilization in the tarsal bones of Neandertals compared to the SH sample that is also supported by other anatomical postcranial skeleton elements. Additionally, some paleobiological inferences are made in relation to body size (stature and body mass) and some associations are proposed within the SH sample. In conclusion, the morphology of the SH tarsi confirms an evolutionary relationship of sister groups between this population and Neandertals, probably representing a morphotype similar to the Neandertal ancestors.}, }
@article {pmid38461589, year = {2024}, author = {Najafzadeh, A and Hernaiz-García, M and Benazzi, S and Chen, B and Hublin, JJ and Kullmer, O and Pokhojaev, A and Sarig, R and Sorrentino, R and Vazzana, A and Fiorenza, L}, title = {Finite element analysis of Neanderthal and early Homo sapiens maxillary central incisor.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {189}, number = {}, pages = {103512}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103512}, pmid = {38461589}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Humans ; Adolescent ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Incisor ; Computer Simulation ; Finite Element Analysis ; Crowns ; Stress, Mechanical ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal anterior teeth are very large and have a distinctive morphology characterized by robust 'shovel-shaped' crowns. These features are frequently seen as adaptive responses in dissipating heavy mechanical loads resulting from masticatory and non-masticatory activities. Although the long-standing debate surrounding this hypothesis has played a central role in paleoanthropology, is still unclear if Neanderthal anterior teeth can resist high mechanical loads or not. A novel way to answer this question is to use a multidisciplinary approach that considers together tooth architecture, dental wear and jaw movements. The aim of this study is to functionally reposition the teeth of Le Moustier 1 (a Neanderthal adolescent) and Qafzeh 9 (an early Homo sapiens adolescent) derived from wear facet mapping, occlusal fingerprint analysis and physical dental restoration methods. The restored dental arches are then used to perform finite element analysis on the left central maxillary incisor during edge-to-edge occlusion. The results show stress distribution differences between Le Moustier 1 and Qafzeh 9, with the former displaying higher tensile stress in enamel around the lingual fossa but lower concentration of stress in the lingual aspect of the root surface. These results seem to suggest that the presence of labial convexity, lingual tubercle and of a large root surface in Le Moustier 1 incisor helps in dissipating mechanical stress. The absence of these dental features in Qafzeh 9 is compensated by the presence of a thicker enamel, which helps in reducing the stress in the tooth crown.}, }
@article {pmid38458749, year = {2024}, author = {Geier, A and Trost, J and Wang, K and Schmid, C and Krawczyk, M and Schiffels, S}, title = {PNPLA3 fatty liver allele was fixed in Neanderthals and segregates neutrally in humans.}, journal = {Gut}, volume = {73}, number = {6}, pages = {1008-1014}, doi = {10.1136/gutjnl-2023-331594}, pmid = {38458749}, issn = {1468-3288}, support = {851511/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Acyltransferases/genetics ; *Alleles ; DNA, Ancient/analysis ; *Fatty Liver/genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genotype ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Phospholipases A2, Calcium-Independent/genetics ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Fat deposition is modulated by environmental factors and genetic predisposition. Genome-wide association studies identified PNPLA3 p.I148M (rs738409) as a common variant that increases risk of developing liver steatosis. When and how this variant evolved in humans has not been studied to date.<br><br>DESIGN: Here we analyse ancient DNA to track the history of this allele throughout human history. In total, 6444 published ancient (modern humans, Neanderthal, Denisovan) and 3943 published present day genomes were used for analysis after extracting genotype calls for PNPLA3 p.I148M. To quantify changes through time, logistic and, by grouping individuals according to geography and age, linear regression analyses were performed.<br><br>RESULTS: We find that archaic human individuals (Neanderthal, Denisovan) exclusively carried a fixed PNPLA3 risk allele, whereas allele frequencies in modern human populations range from very low in Africa to >50% in Mesoamerica. Over the last 15&#x2009;000 years, distributions of ancestral and derived alleles roughly match the present day distribution. Logistic regression analyses did not yield signals of natural selection during the last 10&#x2009;000 years.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Archaic human individuals exclusively carried a fixed PNPLA3 allele associated with fatty liver, whereas allele frequencies in modern human populations are variable even in the oldest samples. Our observation might underscore the advantage of fat storage in cold climate and particularly for Neanderthal under ice age conditions. The absent signals of natural selection during modern human history does not support the thrifty gene hypothesis in case of PNPLA3 p.I148M.}, }
@article {pmid38454744, year = {2024}, author = {Pantoja-Pérez, A and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {The Cranium I: Neurocranium.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {307}, number = {7}, pages = {2278-2324}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25413}, pmid = {38454744}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {PID2021-122355NB-C31//MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and "ERDF A way of making Europe"/ ; PGC2018-093925-B-C31//MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and "ERDF A way of making Europe"/ ; 949330//European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program/ ; //CaixaBank-Fundaci&#xf3;n Atapuerca/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Female ; *Fossils ; Humans ; *Biological Evolution ; }, abstract = {The Sima de los Huesos (SH) site has provided a significant collection of hominin remains, including numerous cranial fragments, which have contributed to our understanding of the MP human population. The taxonomic classification of the SH hominins remains a topic of debate, with some studies suggesting a close relationship to Neandertals based on nuclear DNA analysis. The cranial morphology of the SH specimens exhibits a mix of Neandertal-like features and primitive traits observed in earlier Homo populations, providing insights into the evolutionary pattern of the Neanderthal lineage. This study focuses on the neurocranial traits of the SH population and describes three previously undescribed cranial individuals. The SH cranial collection now comprises 20 nearly complete crania, representing approximately two-thirds of the estimated population size. The analysis of the SH population reveals variations in robustness, frontal torus development, sagittal keeling, and occipital torus morphology, which may be related to sexual dimorphism and ontogenetic factors. The suprainiac region exhibits notable ontogenetic changes, while suture obliteration patterns do not strictly correlate with dental age. Metric measurements, particularly cranial breadths, highlight significant intrapopulation variation within the SH sample. Compared with other Middle Pleistocene (MP) hominins, the SH cranial vault displays archaic characteristics but differs from Homo erectus and Neandertals. The SH individuals have relatively short and tall cranial vaults, distinguishing them from other MP fossils. These findings contribute to our understanding of the MP human populations and their evolutionary trajectories.}, }
@article {pmid38450997, year = {2024}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {The Sima de los Huesos thorax and lumbar spine: Selected traits and state-of-the-art.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {307}, number = {7}, pages = {2465-2490}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25414}, pmid = {38450997}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {PGC2018-093925-B-C33//Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovaci&#xf3;n y Universidades/ ; PID2021-122355NB-C31//Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovaci&#xf3;n y Universidades/ ; RYC-2017-22558//Ram&#xf3;n y Cajal fellowship/ ; //Fundaci&#xf3;n Atapuerca/ ; //Junta de Castilla y Le&#xf3;n/ ; }, mesh = {*Lumbar Vertebrae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Animals ; *Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; *Thoracic Vertebrae/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Biological Evolution ; *Thorax/anatomy &amp; histology ; Ribs/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Information on the evolution of the thorax and lumbar spine in the genus Homo is hampered by a limited fossil record due to the inherent fragility of vertebrae and ribs. Neandertals show significant metric and morphological differences in these two anatomical regions, when compared to Homo sapiens. Thus, the important fossil record from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH) not only offers important information on the evolution of these anatomical regions within the Neandertal lineage but also provides important clues to understand the evolution of these regions at the genus level. We present the current knowledge of the costal skeleton, and the thoracic and lumbar spine anatomy of the hominins found in Sima de los Huesos compared to that of Neandertals and modern humans. The current SH fossil record comprises 738 vertebral specimens representing a minimum of 70 cervical, 95 thoracic and 47 lumbar vertebrae, 652 rib fragments representing a minimum of 118 ribs, and 26 sternal fragments representing 4 sterna. The SH hominins exhibit a morphological pattern in their thorax and lumbar spine more similar to that of Neandertals than to that of H. sapiens, which is consistent with the phylogenetic position of these hominins. However, there are some differences between the SH hominins and Neandertals in these anatomical regions, primarily in the orientation of the lumbar transverse processes and in the robusticity of the second ribs. The presence of some but not all of the suite of Neandertal-derived features is consistent with the pattern found in the cranium and other postcranial regions of this population.}, }
@article {pmid38420653, year = {2024}, author = {Hernaiz-García, M and Zanolli, C and Martín-Francés, L and Mazurier, A and Benazzi, S and Sarig, R and Fu, J and Kullmer, O and Fiorenza, L}, title = {Masticatory habits of the adult Neanderthal individual BD 1 from La Chaise-de-Vouthon (France).}, journal = {American journal of biological anthropology}, volume = {184}, number = {1}, pages = {e24926}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.24926}, pmid = {38420653}, issn = {2692-7691}, support = {//Biomedicine Discovery Scholarship from Monash University/ ; DP190100465//Australian Research Council/ ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; *Tooth ; *Tooth Wear ; France ; Habits ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The analysis of dental wear provides a useful approach for dietary and cultural habit reconstructions of past human populations. The analysis of macrowear patterns can also be used to better understand the individual chewing behavior and to investigate the biomechanical responses during different biting scenarios. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diet and chewing performance of the adult Neanderthal Bourgeois-Delaunay 1 (BD 1) and to investigate the relationship between wear and cementum deposition under mechanical demands.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: The macrowear pattern of BD 1 was analyzed using the occlusal fingerprint analysis method. We propose a new method for the bilateral measurement of the cementum volume along both buccal and lingual sides of the molar root.<br><br>RESULTS: BD 1's anterior dentition is more affected by wear compared to the posterior one. The macrowear pattern suggest a normal chewing behavior and a mixed-diet coming from temperate environments. The teeth on the left side of the mandible display greater levels of wear, as well as the buccal side of the molar crowns. The cementum analysis shows higher buccal volume along the molar roots.<br><br>DISCUSSION: BD1 could have been preferably chewing on the left side of the mandible. The exploitation of various food resources suggested by the macrowear analysis is compatible with the environmental reconstructions. Finally, the greater wear on the buccal side of the molar occlusal surface and the greater volume of cementum in that side of the molar roots offers a preliminary understanding about the potential correlation between dental wear and cementum deposition.}, }
@article {pmid38405782, year = {2024}, author = {Kerdoncuff, E and Skov, L and Patterson, N and Zhao, W and Lueng, YY and Schellenberg, GD and Smith, JA and Dey, S and Ganna, A and Dey, AB and Kardia, SLR and Lee, J and Moorjani, P}, title = {50,000 years of Evolutionary History of India: Insights from ~2,700 Whole Genome Sequences.}, journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {38405782}, issn = {2692-8205}, support = {R01 AG051125/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM142978/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; RF1 AG055273/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {India has been underrepresented in whole genome sequencing studies. We generated 2,762 high coverage genomes from India-including individuals from most geographic regions, speakers of all major languages, and tribal and caste groups-providing a comprehensive survey of genetic variation in India. With these data, we reconstruct the evolutionary history of India through space and time at fine scales. We show that most Indians derive ancestry from three ancestral groups related to ancient Iranian farmers, Eurasian Steppe pastoralists and South Asian hunter-gatherers. We uncover a common source of Iranian-related ancestry from early Neolithic cultures of Central Asia into the ancestors of Ancestral South Indians (ASI), Ancestral North Indians (ANI), Austro-asiatic-related and East Asian-related groups in India. Following these admixtures, India experienced a major demographic shift towards endogamy, resulting in extensive homozygosity and identity-by-descent sharing among individuals. At deep time scales, Indians derive around 1-2% of their ancestry from gene flow from archaic hominins, Neanderthals and Denisovans. By assembling the surviving fragments of archaic ancestry in modern Indians, we recover ~1.5 Gb (or 50%) of the introgressing Neanderthal and ~0.6 Gb (or 20%) of the introgressing Denisovan genomes, more than any other previous archaic ancestry study. Moreover, Indians have the largest variation in Neanderthal ancestry, as well as the highest amount of population-specific Neanderthal segments among worldwide groups. Finally, we demonstrate that most of the genetic variation in Indians stems from a single major migration out of Africa that occurred around 50,000 years ago, with minimal contribution from earlier migration waves. Together, these analyses provide a detailed view of the population history of India and underscore the value of expanding genomic surveys to diverse groups outside Europe.}, }
@article {pmid38380556, year = {2024}, author = {Pablos, A and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Metatarsals and foot phalanges from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain).}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {307}, number = {7}, pages = {2665-2707}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25412}, pmid = {38380556}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {PGC2018-093925-B-C33//Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci&#xf3;n/ ; PGC2018-093925-B-C31//Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci&#xf3;n/ ; PID2021-122355NB-C31//MCIN/ ; 949330//H2020 European Research Council/ ; EMERGIA20_00403//EMERGIA/ ; //Junta de Castilla y Le&#xf3;n/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; *Metatarsal Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Biological Evolution ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Toe Phalanges/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {This study provides a complete, updated and illustrated inventory, as well as a comprehensive study, of the metatarsals and foot phalanges (forefoot) recovered from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH, Atapuerca, Spain) in comparison to other Homo comparative samples, both extant and fossils. This current updated review has established a minimum number of individuals (MNI) of 17, which represent 58.6% of the 29 dental individuals identified within the SH sample. An exclusive or autoapomorphic combination of traits can be recognized within the SH hominin foot sample. A few traits appear primitive or plesiomorphic when compared with earlier Homo individuals and other recent modern humans. There are other metrical and morphological traits that SH hominins and Neandertals have in common that sometimes represent shared derived traits in this evolutionary line, most of which are probably related to robusticity. Furthermore, some exclusive autoapomorphic traits are observed in the SH sample: a very broad first metatarsal, long and broad hallucal proximal foot phalanges and possibly extremely robust lateral distal foot phalanges compared to those of Neandertals and modern humans. In these last traits, the SH metatarsals and pedal phalanges are even more robust than in Neandertals. They are herein named as "hyper-Neandertal" traits, which could suggest a slight gracilization process in this evolutionary line, at least in the hallux toe. Finally, some paleobiological inferences are made in relation to body size (stature and body mass) and some associations are proposed within the SH sample.}, }
@article {pmid38379413, year = {2024}, author = {Cerrito, P and Nava, A and Radovčić, D and Borić, D and Cerrito, L and Basdeo, T and Ruggiero, G and Frayer, DW and Kao, AP and Bondioli, L and Mancini, L and Bromage, TG}, title = {Correction: 'Dental cementum virtual histology of Neanderthal teeth from Krapina (Croatia, 130-120 kyr): an informed estimate of age, sex and adult stressors' (2022), by Cerrito et al.}, journal = {Journal of the Royal Society, Interface}, volume = {21}, number = {211}, pages = {20240069}, doi = {10.1098/rsif.2024.0069}, pmid = {38379413}, issn = {1742-5662}, }
@article {pmid38377343, year = {2024}, author = {Liu, S and Luo, H and Zhang, P and Li, Y and Hao, D and Zhang, S and Song, T and Xu, T and He, S}, title = {Adaptive Selection of Cis-regulatory Elements in the Han Chinese.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {41}, number = {3}, pages = {}, pmid = {38377343}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {XDB38040300//Chinese Academy of Sciences/ ; 2021YFF0703701//National Key R&amp;D Program of China/ ; 91940306//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2019FY100102//MOST, China/ ; 2022M713311//China Postdoctoral Science Foundation/ ; //National Genomics Data Center, China/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; China ; Enhancer Elements, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Cis-regulatory elements have an important role in human adaptation to the living environment. However, the lag in population genomic cohort studies and epigenomic studies, hinders the research in the adaptive analysis of cis-regulatory elements in human populations. In this study, we collected 4,013 unrelated individuals and performed a comprehensive analysis of adaptive selection of genome-wide cis-regulatory elements in the Han Chinese. In total, 12.34% of genomic regions are under the influence of adaptive selection, where 1.00% of enhancers and 2.06% of promoters are under positive selection, and 0.06% of enhancers and 0.02% of promoters are under balancing selection. Gene ontology enrichment analysis of these cis-regulatory elements under adaptive selection reveals that many positive selections in the Han Chinese occur in pathways involved in cell-cell adhesion processes, and many balancing selections are related to immune processes. Two classes of adaptive cis-regulatory elements related to cell adhesion were in-depth analyzed, one is the adaptive enhancers derived from neanderthal introgression, leads to lower hyaluronidase level in skin, and brings better performance on UV-radiation resistance to the Han Chinese. Another one is the cis-regulatory elements regulating wound healing, and the results suggest the positive selection inhibits coagulation and promotes angiogenesis and wound healing in the Han Chinese. Finally, we found that many pathogenic alleles, such as risky alleles of type 2 diabetes or schizophrenia, remain in the population due to the hitchhiking effect of positive selections. Our findings will help deepen our understanding of the adaptive evolution of genome regulation in the Han Chinese.}, }
@article {pmid38367960, year = {2024}, author = {Voinescu, CD and Mozere, M and Genovese, G and Downie, ML and Gupta, S and Gale, DP and Bockenhauer, D and Kleta, R and Arcos-Burgos, M and Stanescu, HC}, title = {A Neanderthal haplotype introgressed into the human genome confers protection against membranous nephropathy.}, journal = {Kidney international}, volume = {105}, number = {4}, pages = {791-798}, doi = {10.1016/j.kint.2024.01.017}, pmid = {38367960}, issn = {1523-1755}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Haplotypes ; *Glomerulonephritis, Membranous/genetics ; Genome, Human ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Receptors, Phospholipase A2/genetics ; }, abstract = {Class 2 HLA and PLA2R1 alleles are exceptionally strong genetic risk factors for membranous nephropathy (MN), leading, through an unknown mechanism, to a targeted autoimmune response. Introgressed archaic haplotypes (introduced from an archaic human genome into the modern human genome) might influence phenotypes through gene dysregulation. Here, we investigated the genomic region surrounding the PLA2R1 gene. We reconstructed the phylogeny of Neanderthal and modern haplotypes in this region and calculated the probability of the observed clustering being the result of introgression or common descent. We imputed variants for the participants in our previous genome-wide association study and we compared the distribution of Neanderthal variants between MN cases and controls. The region associated with the lead MN risk locus in the PLA2R1 gene was confirmed and showed that, within a 507 kb region enriched in introgressed sequence, a stringently defined 105 kb haplotype, intersecting the coding regions for PLA2R1 and ITGB6, is inherited from Neanderthals. Thus, introgressed Neanderthal haplotypes overlapping PLA2R1 are differentially represented in MN cases and controls, with enrichment In controls suggesting a protective effect.}, }
@article {pmid38345759, year = {2024}, author = {Yaghmouri, M and Izadi, P}, title = {Role of the Neanderthal Genome in Genetic Susceptibility to COVID-19: 3p21.31 Locus in the Spotlight.}, journal = {Biochemical genetics}, volume = {62}, number = {6}, pages = {4239-4263}, pmid = {38345759}, issn = {1573-4927}, mesh = {*Neanderthals/genetics ; Animals ; Humans ; *COVID-19/genetics ; *Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; *Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3/genetics ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; }, abstract = {Since the outbreak of COVID-19, genome-wide association studies have tried to discover the role of genetic predisposition in the clinical variability of this viral infection. The findings of various investigations have led to several loci for COVID-19 genetic susceptibility. Among candidate regions, the 3p21.31 locus has been in the spotlight among scientists, as it can increase the risk of severe COVID-19 by almost two fold. In addition to its substantial association with COVID-19 severity, this locus is related to some common diseases, such as diabetes, malignancies, and coronary artery disease. This locus also harbors evolutionary traces of Neanderthal genomes, which is believed to be the underlying reason for its association with COVID-19 severity. Additionally, the inheritance of this locus from Neanderthals seems to be under positive selection. This review aims to summarize a collection of evidence on the 3p21.31 locus and its impact on COVID-19 outcomes by focusing on the risk variants originated from the Neanderthal genome. Moreover, we discuss candidate genes at this locus and the possible mechanisms by which they influence the progression of COVID-19 symptoms. Better insights into human genetic susceptibility to newly emerging diseases such as COVID-19 and its evolutionary origin can provide fundamentals for risk assessment of different populations as well as the development of personalized prevention and treatments based on genomic medicine.}, }
@article {pmid38293167, year = {2024}, author = {Janivara, R and Hazra, U and Pfennig, A and Harlemon, M and Kim, MS and Eaaswarkhanth, M and Chen, WC and Ogunbiyi, A and Kachambwa, P and Petersen, LN and Jalloh, M and Mensah, JE and Adjei, AA and Adusei, B and Joffe, M and Gueye, SM and Aisuodionoe-Shadrach, OI and Fernandez, PW and Rohan, TE and Andrews, C and Rebbeck, TR and Adebiyi, AO and Agalliu, I and Lachance, J}, title = {Uncovering the genetic architecture and evolutionary roots of androgenetic alopecia in African men.}, journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {38293167}, issn = {2692-8205}, support = {R35 GM133727/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U01 CA184374/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 CA257328/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Androgenetic alopecia is a highly heritable trait. However, much of our understanding about the genetics of male pattern baldness comes from individuals of European descent. Here, we examined a novel dataset comprising 2,136 men from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa that were genotyped using a custom array. We first tested how genetic predictions of baldness generalize from Europe to Africa, finding that polygenic scores from European GWAS yielded AUC statistics that ranged from 0.513 to 0.546, indicating that genetic predictions of baldness in African populations performed notably worse than in European populations. Subsequently, we conducted the first African GWAS of androgenetic alopecia, focusing on self-reported baldness patterns at age 45. After correcting for present age, population structure, and study site, we identified 266 moderately significant associations, 51 of which were independent (p-value < 10[-5], r[2] < 0.2). Most baldness associations were autosomal, and the X chromosomes does not appear to have a large impact on baldness in African men. Finally, we examined the evolutionary causes of continental differences in genetic architecture. Although Neanderthal alleles have previously been associated with skin and hair phenotypes, we did not find evidence that European-ascertained baldness hits were enriched for signatures of ancient introgression. Most loci that are associated with androgenetic alopecia are evolving neutrally. However, multiple baldness-associated SNPs near the EDA2R and AR genes have large allele frequency differences between continents. Collectively, our findings illustrate how evolutionary history contributes to the limited portability of genetic predictions across ancestries.}, }
@article {pmid38269094, year = {2024}, author = {Jambrina-Enríquez, M and Mallol, C and Herrera Herrera, AV and Gonzalez-Urquijo, J and Lazuen, T}, title = {Microstratigraphic, lipid biomarker and stable isotope study of a middle Palaeolithic combustion feature from Axlor, Spain.}, journal = {iScience}, volume = {27}, number = {1}, pages = {108755}, pmid = {38269094}, issn = {2589-0042}, abstract = {Archaeological research has increasingly focused on studying combustion features as valuable sources of information regarding past technological and cultural aspects. The use of microstratigraphic and biomolecular techniques enables the identification of combustion residues and substrate components, and infer about past fire-related activities and the environments. Our study conducted on a combustion feature (Level N, ∼100 Ka) at the Axlor cave, a Middle Paleolithic site in northern Iberia, exemplifies the interdisciplinary approach to combustion features. Micromorphological features revealed depositional activities associated with occupations such as hearth rake-out and trampling. Through molecular (n-alkanes, n-alcohols, and n-fatty acids) and isotopic analysis (δ[13]C16:0 and δ[13]C18:0), we infer the good preservation of organic matter, the contributions of non-ruminant fats, and the dead-wood gathering strategies by Neanderthal groups. By combining microstratigraphic and biomolecular approaches, our study significantly contributes to the advancement of our current understanding of Neanderthal pyrotechnology.}, }
@article {pmid38262226, year = {2024}, author = {Bailey, SE and Davies, TW and Imbrasas, MD and Lazuen, T and Hublin, JJ and González-Urquijo, J}, title = {New Neanderthal remains from Axlor cave (Dima, Biscay, northern Iberian Peninsula).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {187}, number = {}, pages = {103483}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103483}, pmid = {38262226}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Europe ; Fossils ; Caves ; Archaeology ; }, }
@article {pmid38213708, year = {2023}, author = {Borodko, DD and Zhenilo, SV and Sharko, FS}, title = {Search for differentially methylated regions in ancient and modern genomes.}, journal = {Vavilovskii zhurnal genetiki i selektsii}, volume = {27}, number = {7}, pages = {820-828}, doi = {10.18699/VJGB-23-95}, pmid = {38213708}, issn = {2500-0462}, abstract = {Currently, active research is focused on investigating the mechanisms that regulate the development of various pathologies and their evolutionary dynamics. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, play a significant role in evolutionary processes, as their changes have a faster impact on the phenotype compared to mutagenesis. In this study, we attempted to develop an algorithm for identifying differentially methylated regions associated with metabolic syndrome, which have undergone methylation changes in humans during the transition from a hunter-gatherer to a sedentary lifestyle. The application of existing whole-genome bisulfite sequencing methods is limited for ancient samples due to their low quality and fragmentation, and the approach to obtaining DNA methylation profiles differs significantly between ancient hunter-gatherer samples and modern tissues. In this study, we validated DamMet, an algorithm for reconstructing ancient methylomes. Application of DamMet to Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes showed a moderate level of correlation with previously published methylation profiles and demonstrated an underestimation of methylation levels in the reconstructed profiles by an average of 15-20 %. Additionally, we developed a new Python-based algorithm that allows for the comparison of methylomes in ancient and modern samples, despite the absence of methylation profiles in modern bone tissue within the context of obesity. This analysis involves a two-step data processing approach, where the first step involves the identification and filtration of tissue-specific methylation regions, and the second step focuses on the direct search for differentially methylated regions in specific areas associated with the researcher's target condition. By applying this algorithm to test data, we identified 38 differentially methylated regions associated with obesity, the majority of which were located in promoter regions. The pipeline demonstrated sufficient efficiency in detecting these regions. These results confirm the feasibility of reconstructing DNA methylation profiles in ancient samples and comparing them with modern methylomes. Furthermore, possibilities for further methodological development and the implementation of a new step for studying differentially methylated positions associated with evolutionary processes are discussed.}, }
@article {pmid38166646, year = {2024}, author = {Levinstein Hallak, K and Rosset, S}, title = {Dating ancient splits in phylogenetic trees, with application to the human-Neanderthal split.}, journal = {BMC genomic data}, volume = {25}, number = {1}, pages = {4}, pmid = {38166646}, issn = {2730-6844}, support = {2180/20//Israeli Science Foundation grant/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Bayes Theorem ; *Hominidae/genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: We tackle the problem of estimating species TMRCAs (Time to Most Recent Common Ancestor), given a genome sequence from each species and a large known phylogenetic tree with a known structure (typically from one of the species). The number of transitions at each site from the first sequence to the other is assumed to be Poisson distributed, and only the parity of the number of transitions is observed. The detailed phylogenetic tree contains information about the transition rates in each site. We use this formulation to develop and analyze multiple estimators of the species' TMRCA. To test our methods, we use mtDNA substitution statistics from the well-established Phylotree as a baseline for data simulation such that the substitution rate per site mimics the real-world observed rates.<br><br>RESULTS: We evaluate our methods using simulated data and compare them to the Bayesian optimizing software BEAST2, showing that our proposed estimators are accurate for a wide range of TMRCAs and significantly outperform BEAST2. We then apply the proposed estimators on Neanderthal, Denisovan, and Chimpanzee mtDNA genomes to better estimate their TMRCA with modern humans and find that their TMRCA is substantially later, compared to values cited recently in the literature.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our methods utilize the transition statistics from the entire known human mtDNA phylogenetic tree (Phylotree), eliminating the requirement to reconstruct a tree encompassing the specific sequences of interest. Moreover, they demonstrate notable improvement in both running speed and accuracy compared to BEAST2, particularly for earlier TMRCAs like the human-Chimpanzee split. Our results date the human - Neanderthal TMRCA to be [Formula: see text] years ago, considerably later than values cited in other recent studies.}, }
@article {pmid38113553, year = {2024}, author = {Palancar, CA and Bastir, M and Rosas, A and Dugailly, PM and Schlager, S and Beyer, B}, title = {Modern human atlas ranges of motion and Neanderthal estimations.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {187}, number = {}, pages = {103482}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103482}, pmid = {38113553}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Cervical Vertebrae ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Rotation ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; }, }
@article {pmid38110796, year = {2024}, author = {Zhao, H and Liu, LL and Sun, J and Jin, L and Xie, HB and Li, JB and Xu, H and Wu, DD and Zhuang, XL and Peng, MS and Guo, YJ and Qian, WZ and Otecko, NO and Sun, WJ and Qu, LH and He, J and Chen, ZL and Liu, R and Chen, CS and Zhang, YP}, title = {A human-specific insertion promotes cell proliferation and migration by enhancing TBC1D8B expression.}, journal = {Science China. Life sciences}, volume = {67}, number = {4}, pages = {765-777}, pmid = {38110796}, issn = {1869-1889}, mesh = {Humans ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement/genetics ; Cell Proliferation/genetics ; *Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Introns ; }, abstract = {Human-specific insertions play important roles in human phenotypes and diseases. Here we reported a 446-bp insertion (Insert-446) in intron 11 of the TBC1D8B gene, located on chromosome X, and traced its origin to a portion of intron 6 of the EBF1 gene on chromosome 5. Interestingly, Insert-446 was present in the human Neanderthal and Denisovans genomes, and was fixed in humans after human-chimpanzee divergence. We have demonstrated that Insert-446 acts as an enhancer through binding transcript factors that promotes a higher expression of human TBC1D8B gene as compared with orthologs in macaques. In addition, over-expression TBC1D8B promoted cell proliferation and migration through "a dual finger" catalytic mechanism (Arg538 and Gln573) in the TBC domain in vitro and knockdown of TBC1D8B attenuated tumorigenesis in vivo. Knockout of Insert-446 prevented cell proliferation and migration in cancer and normal cells. Our results reveal that the human-specific Insert-446 promotes cell proliferation and migration by upregulating the expression of TBC1D8B gene. These findings provide a significant insight into the effects of human-specific insertions on evolution.}, }
@article {pmid38051947, year = {2023}, author = {Wroblewski, TH and Witt, KE and Lee, SB and Malhi, RS and Peede, D and Huerta-Sánchez, E and Villanea, FA and Claw, KG}, title = {Pharmacogenetic Variation in Neanderthals and Denisovans and Implications for Human Health and Response to Medications.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {15}, number = {12}, pages = {}, pmid = {38051947}, issn = {1759-6653}, support = {1R35GM128946-01/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; R35 HG011319/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM128946/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35HG011319/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; T32 GM128596/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Pharmacogenetics ; Genome, Human ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Biological Evolution ; }, abstract = {Modern humans carry both Neanderthal and Denisovan (archaic) genome elements that are part of the human gene pool and affect the life and health of living individuals. The impact of archaic DNA may be particularly evident in pharmacogenes-genes responsible for the processing of exogenous substances such as food, pollutants, and medications-as these can relate to changing environmental effects, and beneficial variants may have been retained as modern humans encountered new environments. However, the health implications and contribution of archaic ancestry in pharmacogenes of modern humans remain understudied. Here, we explore 11 key cytochrome P450 genes (CYP450) involved in 75% of all drug metabolizing reactions in three Neanderthal and one Denisovan individuals and examine archaic introgression in modern human populations. We infer the metabolizing efficiency of these 11 CYP450 genes in archaic individuals and find important predicted phenotypic differences relative to modern human variants. We identify several single nucleotide variants shared between archaic and modern humans in each gene, including some potentially function-altering mutations in archaic CYP450 genes, which may result in altered metabolism in living people carrying these variants. We also identified several variants in the archaic CYP450 genes that are novel and unique to archaic humans as well as one gene, CYP2B6, that shows evidence for a gene duplication found only in Neanderthals and modern Africans. Finally, we highlight CYP2A6, CYP2C9, and CYP2J2, genes which show evidence for archaic introgression into modern humans and posit evolutionary hypotheses that explain their allele frequencies in modern populations.}, }
@article {pmid38048457, year = {2023}, author = {Gaudzinski-Windheuser, S and Kindler, L and Roebroeks, W}, title = {Widespread evidence for elephant exploitation by Last Interglacial Neanderthals on the North European plain.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {120}, number = {50}, pages = {e2309427120}, pmid = {38048457}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {K283/2019//IPF | Leibniz-Gemeinschaft (LG)/ ; GA 683/7-1//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)/ ; Zielgerade//Gutenberg Forschungskolleg (GRC)/ ; 28-548//Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)/ ; }, mesh = {Male ; Animals ; *Elephants ; *Neanderthals ; Mammals ; Germany ; *Tooth ; Fossils ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals hunted and butchered straight-tusked elephants, the largest terrestrial mammals of the Pleistocene, in a lake landscape on the North European plain, 125,000 years ago, as recently shown by a study of the Last Interglacial elephant assemblage from Neumark-Nord (Germany). With evidence for a remarkable focus on adult males and on their extended utilization, the data from this location are thus far without parallel in the archaeological record. Given their relevance for our knowledge of the Neanderthal niche, we investigated whether the Neumark-Nord subsistence practices were more than a local phenomenon, possibly determined by local characteristics. Analyzing elephant remains from two other Last Interglacial archaeological sites on the North European plain, Gröbern and Taubach, we identified in both assemblages similar butchering patterns as at Neumark-Nord, demonstrating that extended elephant exploitation was a widespread Neanderthal practice during the (early part of the) Last Interglacial. The substantial efforts needed to process these animals, weighing up to 13 metric tons, and the large amounts of food generated suggest that Neanderthals either had ways of storing vast amounts of meat and fat and/or temporarily aggregated in larger groups than commonly acknowledged. The data do not allow us to rule out one of the two explanations, and furthermore both factors, short-term larger group sizes as well as some form of food preservation, may have played a role. What the data do show is that exploitation of large straight-tusked elephants was a widespread and recurring phenomenon amongst Last Interglacial Neanderthals on the North European plain.}, }
@article {pmid38020913, year = {2023}, author = {Agata, A and Ohtsuka, S and Noji, R and Gotoh, H and Ono, K and Nomura, T}, title = {A Neanderthal/Denisovan GLI3 variant contributes to anatomical variations in mice.}, journal = {Frontiers in cell and developmental biology}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {1247361}, pmid = {38020913}, issn = {2296-634X}, abstract = {Changes in genomic structures underlie phenotypic diversification in organisms. Amino acid-changing mutations affect pleiotropic functions of proteins, although little is known about how mutated proteins are adapted in existing developmental programs. Here we investigate the biological effects of a variant of the GLI3 transcription factor (GLI3[R1537C]) carried in Neanderthals and Denisovans, which are extinct hominins close to modern humans. R1537C does not compromise protein stability or GLI3 activator-dependent transcriptional activities. In contrast, R1537C affects the regulation of downstream target genes associated with developmental processes. Furthermore, genome-edited mice carrying the Neanderthal/Denisovan GLI3 mutation exhibited various alterations in skeletal morphology. Our data suggest that an extinct hominin-type GLI3 contributes to species-specific anatomical variations, which were tolerated by relaxed constraint in developmental programs during human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid38012927, year = {2023}, author = {Lee, OY and Wu, HHT and Besra, GS and Minnikin, DE and Jaeger, HY and Maixner, F and Zink, A and Gasparik, M and Pap, I and Bereczki, Z and Pálfi, G}, title = {Sensitive lipid biomarker detection for tuberculosis in late Neanderthal skeletons from Subalyuk Cave, Hungary.}, journal = {Tuberculosis (Edinburgh, Scotland)}, volume = {143S}, number = {}, pages = {102420}, doi = {10.1016/j.tube.2023.102420}, pmid = {38012927}, issn = {1873-281X}, mesh = {Adult ; Child ; Humans ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Hungary ; *Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genetics ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; *Tuberculosis/diagnosis ; Skeleton/chemistry ; Biomarkers/analysis ; Lipids/analysis ; }, abstract = {Skeletal remains of two Neanderthal individuals, a 25-35 year-old woman and a 3-4 year-old child, were discovered in a Subalyuk Cave in North-Eastern Hungary. Radiocarbon dating of the female and child remains revealed an age of 39,732-39,076 and 36,117-35,387 cal BP, respectively. Paleopathological studies of these Neanderthal remains revealed probable evidence of skeletal mycobacterial infection, including in the sacrum of the adult specimen and the endocranial surface of the child's skull. Application of PCR amplification to the juvenile cranium and a vertebra gave a positive result (IS6110) for tuberculosis, backed up by spoligotyping. Lipid biomarker analyses of the same two specimens revealed definitive signals for C32 mycoserosates, a very characteristic component of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). A vertebra from the adult provided weak evidence for mycocerosate biomarkers. The correlation of probable skeletal lesions with characteristic amplified DNA fragments and a proven lipid biomarker points to the presence of tuberculosis in these Neanderthals. In particular, the closely similar biomarker profiles, for two distinct juvenile cranial and vertebral bones, strengthen this diagnosis.}, }
@article {pmid38012926, year = {2023}, author = {Pálfi, G and Molnár, E and Bereczki, Z and Coqueugniot, H and Dutour, O and Tillier, AM and Rosendahl, W and Sklánitz, A and Mester, Z and Gasparik, M and Maixner, F and Zink, A and Minnikin, DE and Pap, I}, title = {Re-examination of the Subalyuk Neanderthal remains uncovers signs of probable TB infection (Subalyuk Cave, Hungary).}, journal = {Tuberculosis (Edinburgh, Scotland)}, volume = {143S}, number = {}, pages = {102419}, doi = {10.1016/j.tube.2023.102419}, pmid = {38012926}, issn = {1873-281X}, mesh = {Young Adult ; Humans ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Animals ; *Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; *Neanderthals ; Hungary ; *Tuberculosis ; Bone and Bones ; Paleopathology/methods ; }, abstract = {In 1932, skeletal remains of two Neanderthal individuals, a young adult female and a 3-4-year-old child, were discovered in Subalyuk Cave in Northern Hungary [1,2]. Results of the anthropological examination were published some years after this important discovery. Methodological progress encouraged re-examination of the material during the last few years. Radiocarbon dating revealed a chronological age of 39,732-39,076 cal. BP for the adult female and 36,117-35,387 cal. BP for the child [3]. Morphological paleopathological studies of these Neanderthal remains uncovered distinct evidence of skeletal infections. Alterations of the adult individual's sacrum suggest probable early-stage sacroiliitis, while several vertebral bodies indicate superficial osseous remodelling of infectious origin. Traces of pathological lesions were observed on the endocranial surface of the child's skull, reflecting a reaction of meningeal tissues, a consequence of a probable TB-related meningeal infectious process. Results of recent paleomicrobiological examinations - lipid biomarker and aDNA studies - support the morphological diagnosis of probable TB infections [4].}, }
@article {pmid37992125, year = {2023}, author = {Di Santo, LN and Quilodrán, CS and Currat, M}, title = {Temporal Variation in Introgressed Segments' Length Statistics Computed from a Limited Number of Ancient Genomes Sheds Light on Past Admixture Pulses.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {40}, number = {12}, pages = {}, pmid = {37992125}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Animals ; *Genomics ; Paleontology ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Genome ; Biological Evolution ; }, abstract = {Hybridization is recognized as an important evolutionary force, but identifying and timing admixture events between divergent lineages remain a major aim of evolutionary biology. While this has traditionally been done using inferential tools on contemporary genomes, the latest advances in paleogenomics have provided a growing wealth of temporally distributed genomic data. Here, we used individual-based simulations to generate chromosome-level genomic data for a 2-population system and described temporal neutral introgression patterns under a single- and 2-pulse admixture model. We computed 6 summary statistics aiming to inform the timing and number of admixture pulses between interbreeding entities: lengths of introgressed sequences and their variance within genomes, as well as genome-wide introgression proportions and related measures. The first 2 statistics could confidently be used to infer interlineage hybridization history, peaking at the beginning and shortly after an admixture pulse. Temporal variation in introgression proportions and related statistics provided more limited insights, particularly when considering their application to ancient genomes still scant in number. Lastly, we computed these statistics on Homo sapiens paleogenomes and successfully inferred the hybridization pulse from Neanderthal that occurred approximately 40 to 60 kya. The scarce number of genomes dating from this period prevented more precise inferences, but the accumulation of paleogenomic data opens promising perspectives as our approach only requires a limited number of ancient genomes.}, }
@article {pmid37989099, year = {2023}, author = {Ragsdale, AP}, title = {Human evolution: Neanderthal footprints in African genomes.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {33}, number = {22}, pages = {R1197-R1200}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.005}, pmid = {37989099}, issn = {1879-0445}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Alleles ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Flow ; *Genome, Human ; Genomics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; African People ; }, abstract = {Human and Neanderthal populations met and mixed on multiple occasions over evolutionary time, resulting in the exchange of genetic material. New genomic analyses of diverse African populations reveal a history of bidirectional gene flow and selection acting on introgressed alleles.}, }
@article {pmid37977419, year = {2023}, author = {Urnikyte, A and Masiulyte, A and Pranckeniene, L and Kučinskas, V}, title = {Disentangling archaic introgression and genomic signatures of selection at human immunity genes.}, journal = {Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases}, volume = {116}, number = {}, pages = {105528}, doi = {10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105528}, pmid = {37977419}, issn = {1567-7257}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Genomics ; Genome, Human ; *Communicable Diseases/genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Pathogens and infectious diseases have imposed exceptionally strong selective pressure on ancient and modern human genomes and contributed to the current variation in many genes. There is evidence that modern humans acquired immune variants through interbreeding with ancient hominins, but the impact of such variants on human traits is not fully understood. The main objectives of this research were to infer the genetic signatures of positive selection that may be involved in adaptation to infectious diseases and to investigate the function of Neanderthal alleles identified within a set of 50 Lithuanian genomes. Introgressed regions were identified using the machine learning tool ArchIE. Recent positive selection signatures were analysed using iHS. We detected high-scoring signals of positive selection at innate immunity genes (EMB, PARP8, HLAC, and CDSN) and evaluated their interactions with the structural proteins of pathogens. Interactions with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) 1 and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were identified. Overall, genomic regions introgressed from Neanderthals were shown to be enriched in genes related to immunity, keratinocyte differentiation, and sensory perception.}, }
@article {pmid37925533, year = {2023}, author = {Raja, A and Kuiper, JJW}, title = {Evolutionary immuno-genetics of endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase II (ERAP2).}, journal = {Genes and immunity}, volume = {24}, number = {6}, pages = {295-302}, pmid = {37925533}, issn = {1476-5470}, support = {954992//EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 Marie Sk&#x142;odowska-Curie Actions (H2020 Excellent Science - Marie Sk&#x142;odowska-Curie Actions)/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; *Aminopeptidases/genetics/immunology ; Autoimmune Diseases/genetics/immunology ; *Endoplasmic Reticulum/enzymology ; Haplotypes ; Minor Histocompatibility Antigens/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Adaptive Immunity/genetics ; }, abstract = {Endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 2 (ERAP2) is a proteolytic enzyme involved in adaptive immunity. The ERAP2 gene is highly polymorphic and encodes haplotypes that confer resistance against lethal infectious diseases, but also increase the risk for autoimmune disorders. Identifying how ERAP2 influences susceptibility to these traits requires an understanding of the selective pressures that shaped and maintained allelic variation throughout human evolution. Our review discusses the genetic regulation of haplotypes and diversity in naturally occurring ERAP2 allotypes in the global population. We outline how these ERAP2 haplotypes evolved during human history and highlight the presence of Neanderthal DNA sequences in ERAP2 of modern humans. Recent evidence suggests that human adaptation during the last ~10,000 years and historic pandemics left a significant mark on the ERAP2 gene that determines susceptibility to infectious and inflammatory diseases today.}, }
@article {pmid37851812, year = {2023}, author = {Quilodrán, CS and Rio, J and Tsoupas, A and Currat, M}, title = {Past human expansions shaped the spatial pattern of Neanderthal ancestry.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {9}, number = {42}, pages = {eadg9817}, pmid = {37851812}, issn = {2375-2548}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Africa ; Asian People ; Hominidae/genetics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Phylogeography ; European People/genetics ; *Genetic Introgression/genetics ; }, abstract = {The worldwide expansion of modern humans (Homo sapiens) started before the extinction of Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis). Both species coexisted and interbred, leading to slightly higher introgression in East Asians than in Europeans. This distinct ancestry level has been argued to result from selection, but range expansions of modern humans could provide an alternative explanation. This hypothesis would lead to spatial introgression gradients, increasing with distance from the expansion source. We investigate the presence of Neanderthal introgression gradients after past human expansions by analyzing Eurasian paleogenomes. We show that the out-of-Africa expansion resulted in spatial gradients of Neanderthal ancestry that persisted through time. While keeping the same gradient orientation, the expansion of early Neolithic farmers contributed decisively to reducing the Neanderthal introgression in European populations compared to Asian populations. This is because Neolithic farmers carried less Neanderthal DNA than preceding Paleolithic hunter-gatherers. This study shows that inferences about past human population dynamics can be made from the spatiotemporal variation in archaic introgression.}, }
@article {pmid37846608, year = {2024}, author = {Chen, Y and Yu, XY and Xu, SJ and Shi, XQ and Zhang, XX and Sun, C}, title = {An indel introduced by Neanderthal introgression, rs3835124:ATTTATT &gt; ATT, might contribute to prostate cancer risk by regulating PDK1 expression.}, journal = {Annals of human genetics}, volume = {88}, number = {2}, pages = {126-137}, doi = {10.1111/ahg.12533}, pmid = {37846608}, issn = {1469-1809}, support = {//National Natural Science Foundation&#xa0;of China/ ; //Fundamental Research&#xa0;Funds for the Central Universities/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genetics, Population ; Phylogeny ; Haplotypes ; Genome, Human ; *Neoplasms/genetics ; }, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancer types in males and rs12621278:A > G has been suggested to be associated with this disease by previous genome-wide association studies. One thousand genomes project data analysis indicated that rs12621278:A > G is within two long-core haplotypes. However, the origin, causal variant(s), and molecular function of these haplotypes were remaining unclear.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: Population genetics analysis and functional genomics work was performed for this locus.<br><br>RESULTS: Phylogeny analysis verified that the rare haplotype is derived from Neanderthal introgression. Genome annotation suggested that three genetic variants in the core haplotypes, rs116108611:G&#xa0;>&#xa0;A, rs139972066:AAAAAAAA&#xa0;>&#xa0;AAAAAAAAA, and rs3835124:ATTTATT&#xa0;>&#xa0;ATT, are located in functional regions. Luciferase assay indicated that rs139972066:AAAAAAAA&#xa0;>&#xa0;AAAAAAAAA and rs116108611:G&#xa0;>&#xa0;A are not able to alter ITGA6 (integrin alpha 6) and ITGA6 antisense RNA 1 expression, respectively. In contrast, rs3835124:ATTTATT&#xa0;>&#xa0;ATT can significantly influence PDK1 (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1) expression, which was verified by expression quantitative trait locus analysis. This genetic variant can alter transcription factor cut like homeobox 1 interaction efficiency. The introgressed haplotype was observed to be subject to positive selection in East Asian populations. The molecular function of the haplotype suggested that Neanderthal should be with lower PDK1 expression and further different energy homeostasis from modern human.<br><br>CONCLUSION: This study provided new insight into the contribution of Neanderthal introgression to human phenotypes.}, }
@article {pmid37837965, year = {2023}, author = {Harris, DN and Platt, A and Hansen, MEB and Fan, S and McQuillan, MA and Nyambo, T and Mpoloka, SW and Mokone, GG and Belay, G and Fokunang, C and Njamnshi, AK and Tishkoff, SA}, title = {Diverse African genomes reveal selection on ancient modern human introgressions in Neanderthals.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {33}, number = {22}, pages = {4905-4916.e5}, pmid = {37837965}, issn = {1879-0445}, support = {R01 AR076241/AR/NIAMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM134957/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 DK007314/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Genome, Human ; Gene Flow ; Genomics ; Africa South of the Sahara ; }, abstract = {Comparisons of Neanderthal genomes to anatomically modern human (AMH) genomes show a history of Neanderthal-to-AMH introgression stemming from interbreeding after the migration of AMHs from Africa to Eurasia. All non-sub-Saharan African AMHs have genomic regions genetically similar to Neanderthals that descend from this introgression. Regions of the genome with Neanderthal similarities have also been identified in sub-Saharan African populations, but their origins have been unclear. To better understand how these regions are distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, the source of their origin, and what their distribution within the genome tells us about early AMH and Neanderthal evolution, we analyzed a dataset of high-coverage, whole-genome sequences from 180 individuals from 12 diverse sub-Saharan African populations. In sub-Saharan African populations with non-sub-Saharan African ancestry, as much as 1% of their genomes can be attributed to Neanderthal sequence introduced by recent migration, and subsequent admixture, of AMH populations originating from the Levant and North Africa. However, most Neanderthal homologous regions in sub-Saharan African populations originate from migration of AMH populations from Africa to Eurasia ∼250 kya, and subsequent admixture with Neanderthals, resulting in ∼6% AMH ancestry in Neanderthals. These results indicate that there have been multiple migration events of AMHs out of Africa and that Neanderthal and AMH gene flow has been bi-directional. Observing that genomic regions where AMHs show a depletion of Neanderthal introgression are also regions where Neanderthal genomes show a depletion of AMH introgression points to deleterious interactions between introgressed variants and background genomes in both groups-a hallmark of incipient speciation.}, }
@article {pmid37828055, year = {2023}, author = {Russo, G and Milks, A and Leder, D and Koddenberg, T and Starkovich, BM and Duval, M and Zhao, JX and Darga, R and Rosendahl, W and Terberger, T}, title = {First direct evidence of lion hunting and the early use of a lion pelt by Neanderthals.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {16405}, pmid = {37828055}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Lions ; Hunting ; Archaeology ; *Hominidae ; *Panthera ; Fossils ; }, abstract = {During the Upper Paleolithic, lions become an important theme in Paleolithic art and are more frequent in anthropogenic faunal assemblages. However, the relationship between hominins and lions in earlier periods is poorly known and primarily interpreted as interspecies competition. Here we present new evidence for Neanderthal-cave lion interactions during the Middle Paleolithic. We report new evidence of hunting lesions on the 48,000 old cave lion skeleton found at Siegsdorf (Germany) that attest to the earliest direct instance of a large predator kill in human history. A comparative analysis of a partial puncture to a rib suggests that the fatal stab was delivered with a wooden thrusting spear. We also present the discovery of distal lion phalanges at least 190,000 old from Einhornhöhle (Germany), representing the earliest example of the use of cave lion skin by Neanderthals in Central Europe. Our study provides novel evidence on a new dimension of Neanderthal behavioral complexity.}, }
@article {pmid37816865, year = {2023}, author = {Faux, P and Ding, L and Ramirez-Aristeguieta, LM and Chacón-Duque, JC and Comini, M and Mendoza-Revilla, J and Fuentes-Guajardo, M and Jaramillo, C and Arias, W and Hurtado, M and Villegas, V and Granja, V and Barquera, R and Everardo-Martínez, P and Quinto-Sánchez, M and Gómez-Valdés, J and Villamil-Ramírez, H and Silva de Cerqueira, CC and Hünemeier, T and Ramallo, V and Gonzalez-José, R and Schüler-Faccini, L and Bortolini, MC and Acuña-Alonzo, V and Canizales-Quinteros, S and Poletti, G and Gallo, C and Rothhammer, F and Rojas, W and Schmid, AB and Adhikari, K and Bennett, DL and Ruiz-Linares, A}, title = {Neanderthal introgression in SCN9A impacts mechanical pain sensitivity.}, journal = {Communications biology}, volume = {6}, number = {1}, pages = {958}, pmid = {37816865}, issn = {2399-3642}, support = {MR/W002388/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; /DH_/Department of Health/United Kingdom ; 223149/Z/21/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 222101/Z/20/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; MR/T020113/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; /WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; /VAC_/Versus Arthritis/United Kingdom ; BB/I021213/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Pain Threshold ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Pain/genetics ; NAV1.7 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel/genetics ; Nociception ; }, abstract = {The Nav1.7 voltage-gated sodium channel plays a key role in nociception. Three functional variants in the SCN9A gene (encoding M932L, V991L, and D1908G in Nav1.7), have recently been identified as stemming from Neanderthal introgression and to associate with pain symptomatology in UK BioBank data. In 1000 genomes data, these variants are absent in Europeans but common in Latin Americans. Analysing high-density genotype data from 7594 Latin Americans, we characterized Neanderthal introgression in SCN9A. We find that tracts of introgression occur on a Native American genomic background, have an average length of ~123 kb and overlap the M932L, V991L, and D1908G coding positions. Furthermore, we measured experimentally six pain thresholds in 1623 healthy Colombians. We found that Neanderthal ancestry in SCN9A is significantly associated with a lower mechanical pain threshold after sensitization with mustard oil and evidence of additivity of effects across Nav1.7 variants. Our findings support the reported association of Neanderthal Nav1.7 variants with clinical pain, define a specific sensory modality affected by archaic introgression in SCN9A and are consistent with independent effects of the Neanderthal variants on Nav1.7 function.}, }
@article {pmid37808839, year = {2024}, author = {Villanea, FA and Peede, D and Kaufman, EJ and Añorve-Garibay, V and Chevy, ET and Villa-Islas, V and Witt, KE and Zeloni, R and Marnetto, D and Moorjani, P and Jay, F and Valdmanis, PN and Ávila-Arcos, MC and Huerta-Sánchez, E}, title = {The MUC19 gene in Denisovans, Neanderthals, and Modern Humans: An Evolutionary History of Recurrent Introgression and Natural Selection.}, journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1101/2023.09.25.559202}, pmid = {37808839}, issn = {2692-8205}, support = {R35 GM142978/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {UNLABELLED: We study the gene MUC19, for which modern humans carry a Denisovan-like haplotype. MUC19 is a mucin, a glycoprotein that forms gels with various biological functions. We find the diagnostic variants for the Denisovan-like MUC19 haplotype at high frequencies in admixed Latin American individuals among global populations, and at highest frequency in 23 ancient Indigenous American individuals, all predating population admixture with Europeans and Africans. We find that the Denisovan-like MUC19 haplotype carries a higher copy number of a 30 base-pair variable number tandem repeat, and that copy numbers of this repeat are exceedingly high in American populations and are under positive selection. This study provides the first example of positive selection acting on archaic alleles at coding sites and VNTRs. Finally, we find that some Neanderthals carry the Denisovan-like MUC19 haplotype, and that it was likely introgressed into human populations through Neanderthal introgression rather than Denisovan introgression.<br><br>ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY: Modern humans and Neanderthals carry a Denisovan variant of the MUC19 gene, which is under positive selection in populations of Indigenous American ancestry.}, }
@article {pmid37794824, year = {2024}, author = {Carretero, JM and Rodríguez, L and García-González, R and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Main morphological characteristics and sexual dimorphism of hominin adult femora from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {307}, number = {7}, pages = {2575-2605}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25331}, pmid = {37794824}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {PID2021-122355NB-C31//Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovaci&#xf3;n y Universidades/ ; //MCIN/AEI// ; //Junta de Castilla y Le&#xf3;n/ ; //Fundaci&#xf3;n Atapuerca/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Femur/anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; *Sex Characteristics ; Male ; *Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Biological Evolution ; Humans ; }, abstract = {The excellent fossil record from Sima de los Huesos (SH) includes three well-known complete adult femora and several partial specimens that have not yet been published in detail. This fossil record provides an opportunity to analyze the morphology of European pre-Neandertal adult femur and its variation with different evolution patterns. Currently, there are a minimum of five adult individuals (males or females). In this study, we compiled previously published basic anatomical and biometric characteristics of SH adult femora, emphasizing the most relevant features compared to other recent and fossil hominins. The SH femora exhibited a primitive morphological pattern common to all non-Homo sapiens femora, as well as most of the Neandertal traits. Therefore, the complete Upper Pleistocene Neandertal pattern was well-established in Middle Pleistocene ancestors long before the proper Neandertals appeared. Additionally, we highlight that the SH and Neandertal femora share some morphological traits and proportions with modern humans that hold sexual significance in our species, regardless of size. Keeping this in mind, we discussed the sex determination of the complete SH specimens and re-evaluated sex allocation in two of them.}, }
@article {pmid37790518, year = {2023}, author = {Yee, SW and Ferrández-Peral, L and Alentorn, P and Fontsere, C and Ceylan, M and Koleske, ML and Handin, N and Artegoitia, VM and Lara, G and Chien, HC and Zhou, X and Dainat, J and Zalevsky, A and Sali, A and Brand, CM and Capra, JA and Artursson, P and Newman, JW and Marques-Bonet, T and Giacomini, KM}, title = {Illuminating the Function of the Orphan Transporter, SLC22A10 in Humans and Other Primates.}, journal = {Research square}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {37790518}, issn = {2693-5015}, support = {R01 GM117163/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM139875/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {SLC22A10 is classified as an orphan transporter with unknown substrates and function. Here we describe the discovery of the substrate specificity and functional characteristics of SLC22A10. The human SLC22A10 tagged with green fluorescent protein was found to be absent from the plasma membrane, in contrast to the SLC22A10 orthologs found in great apes. Estradiol-17β-glucuronide accumulated in cells expressing great ape SLC22A10 orthologs (over 4-fold, p<0.001). In contrast, human SLC22A10 displayed no uptake function. Sequence alignments revealed two amino acid differences including a proline at position 220 of the human SLC22A10 and a leucine at the same position of great ape orthologs. Site-directed mutagenesis yielding the human SLC22A10-P220L produced a protein with excellent plasma membrane localization and associated uptake function. Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes show human-like sequences at proline 220 position, corroborating that SLC22A10 were rendered nonfunctional during hominin evolution after the divergence from the pan lineage (chimpanzees and bonobos). These findings demonstrate that human SLC22A10 is a unitary pseudogene and was inactivated by a missense mutation that is fixed in humans, whereas orthologs in great apes transport sex steroid conjugates.}, }
@article {pmid37747127, year = {2023}, author = {Hui, J and Balzeau, A}, title = {The diploic venous system in Homo neanderthalensis and fossil Homo sapiens: A study using high-resolution computed tomography.}, journal = {American journal of biological anthropology}, volume = {182}, number = {3}, pages = {412-427}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.24843}, pmid = {37747127}, issn = {2692-7691}, support = {ANR-20-CE27-0009//Agence Nationale de la Recherche/ ; //China Scholarship Council/ ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The diploic venous system has been hypothesized to be related to human brain evolution, though its evolutionary trajectory and physiological functions remain largely unclear. This study examines the characteristics of the diploic venous channels (DCs) in a selection of well-preserved Homo neanderthalensis and Upper Paleolithic Homo sapiens crania, searching for the differences between the two taxa and exploring the associations between brain anatomy and DCs.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five H. neanderthalensis and four H. sapiens fossil specimens from Western Europe were analyzed. Based on Micro-CT scanning and 3D reconstruction, the distribution pattern and draining orifices of the DCs were inspected qualitatively. The size of the DCs was quantified by volume calculation, and the degree of complexity was quantified by fractal analyses.<br><br>RESULTS: High-resolution data show the details of the DC structures not documented in previous studies. H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens specimens share substantial similarities in the DCs. The noticeable differences between the two samples manifest in the connecting points surrounding the frontal sinuses, parietal foramina, and asterional area.<br><br>DISCUSSION: This study provides a better understanding of the anatomy of the DCs in H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens. The connection patterns of the DCs have potential utility in distinguishing between the two taxa and in the phylogenetic and taxonomic discussion of the Neandertal-like specimens with controversial taxonomic status.}, }
@article {pmid37738342, year = {2023}, author = {Vidal-Cordasco, M and Terlato, G and Ocio, D and Marín-Arroyo, AB}, title = {Neanderthal coexistence with Homo sapiens in Europe was affected by herbivore carrying capacity.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {9}, number = {38}, pages = {eadi4099}, pmid = {37738342}, issn = {2375-2548}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Herbivory ; Bayes Theorem ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Ecosystem ; Europe ; }, abstract = {It has been proposed that climate change and the arrival of modern humans in Europe affected the disappearance of Neanderthals due to their impact on trophic resources; however, it has remained challenging to quantify the effect of these factors. By using Bayesian age models to derive the chronology of the European Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition, followed by a dynamic vegetation model that provides the Net Primary Productivity, and a macroecological model to compute herbivore abundance, we show that in continental regions where the ecosystem productivity was low or unstable, Neanderthals disappeared before or just after the arrival of Homo sapiens. In contrast, regions with high and stable productivity witnessed a prolonged coexistence between both species. The temporal overlap between Neanderthals and H. sapiens is significantly correlated with the carrying capacity of small- and medium-sized herbivores. These results suggest that herbivore abundance released the trophic pressure of the secondary consumers guild, which affected the coexistence likelihood between both human species.}, }
@article {pmid37737280, year = {2023}, author = {Fajardo, S and Kozowyk, PRB and Langejans, GHJ}, title = {Measuring ancient technological complexity and its cognitive implications using Petri nets.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {14961}, pmid = {37737280}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Archaeology ; Benchmarking ; Cognition ; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Technology ; }, abstract = {We implement a method from computer sciences to address a challenge in Paleolithic archaeology: how to infer cognition differences from material culture. Archaeological material culture is linked to cognition, and more complex ancient technologies are assumed to have required complex cognition. We present an application of Petri net analysis to compare Neanderthal tar production technologies and tie the results to cognitive requirements. We applied three complexity metrics, each relying on their own unique definitions of complexity, to the modeled production processes. Based on the results, we propose that Neanderthal technical cognition may have been analogous to that of contemporary modern humans. This method also enables us to distinguish the high-order cognitive functions combining traits like planning, inhibitory control, and learning that were likely required by different ancient technological processes. The Petri net approach can contribute to our understanding of technology and cognitive evolution as it can be used on different materials and technologies, across time and species.}, }
@article {pmid37713634, year = {2023}, author = {Ge, X and Lu, Y and Chen, S and Gao, Y and Ma, L and Liu, L and Liu, J and Ma, X and Kang, L and Xu, S}, title = {Genetic Origins and Adaptive Evolution of the Deng People on the Tibetan Plateau.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {40}, number = {10}, pages = {}, pmid = {37713634}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; Tibet ; East Asian People ; *Asian People/genetics ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Altitude ; }, abstract = {The Tibetan Plateau is populated by diverse ethnic groups, but most of them are underrepresented in genomics studies compared with the Tibetans (TIB). Here, to gain further insight into the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of the people living in the Tibetan Plateau, we sequenced 54 whole genomes of the Deng people with high coverage (30-60×) and analyzed the data together with that of TIB and Sherpas, as well as 968 ancient Asian genomes and available archaic and modern human data. We identified 17.74 million novel single-nucleotide variants from the newly sequenced genomes, although the Deng people showed reduced genomic diversity and a relatively small effective population size. Compared with the other Tibetan highlander groups which are highly admixed, the Deng people are dominated by a sole ancestry that could be traced to some ancient northern East Asian populations. The divergence between Deng and Tibetan people (∼4,700-7,200 years) was more recent than that between highlanders and the Han Chinese (Deng-HAN, ∼9,000-14,000 years; TIB-HAN, 7,200-10,000 years). Adaptive genetic variants (AGVs) identified in the Deng are only partially shared with those previously reported in the TIB like HLA-DQB1, whereas others like KLHL12 were not reported in TIB. In contrast, the top candidate genes harboring AGVs as previously identified in TIB, like EPAS1 and EGLN1, do not show strong positive selection signals in Deng. Interestingly, Deng also showed a different archaic introgression scenario from that observed in the TIB. Our results suggest that convergent adaptation might be prevalent on the Tibetan Plateau.}, }
@article {pmid37679497, year = {2023}, author = {Kozowyk, PRB and Fajardo, S and Langejans, GHJ}, title = {Scaling Palaeolithic tar production processes exponentially increases behavioural complexity.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {14709}, pmid = {37679497}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Cognition ; Archaeology ; Commerce ; Food Handling ; Tars ; }, abstract = {Technological processes, reconstructed from the archaeological record, are used to study the evolution of behaviour and cognition of Neanderthals and early modern humans. In comparisons, technologies that are more complex infer more complex behaviour and cognition. The manufacture of birch bark tar adhesives is regarded as particularly telling and often features in debates about Neanderthal cognition. One method of tar production, the 'condensation technique', demonstrates a pathway for Neanderthals to have discovered birch bark tar. However, to improve on the relatively low yield, and to turn tar into a perennial innovation, this method likely needed to be scaled up. Yet, it is currently unknown how scaling Palaeolithic technological processes influences their complexity. We used Petri net models and the Extended Cyclomatic Metric to measure system complexity of birch tar production with a single and three concurrent condensation assemblies. Our results show that changing the number of concurrent tar production assemblies substantially increases the measured complexity. This has potential implications on the behavioural and cognitive capacities required by Neanderthals, such as an increase in cooperation or inhibition control.}, }
@article {pmid37675658, year = {2024}, author = {Mester, Z and Coqueugniot, H and Tillier, AM and Rosendahl, W and Friedrich, R and Zink, A and Maixner, F and Dutour, O and Bereczki, Z and Gasparik, M and Pap, I and Pálfi, G}, title = {First direct dating of the Late Neanderthal remains from Subalyuk Cave in Northern Hungary.}, journal = {Anthropologischer Anzeiger; Bericht uber die biologisch-anthropologische Literatur}, volume = {81}, number = {2}, pages = {169-181}, doi = {10.1127/anthranz/2023/1716}, pmid = {37675658}, issn = {0003-5548}, mesh = {Animals ; Child ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Hungary ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Europe ; Archaeology ; Radiometric Dating ; }, abstract = {The Subalyuk hominin remains were uncovered in 1932 in a cave of the same name in the Bükk Mountains, near the village of Cserépfalu in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, Northern Hungary. The remains represent two individuals, an adult and a young child who have been described in a few publications since their discovery, providing substantial anthropological data and general assessments of their Neanderthal affiliation. They were associated with Late Mousterian industry. Thus, the Bükk Mountains gain importance in the discussion concerning the contribution of East Central European sites to the debate on the peopling history of Europe during the Late Middle to Early Upper Palaeolithic transition. In this paper, we summarize the archaeological and chronological context of the two individuals, and publish the first direct dating results that place them among the Last Neanderthals of Central Europe.}, }
@article {pmid37660151, year = {2023}, author = {Glunčić, M and Vlahović, I and Rosandić, M and Paar, V}, title = {Tandem NBPF 3mer HORs (Olduvai triplets) in Neanderthal and two novel HOR tandem arrays in human chromosome 1 T2T-CHM13 assembly.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {14420}, pmid = {37660151}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Chromosomes, Human ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1 ; *Neuroblastoma ; Family ; Pan troglodytes ; }, abstract = {It is known that the ~ 1.6 kb Neuroblastoma BreakPoint Family (NBPF) repeats are human specific and contributing to cognitive capabilities, with increasing frequency in higher order repeat 3mer HORs (Olduvai triplets). From chimpanzee to modern human there is a discontinuous jump from 0 to ~ 50 tandemly organized 3mer HORs. Here we investigate the structure of NBPF 3mer HORs in the Neanderthal genome assembly of Pääbo et al., comparing it to the results obtained for human hg38.p14 chromosome 1. Our findings reveal corresponding NBPF 3mer HOR arrays in Neanderthals with slightly different monomer structures and numbers of HOR copies compared to humans. Additionally, we compute the NBPF 3mer HOR pattern for the complete telomere-to-telomere human genome assembly (T2T-CHM13) by Miga et al., identifying two novel tandem arrays of NBPF 3mer HOR repeats with 5 and 9 NBPF 3mer HOR copies. We hypothesize that these arrays correspond to novel NBPF genes (here referred to as NBPFA1 and NBPFA2). Further improving the quality of the Neanderthal genome using T2T-CHM13 as a reference would be of great interest in determining the presence of such distant novel NBPF genes in the Neanderthal genome and enhancing our understanding of human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid37659139, year = {2023}, author = {Fiorenza, L and Habashi, W and Moggi-Cecchi, J and Benazzi, S and Sarig, R}, title = {Relationship between interproximal and occlusal wear in Australopithecus africanus and Neanderthal molars.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {183}, number = {}, pages = {103423}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103423}, pmid = {37659139}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Tooth Attrition ; *Neanderthals ; Molar ; *Tooth ; *Hominidae ; Fossils ; *Tooth Wear ; }, }
@article {pmid37609337, year = {2023}, author = {Yee, SW and Ferrández-Peral, L and Alentorn, P and Fontsere, C and Ceylan, M and Koleske, ML and Handin, N and Artegoitia, VM and Lara, G and Chien, HC and Zhou, X and Dainat, J and Zalevsky, A and Sali, A and Brand, CM and Capra, JA and Artursson, P and Newman, JW and Marques-Bonet, T and Giacomini, KM}, title = {Illuminating the Function of the Orphan Transporter, SLC22A10 in Humans and Other Primates.}, journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {37609337}, issn = {2692-8205}, support = {R01 GM117163/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM139875/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {SLC22A10 is classified as an orphan transporter with unknown substrates and function. Here we describe the discovery of the substrate specificity and functional characteristics of SLC22A10. The human SLC22A10 tagged with green fluorescent protein was found to be absent from the plasma membrane, in contrast to the SLC22A10 orthologs found in great apes. Estradiol-17β-glucuronide accumulated in cells expressing great ape SLC22A10 orthologs (over 4-fold, p<0.001). In contrast, human SLC22A10 displayed no uptake function. Sequence alignments revealed two amino acid differences including a proline at position 220 of the human SLC22A10 and a leucine at the same position of great ape orthologs. Site-directed mutagenesis yielding the human SLC22A10-P220L produced a protein with excellent plasma membrane localization and associated uptake function. Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes show human-like sequences at proline 220 position, corroborating that SLC22A10 were rendered nonfunctional during hominin evolution after the divergence from the pan lineage (chimpanzees and bonobos). These findings demonstrate that human SLC22A10 is a unitary pseudogene and was inactivated by a missense mutation that is fixed in humans, whereas orthologs in great apes transport sex steroid conjugates.}, }
@article {pmid37574541, year = {2023}, author = {Piccardi, M and Gentiluomo, M and Bertoncini, S and Pezzilli, R and Erőss, B and Bunduc, S and Uzunoglu, FG and Talar-Wojnarowska, R and Vanagas, T and Sperti, C and Oliverius, M and Aoki, MN and Ermini, S and Hussein, T and Boggi, U and Jamroziak, K and Maiello, E and Morelli, L and Vodickova, L and Di Franco, G and Landi, S and Szentesi, A and Lovecek, M and Puzzono, M and Tavano, F and van Laarhoven, HWM and Zerbi, A and Mohelnikova-Duchonova, B and Stocker, H and Costello, E and Capurso, G and Ginocchi, L and Lawlor, RT and Vanella, G and Bazzocchi, F and Izbicki, JR and Latiano, A and Bueno-de-Mesquita, B and Ponz de Leon Pisani, R and Schöttker, B and Soucek, P and Hegyi, P and Gazouli, M and Hackert, T and Kupcinskas, J and Poskiene, L and Tacelli, M and Roth, S and Carrara, S and Perri, F and Hlavac, V and Theodoropoulos, GE and Busch, OR and Mambrini, A and van Eijck, CHJ and Arcidiacono, P and Scarpa, A and Pasquali, C and Basso, D and Lucchesi, M and Milanetto, AC and Neoptolemos, JP and Cavestro, GM and Janciauskas, D and Chen, X and Chammas, R and Goetz, M and Brenner, H and Archibugi, L and Dannemann, M and Canzian, F and Tofanelli, S and Campa, D}, title = {Exploring the Neandertal legacy of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma risk in Eurasians.}, journal = {Biological research}, volume = {56}, number = {1}, pages = {46}, pmid = {37574541}, issn = {0717-6287}, support = {26881/CRUK_/Cancer Research UK/United Kingdom ; C7690/A26881/CRUK_/Cancer Research UK/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; *Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics ; *Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The genomes of present-day non-Africans are composed of 1-3% of Neandertal-derived DNA as a consequence of admixture events between Neandertals and anatomically modern humans about 50-60 thousand years ago. Neandertal-introgressed single nucleotide polymorphisms (aSNPs) have been associated with modern human disease-related traits, which are risk factors for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and inflammation. In this study, we aimed at investigating the role of aSNPs in PDAC in three Eurasian populations.<br><br>RESULTS: The high-coverage Vindija Neandertal genome was used to select aSNPs in non-African populations from 1000 Genomes project phase 3 data. Then, the association between aSNPs and PDAC risk was tested independently in Europeans and East Asians, using existing GWAS data on more than 200 000 individuals. We did not find any significant associations between aSNPs and PDAC in samples of European descent, whereas, in East Asians, we observed that the Chr10p12.1-rs117585753-T allele (MAF&#x2009;=&#x2009;10%) increased the risk to develop PDAC (OR&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.35, 95%CI 1.19-1.54, P&#x2009;=&#x2009;3.59&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;10[-6]), with a P-value close to a threshold that takes into account multiple testing.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results show only a minimal contribution of Neandertal SNPs to PDAC risk.}, }
@article {pmid37561879, year = {2023}, author = {Ruan, J and Timmermann, A and Raia, P and Yun, KS and Zeller, E and Mondanaro, A and Di Febbraro, M and Lemmon, D and Castiglione, S and Melchionna, M}, title = {Climate shifts orchestrated hominin interbreeding events across Eurasia.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {381}, number = {6658}, pages = {699-704}, doi = {10.1126/science.add4459}, pmid = {37561879}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Fossils ; Gene Flow ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Climate Change ; }, abstract = {When, where, and how often hominin interbreeding happened is largely unknown. We study the potential for Neanderthal-Denisovan admixture using species distribution models that integrate extensive fossil, archaeological, and genetic data with transient coupled general circulation model simulations of global climate and biomes. Our Pleistocene hindcast of past hominins' habitat suitability reveals pronounced climate-driven zonal shifts in the main overlap region of Denisovans and Neanderthals in central Eurasia. These shifts, which influenced the timing and intensity of potential interbreeding events, can be attributed to the response of climate and vegetation to past variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide and Northern Hemisphere ice-sheet volume. Therefore, glacial-interglacial climate swings likely played an important role in favoring gene flow between archaic humans.}, }
@article {pmid37561595, year = {2023}, author = {Garralda, MD and Le Cabec, A and Maíllo Fernández, JM and Maureille, B and Gunz, P and Neira, A and Hublin, JJ and Bernaldo de Quirós, F}, title = {Mousterian human fossils from El Castillo cave (Puente Viesgo, Cantabria, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {100}, number = {}, pages = {123-142}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.10021}, pmid = {37561595}, issn = {2037-0644}, abstract = {El Castillo cave is a well-known site because of its Paleolithic archaeology and parietal rock art. This paper is focused on the human remains found by V. Cabrera in the Mousterian Unit XX assigned to MIS 4 and early MIS 3. The fossils consist of one upper left second premolar (ULP4), one incomplete proximal hand phalanx, and one partial femoral head. The tooth and the phalanx were assigned to adults, whereas the femoral head belonged to an immature individual due to the absence of fusion traces to the metaphyseal surface. The external morphology and metrical characterization of the Castillo-1466 (ULP4) tooth crown was quantified and compared to the variability of other Neanderthal dental remains and a sample of modern human populations. We also quantified its 3D enamel thickness distribution, its roots morphology, as well as the presence of chipping, and their possible relation to masticatory or paramasticatory activities. Castillo-1466 shows crown dimensions compatible with middle-sized Neanderthal teeth, but with a remarkably thicker enamel than other Neanderthal premolars, such as Marillac 13. The femoral head and the hand phalanx fragment are compared to published values for Neanderthals, although both partial fossils lack diagnostic features precluding any clear taxonomic diagnostic. Therefore, their attribution to Neanderthals is assumed based on the dating of the layers in which they were discovered. El Castillo cave Mousterian fossils represent another contribution to the knowledge of the Middle Paleolithic populations of Northern Spain, where different sites along the Cantabrian mountains yielded several human remains assigned to MIS 4 and early MIS 3.}, }
@article {pmid37558883, year = {2023}, author = {Aquino, Y and Bisiaux, A and Li, Z and O'Neill, M and Mendoza-Revilla, J and Merkling, SH and Kerner, G and Hasan, M and Libri, V and Bondet, V and Smith, N and de Cevins, C and Ménager, M and Luca, F and Pique-Regi, R and Barba-Spaeth, G and Pietropaoli, S and Schwartz, O and Leroux-Roels, G and Lee, CK and Leung, K and Wu, JT and Peiris, M and Bruzzone, R and Abel, L and Casanova, JL and Valkenburg, SA and Duffy, D and Patin, E and Rotival, M and Quintana-Murci, L}, title = {Dissecting human population variation in single-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {621}, number = {7977}, pages = {120-128}, pmid = {37558883}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Cell Differentiation ; *COVID-19/genetics/immunology/virology ; Cytomegalovirus/physiology ; East Asian People/genetics ; Genetic Introgression ; *Genetics, Population ; Influenza A virus/pathogenicity/physiology ; Interferons/immunology ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/immunology/metabolism ; Myeloid Cells/immunology ; Neanderthals/genetics/immunology ; *SARS-CoV-2/genetics/immunology/pathogenicity/physiology ; Selection, Genetic ; *Single-Cell Gene Expression Analysis ; Virus Latency ; }, abstract = {Humans display substantial interindividual clinical variability after SARS-CoV-2 infection[1-3], the genetic and immunological basis of which has begun to be deciphered[4]. However, the extent and drivers of population differences in immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 remain unclear. Here we report single-cell RNA-sequencing data for peripheral blood mononuclear cells-from 222 healthy donors of diverse ancestries-that were stimulated with SARS-CoV-2 or influenza A virus. We show that SARS-CoV-2 induces weaker, but more heterogeneous, interferon-stimulated gene activity compared with influenza A virus, and a unique pro-inflammatory signature in myeloid cells. Transcriptional responses to viruses display marked population differences, primarily driven by changes in cell abundance including increased lymphoid differentiation associated with latent cytomegalovirus infection. Expression quantitative trait loci and mediation analyses reveal a broad effect of cell composition on population disparities in immune responses, with genetic variants exerting a strong effect on specific loci. Furthermore, we show that natural selection has increased population differences in immune responses, particularly for variants associated with SARS-CoV-2 response in East Asians, and document the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which Neanderthal introgression has altered immune functions, such as the response of myeloid cells to viruses. Finally, colocalization and transcriptome-wide association analyses reveal an overlap between the genetic basis of immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 severity, providing insights into the factors contributing to current disparities in COVID-19 risk.}, }
@article {pmid37543983, year = {2023}, author = {Augoyard, M and Zanolli, C and Santos, F and Oettlé, AC and L'Abbé, EN and Le Luyer, M and Cazenave, M and Colard, T and Hoffman, J and Profico, A and Bayle, P}, title = {Evaluation of age, sex, and ancestry-related variation in cortical bone and dentine volumes in modern humans, and a preliminary assessment of cortical bone-dentine covariation in later Homo.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {100}, number = {}, pages = {143-169}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.10019}, pmid = {37543983}, issn = {2037-0644}, abstract = {Cortical bone and dentine share similarities in their embryological origin, development, and genetic background. Few analyses have combined the study of cortical bone and dentine to quantify their covariation relative to endogenous and exogenous factors. However, knowing how these tissues relate in individuals is of great importance to decipher the factors acting on their evolution, and ultimately to understand the mechanisms responsible for the different patterns of tissue proportions shown in hominins. The aims of this study are to examine age-, sex-, and ancestry-related variation in cortical bone and dentine volumes, and to preliminary assess the possible covariation between these tissues in modern humans and in five composite Neandertals. The modern analytical sample includes 12 immature individuals from France and 49 adults from France and South Africa. Three-dimensional tissue proportions were assessed from microtomographic records of radii and permanent maxillary canines. Results suggest ontogenic differences and a strong sexual dimorphism in cortical bone and dentine developments. The developmental pattern of dentine also seems to vary according to individual's ancestry. We measure a stronger covariation signal between cortical bone and dentine volumes than with any other dental tissue. A more complex covariation pattern is shown when splitting the modern sample by age, sex, and ancestry, as no signal is found in some subsamples while others show a covariation between cortical bone and either crown or radicular dentine. Finally, no difference in cortical bone volume is noticed between the modern young adults and the five young adult composite Neandertals from Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 5 and 3. Greater dentine Cortical bone and dentine (co)variation volumes are measured in the MIS 5 chimeric Neandertals whereas a strong interpopulation variation in dentine thickness is noticed in the MIS 3 chimeric Neandertals. Further research on the cortical bonedentine covariation will increase understanding of the impact of endogenous and exogenous factors on the development of the mineralized tissues.}, }
@article {pmid37542146, year = {2023}, author = {Gicqueau, A and Schuh, A and Henrion, J and Viola, B and Partiot, C and Guillon, M and Golovanova, L and Doronichev, V and Gunz, P and Hublin, JJ and Maureille, B}, title = {Anatomically modern human in the Châtelperronian hominin collection from the Grotte du Renne (Arcy-sur-Cure, Northeast France).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {12682}, pmid = {37542146}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Neanderthals ; France ; Europe ; Spain ; Fossils ; }, abstract = {Around 42,000 years ago, anatomically modern humans appeared in Western Europe to the detriment of indigenous Neanderthal groups. It is during this period that new techno-cultural complexes appear, such as the Châtelperronian that extends from northern Spain to the Paris Basin. The Grotte du Renne (Arcy-sur-Cure) is a key site for discussing the biological identity of its makers. This deposit has yielded several Neanderthal human remains in its Châtelperronian levels. However, the last inventory of the paleoanthropological collection attributed to this techno-complex allowed the identification of an ilium belonging to a neonate (AR-63) whose morphology required a thorough analysis to assess its taxonomic attribution. Using geometric morphometrics, we quantified its morphology and compared it to that of 2 Neanderthals and 32 recent individuals deceased during the perinatal period to explore their morphological variation. Our results indicate a morphological distinction between the ilia of Neanderthals and anatomically modern neonates. Although AR-63 is slightly outside recent variability, it clearly differs from the Neanderthals. We propose that this is due to its belonging to an early modern human lineage whose morphology differs slightly from present-day humans. We also explore different hypotheses about the presence of this anatomically modern neonate ilium among Neanderthal remains.}, }
@article {pmid37528143, year = {2023}, author = {Badino, F and Pini, R and Ravazzi, C and Chytrý, M and Bertuletti, P and Bortolini, E and Dudová, L and Peresani, M and Romandini, M and Benazzi, S}, title = {High-resolution ecosystem changes pacing the millennial climate variability at the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in NE-Italy.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {12478}, pmid = {37528143}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Ecosystem ; *Neanderthals ; Forests ; Trees ; Italy ; }, abstract = {Observation of high-resolution terrestrial palaeoecological series can decipher relationships between past climatic transitions, their effects on ecosystems and wildfire cyclicity. Here we present a new radiocarbon dated record from Lake Fimon (NE-Italy) covering the 60-27 ka interval. Palynological, charcoal fragments and sediment lithology analysis were carried out at centennial to sub-centennial resolutions. Identification of the best modern analogues for MIS 3 ecosystems further enabled to thoroughly reconstruct structural changes in the vegetation through time. This series also represents an "off-site" reference record for chronologically well-constrained Palaeolithic sites documenting Neanderthal and Homo sapiens occupations within the same region. Neanderthals lived in a mosaic of grasslands and woodlands, composed of a mixture of boreal and broad-leaved temperate trees analogous to those of the modern Central-Eastern Europe, the Southern Urals and central-southern Siberia. Dry and other grassland types expanded steadily from 44 to 43 ka and peaked between 42 and 39 ka, i.e., about the same time when Sapiens reached this region. This vegetation, which finds very few reliable modern analogues in the adopted Eurasian calibration set, led to the expansion of ecosystems able to sustain large herds of herbivores. During 39-27 ka, the landscape was covered by steppe, desert-steppe and open dry boreal forests similar to those of the modern Altai-Sayan region. Both Neanderthal and Sapiens lived in contexts of expanded fire-prone ecosystems modulated by the high-frequency climatic cycles of MIS 3.}, }
@article {pmid37516110, year = {2023}, author = {Maasch, JRMA and Torres, MDT and Melo, MCR and de la Fuente-Nunez, C}, title = {Molecular de-extinction of ancient antimicrobial peptides enabled by machine learning.}, journal = {Cell host &amp; microbe}, volume = {31}, number = {8}, pages = {1260-1274.e6}, pmid = {37516110}, issn = {1934-6069}, support = {R35 GM138201/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Mice ; *Antimicrobial Peptides ; *Anti-Infective Agents ; Peptides/pharmacology ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Machine Learning ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; }, abstract = {Molecular de-extinction could offer avenues for drug discovery by reintroducing bioactive molecules that are no longer encoded by extant organisms. To prospect for antimicrobial peptides encrypted within extinct and extant human proteins, we introduce the panCleave random forest model for proteome-wide cleavage site prediction. Our model outperformed multiple protease-specific cleavage site classifiers for three modern human caspases, despite its pan-protease design. Antimicrobial activity was observed in vitro for modern and archaic protein fragments identified with panCleave. Lead peptides showed resistance to proteolysis and exhibited variable membrane permeabilization. Additionally, representative modern and archaic protein fragments showed anti-infective efficacy against A. baumannii in both a skin abscess infection model and a preclinical murine thigh infection model. These results suggest that machine-learning-based encrypted peptide prospection can identify stable, nontoxic peptide antibiotics. Moreover, we establish molecular de-extinction through paleoproteome mining as a framework for antibacterial drug discovery.}, }
@article {pmid37507506, year = {2023}, author = {Sidik, S}, title = {AI search of Neanderthal proteins resurrects 'extinct' antibiotics.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {37507506}, issn = {1476-4687}, }
@article {pmid37496118, year = {2023}, author = {Muotri, AR}, title = {Brain Model Technology and Its Implications.}, journal = {Cambridge quarterly of healthcare ethics : CQ : the international journal of healthcare ethics committees}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {1-5}, doi = {10.1017/S096318012300018X}, pmid = {37496118}, issn = {1469-2147}, abstract = {The complexity of the human brain creates a spectrum of sophisticated behavioral repertoires, such as language, tool use, self-awareness, symbolic thought, cultural learning, and consciousness. Understanding how the human brain achieves that has been a longstanding challenge for neuroscientists and may bring insights into the evolution of human cognition and disease states. Human pluripotent stem cells could differentiate into specialized cell types and tissues in vitro. From this pluripotent state, it is possible to generate models of the human brain, such as brain organoids. The recent observation that brain organoids can spontaneously develop complex neural network activity in a dish can help one understand how neural network oscillations evolve and vary between normal and disease states. Moreover, this finding can be leveraged to other applications outside medicine, including engineering and artificial intelligence. However, as the brain model technology becomes more complex, it raises a series of ethical and moral dilemmas. This article discusses the status of this technology, some of its current limitations, and a vision of the future.}, }
@article {pmid37452091, year = {2023}, author = {Yang, C and Zhou, Y and Song, Y and Wu, D and Zeng, Y and Nie, L and Liu, P and Zhang, S and Chen, G and Xu, J and Zhou, H and Zhou, L and Qian, X and Liu, C and Tan, S and Zhou, C and Dai, W and Xu, M and Qi, Y and Wang, X and Guo, L and Fan, G and Wang, A and Deng, Y and Zhang, Y and Jin, J and He, Y and Guo, C and Guo, G and Zhou, Q and Xu, X and Yang, H and Wang, J and Xu, S and Mao, Y and Jin, X and Ruan, J and Zhang, G}, title = {The complete and fully-phased diploid genome of a male Han Chinese.}, journal = {Cell research}, volume = {33}, number = {10}, pages = {745-761}, pmid = {37452091}, issn = {1748-7838}, mesh = {Humans ; Male ; Asian People/genetics ; *Diploidy ; *East Asian People/ethnology/genetics ; *Genome, Human/genetics ; Genomics ; *Telomere/genetics ; }, abstract = {Since the release of the complete human genome, the priority of human genomic study has now been shifting towards closing gaps in ethnic diversity. Here, we present a fully phased and well-annotated diploid human genome from a Han Chinese male individual (CN1), in which the assemblies of both haploids achieve the telomere-to-telomere (T2T) level. Comparison of this diploid genome with the CHM13 haploid T2T genome revealed significant variations in the centromere. Outside the centromere, we discovered 11,413 structural variations, including numerous novel ones. We also detected thousands of CN1 alleles that have accumulated high substitution rates and a few that have been under positive selection in the East Asian population. Further, we found that CN1 outperforms CHM13 as a reference genome in mapping and variant calling for the East Asian population owing to the distinct structural variants of the two references. Comparison of SNP calling for a large cohort of 8869 Chinese genomes using CN1 and CHM13 as reference respectively showed that the reference bias profoundly impacts rare SNP calling, with nearly 2 million rare SNPs miss-called with different reference genomes. Finally, applying the CN1 as a reference, we discovered 5.80 Mb and 4.21 Mb putative introgression sequences from Neanderthal and Denisovan, respectively, including many East Asian specific ones undetected using CHM13 as the reference. Our analyses reveal the advances of using CN1 as a reference for population genomic studies and paleo-genomic studies. This complete genome will serve as an alternative reference for future genomic studies on the East Asian population.}, }
@article {pmid37406034, year = {2023}, author = {Smith, TM and Arora, M and Bharatiya, M and Dirks, W and Austin, C}, title = {Brief Communication: Elemental Models of Primate Nursing and Weaning Revisited.}, journal = {American journal of biological anthropology}, volume = {180}, number = {1}, pages = {216-223}, pmid = {37406034}, issn = {2692-7691}, support = {R00 HD087523/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Weaning ; Barium/analysis ; *Tooth/chemistry ; Strontium/analysis ; Papio ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Intra-tooth patterns of trace elements barium (Ba) and strontium (Sr) have been used to infer human and nonhuman primate nursing histories, including australopithecine and Neanderthal juveniles. Here we contrast the two elemental models in first molars (M1s) of four wild baboons and explore the assumptions that underlie each.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was employed to create comprehensive calcium-normalized barium and strontium (Ba/Ca, Sr/Ca) maps of M1 enamel and dentine at 35 micron resolution.<br><br>RESULTS: Postnatal Ba/Ca values were typically high, peaking ~0.5 years of age and then decreasing throughout M1 crown formation; all four individuals showed minimal Ba/Ca values between ~1.2-1.8 years, consistent with field reports of the cessation of suckling. Enamel Sr/Ca did not support patterns of previous LA-ICP-MS spot sampling as the enamel rarely showed discrete Sr/Ca secretory zonation. Increases in Sr/Ca appeared in coronal dentine beginning ~0.3 years, with varied peak value ages (~0.7-2.7 years) and no evidence of a predicted postweaning decline.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Inferences of baboon weaning ages from initial Ba/Ca minima are more congruent with behavioral observations than Sr/Ca maxima; this is consistent with studies of captive macaques of known weaning ages. Elemental variation is more apparent in the coronal dentine than the enamel of these baboons, which may relate to its more rapid mineralization and protection from the oral environment. Inferences of nursing histories from enamel Sr/Ca patterns alone should be reconsidered, and elevated values of Ba/Ca and Sr/Ca in teeth formed after weaning require further study.}, }
@article {pmid37379741, year = {2023}, author = {Henrion, J and Hublin, JJ and Maureille, B}, title = {New Neanderthal remains from the Châtelperronian-attributed layer X of the Grotte du Renne (Arcy-sur-Cure, France).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {181}, number = {}, pages = {103402}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103402}, pmid = {37379741}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals ; France ; *Hominidae ; Fossils ; }, }
@article {pmid37359819, year = {2023}, author = {Tozzi, A}, title = {Non-ultrametric phylogenetic trees shed new light on Neanderthal introgression.}, journal = {Organisms, diversity &amp; evolution}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {1-9}, pmid = {37359819}, issn = {1439-6092}, abstract = {Ultrametric spaces are widely used to depict evolutionary times in phylogenetic trees since they assume that every population/species is located at the tips of bifurcating branches of the same length. The discrete branching of ultrametric trees permits the measurement of distances between pairs of individuals that are proportional to their divergence time. Here the traditional ultrametric concept of bifurcating and divergent phylogenetic tree is overturned and a new type of non-ultrametric diagram is introduced. The objective of this study is the description of gene flows in branching species/populations in terms of converging trees instead of bifurcating trees. To provide an operational example, the paleoanthropological issue of the date of Neanderthal genome's introgression in non-African humans is examined. Neanderthals and ancient humans are not anymore two species that exchange chunks of DNA, rather become a single, novel cluster of extant hominins that must be considered by itself. The novel converging, non-ultrametric phylogenetic trees permit the calibration of molecular clocks with a twofold benefit. When the date of the branching of two population/species from a common ancestor is known, the novel approach allows to calculate the time of subsequent introgressions. On the contrary, when the date of the introgression between two population/species is known, the novel approach allows to detect the time of their previous branching from a common ancestor.}, }
@article {pmid37354658, year = {2023}, author = {Condemi, S and Panuel, M and Chaumoitre, K and Belcastro, MG and Pietrobelli, A and Voisin, JL}, title = {A pathological Neandertal thumb phalanx from Moula-Guercy (France).}, journal = {International journal of paleopathology}, volume = {42}, number = {}, pages = {14-17}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijpp.2023.06.002}, pmid = {37354658}, issn = {1879-9825}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Thumb/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; France ; *Osteoarthritis ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To discuss a Neandertal pathological adult first pollical proximal phalanx (I2-104) from the Baume de Moula-Guercy (Ardèche, France) and evaluate the possible causes of this pathology.<br><br>METHODS: Macroscopic analyses of external features, as well as CT imaging, were used in the analysis RESULTS: The presence of asymmetric eburnation on the distal epiphysis associated with an osteophyte on the palmar surface, as well as the absence of periosteal bone reaction visible on CT images, is consistent with osteoarthritis.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Osteoarthritis (OA) can have different origins and the cause is difficult to identify. The pathology of the Moula-Guercy I2-104 phalanx may be due to a genetic predisposition for OA known in Neandertals and associated with short limb bones. The OA could have been aggravated by the age of this individual and by an inflammatory reaction caused by repeated movements and intense vibrations provoked by high-frequency knapping or by other use of the hands SIGNIFICANCE: The I2-104 phalanx is the first Neandertal pollical phalanx known to display OA, although joints of this bone are frequently affected by this pathology in modern humans. Thus, greater insight into the presence and consequences of Neandertal behaviors is offered LIMITATION: It is impossible to give a definitive conclusion on the cause(s) of the OA in this case.<br><br>More data is needed concerning OA within Neandertals and its relationship with behavior and genetics.}, }
@article {pmid37345623, year = {2024}, author = {Rodríguez, L and García-González, R and Arsuaga, JL and Carretero, JM}, title = {Uncovering the adult morphology of the forearm bones from the Sima de los Huesos Site in Atapuerca (Spain), with comments on biomechanical features.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {307}, number = {7}, pages = {2550-2574}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25281}, pmid = {37345623}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {//Fieldwork at the Atapuerca sites is funded by the Junta de Castilla y Le&#xf3;n and the Fundaci&#xf3;n Atapuerca/ ; PID2021-122355NB-C31//MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE/ ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Spain ; *Ulna/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; *Fossils ; Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology ; *Radius/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Forearm/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Animals ; }, abstract = {The forearm skeleton is composed of two bones: the radius and the ulna. This is closely related to manipulative movements. The ulna is part of the elbow joint, whereas the radius and ulna together with the scaphoid and lunate bones, form the wrist joints. Thus, morphofunctional analysis of the adult Sima de los Huesos (SH) forearm bones, provides clues about manipulative activities in one Pleistocene population. From 1976 to the present, over 7000 human fossils have been recovered from the SH site. The radial sample comprised 98 labeled fragments, of which 49 belonged to adult individuals, representing at least 7 individuals. The ulnar sample included 31 labeled adult fossils representing at least nine individuals. In this study, we describe the SH radii and ulnae and analyze their functional implications for manipulative and forearm movements. We confirmed that the SH radii are long and curved, with variations in robusticity and radial tuberosity orientation. The SH ulnae are characterized by an anteriorly oriented trochlear notch, a massive olecranon process, an obliquely oriented radial notch, a blunt and short supinator crest, a gracile and curved diaphysis, and a round and anteriorly oriented pronator crests. In general, they exhibit Neanderthal morphology. The SH collection provides a unique opportunity to conduct morphological analyses of these bones in the Middle Pleistocene population.}, }
@article {pmid37343032, year = {2023}, author = {Marquet, JC and Freiesleben, TH and Thomsen, KJ and Murray, AS and Calligaro, M and Macaire, JJ and Robert, E and Lorblanchet, M and Aubry, T and Bayle, G and Bréhéret, JG and Camus, H and Chareille, P and Egels, Y and Guillaud, &#xc9; and Guérin, G and Gautret, P and Liard, M and O'Farrell, M and Peyrouse, JB and Thamó-Bozsó, E and Verdin, P and Wojtczak, D and Oberlin, C and Jaubert, J}, title = {The earliest unambiguous Neanderthal engravings on cave walls: La Roche-Cotard, Loire Valley, France.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {18}, number = {6}, pages = {e0286568}, pmid = {37343032}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Engraving and Engravings ; Caves ; France ; Europe ; Fossils ; Archaeology ; }, abstract = {Here we report on Neanderthal engravings on a cave wall at La Roche-Cotard (LRC) in central France, made more than 57±3 thousand years ago. Following human occupation, the cave was completely sealed by cold-period sediments, which prevented access until its discovery in the 19th century and first excavation in the early 20th century. The timing of the closure of the cave is based on 50 optically stimulated luminescence ages derived from sediment collected inside and from around the cave. The anthropogenic origin of the spatially-structured, non-figurative marks found within the cave is confirmed using taphonomic, traceological and experimental evidence. Cave closure occurred significantly before the regional arrival of H. sapiens, and all artefacts from within the cave are typical Mousterian lithics; in Western Europe these are uniquely attributed to H. neanderthalensis. We conclude that the LRC engravings are unambiguous examples of Neanderthal abstract design.}, }
@article {pmid37342325, year = {2023}, author = {Mocci, S and Littera, R and Chessa, L and Campagna, M and Melis, M and Ottelio, CM and Piras, IS and Lai, S and Firinu, D and Tranquilli, S and Mascia, A and Vacca, M and Schirru, D and Lecca, LI and Rassu, S and Cannas, F and Sanna, C and Carta, MG and Sedda, F and Giuressi, E and Cipri, S and Miglianti, M and Perra, A and Giglio, S}, title = {A review of the main genetic factors influencing the course of COVID-19 in Sardinia: the role of human leukocyte antigen-G.}, journal = {Frontiers in immunology}, volume = {14}, number = {}, pages = {1138559}, pmid = {37342325}, issn = {1664-3224}, mesh = {Humans ; *HLA-G Antigens/genetics ; Gene Frequency ; 3' Untranslated Regions/genetics ; *COVID-19/genetics ; SARS-CoV-2/genetics ; }, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: A large number of risk and protective factors have been identified during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic which may influence the outcome of COVID-19. Among these, recent studies have explored the role of HLA-G molecules and their immunomodulatory effects in COVID-19, but there are very few reports exploring the genetic basis of these manifestations. The present study aims to investigate how host genetic factors, including HLA-G gene polymorphisms and sHLA-G, can affect SARS-CoV-2 infection.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared the immune-genetic and phenotypic characteristics between COVID-19 patients (n = 381) with varying degrees of severity of the disease and 420 healthy controls from Sardinia (Italy).<br><br>RESULTS: HLA-G locus analysis showed that the extended haplotype HLA-G*01:01:01:01/UTR-1 was more prevalent in both COVID-19 patients and controls. In particular, this extended haplotype was more common among patients with mild symptoms than those with severe symptoms [22.7% vs 15.7%, OR = 0.634 (95% CI 0.440 - 0.913); P = 0.016]. Furthermore, the most significant HLA-G 3'UTR polymorphism (rs371194629) shows that the HLA-G 3'UTR Del/Del genotype frequency decreases gradually from 27.6% in paucisymptomatic patients to 15.9% in patients with severe symptoms (X[2&#xa0;]=&#xa0;7.095, P = 0.029), reaching the lowest frequency (7.0%) in ICU patients (X[2&#xa0;]=&#xa0;11.257, P = 0.004). However, no significant differences were observed for the soluble HLA-G levels in patients and controls. Finally, we showed that SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Sardinian population is also influenced by other genetic factors such as &#x3b2;-thalassemia trait (rs11549407C>T in the HBB gene), KIR2DS2/HLA-C C1+ group combination and the HLA-B*58:01, C*07:01, DRB1*03:01 haplotype which exert a protective effect [P = 0.005, P = 0.001 and P = 0.026 respectively]. Conversely, the Neanderthal LZTFL1 gene variant (rs35044562A>G) shows a detrimental consequence on the disease course [P = 0.001]. However, by using a logistic regression model, HLA-G 3'UTR Del/Del genotype was independent from the other significant variables [ORM = 0.4 (95% CI 0.2 - 0.7), PM = 6.5 x 10[-4]].<br><br>CONCLUSION: Our results reveal novel genetic variants which could potentially serve as biomarkers for disease prognosis and treatment, highlighting the importance of considering genetic factors in the management of COVID-19 patients.}, }
@article {pmid37337589, year = {2023}, author = {Groh, J and Coop, G}, title = {The temporal and genomic scale of selection following hybridization.}, journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {37337589}, issn = {2692-8205}, support = {R35 GM136290/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Genomic evidence supports an important role for selection in shaping patterns of introgression along the genome, but frameworks for understanding the dynamics underlying these patterns within hybrid populations have been lacking. Here, we develop methods based on the Wavelet Transform to understand the spatial genomic scale of local ancestry variation and its association with recombination rates. We present theory and use simulations to show how wavelet-based decompositions of ancestry variance along the genome and the correlation between ancestry and recombination reflect the joint effects of recombination, genetic drift, and genome-wide selection against introgressed alleles. Due to the clock-like effect of recombination in hybrids breaking up parental haplotypes, drift and selection produce predictable patterns of local ancestry variation at varying spatial genomic scales through time. Using wavelet approaches to identify the genomic scale of variance in ancestry and its correlates, we show that these methods can detect temporally localized effects of drift and selection. We apply these methods to previously published datasets from hybrid populations of swordtail fish (Xiphophorus) and baboons (Papio), and to inferred Neanderthal introgression in modern humans. Across systems, we find that upwards of 20% of the variation in local ancestry at the broadest genomic scales can be attributed to systematic selection against introgressed alleles, consistent with strong selection acting on early-generation hybrids. We also see signals of selection at fine genomic scales and much longer time scales. However, we show that our ability to confidently infer selection at fine scales is likely limited by inherent biases in current methods for estimating local ancestry from genomic similarity. Wavelet approaches will become widely applicable as genomic data from systems with introgression become increasingly available, and can help shed light on generalities of the genomic consequences of interspecific hybridization.}, }
@article {pmid37337097, year = {2023}, author = {Baquedano, E and Arsuaga, JL and Pérez-González, A and Laplana, C and Márquez, B and Huguet, R and Gómez-Soler, S and Villaescusa, L and Galindo-Pellicena, M&#xc1; and Rodríguez, L and García-González, R and Ortega, MC and Martín-Perea, DM and Ortega, AI and Hernández-Vivanco, L and Ruiz-Liso, G and Gómez-Hernanz, J and Alonso-Martín, JI and Abrunhosa, A and Moclán, A and Casado, AI and Vegara-Riquelme, M and Álvarez-Fernández, A and Domínguez-García, &#xc1;C and Álvarez-Lao, DJ and García, N and Sevilla, P and Blain, HA and Ruiz-Zapata, B and Gil-García, MJ and Álvarez-Vena, A and Sanz, T and Quam, R and Higham, T}, title = {Author Correction: A symbolic Neanderthal accumulation of large herbivore crania.}, journal = {Nature human behaviour}, volume = {7}, number = {7}, pages = {1228}, doi = {10.1038/s41562-023-01650-5}, pmid = {37337097}, issn = {2397-3374}, }
@article {pmid37315093, year = {2023}, author = {Ågren, R and Patil, S and Zhou, X and ,  and Sahlholm, K and Pääbo, S and Zeberg, H}, title = {Major Genetic Risk Factors for Dupuytren's Disease Are Inherited From Neandertals.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {40}, number = {6}, pages = {}, pmid = {37315093}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Male ; Alleles ; *Dupuytren Contracture/genetics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Risk Factors ; }, abstract = {Dupuytren's disease is characterized by fingers becoming permanently bent in a flexed position. Whereas people of African ancestry are rarely afflicted by Dupuytren's disease, up to ∼30% of men over 60 years suffer from this condition in northern Europe. Here, we meta-analyze 3 biobanks comprising 7,871 cases and 645,880 controls and find 61 genome-wide significant variants associated with Dupuytren's disease. We show that 3 of the 61 loci harbor alleles of Neandertal origin, including the second and third most strongly associated ones (P = 6.4 × 10-132 and P = 9.2 × 10-69, respectively). For the most strongly associated Neandertal variant, we identify EPDR1 as the causal gene. Dupuytren's disease is an example of how admixture with Neandertals has shaped regional differences in disease prevalence.}, }
@article {pmid37315040, year = {2023}, author = {Baumann, M and Plisson, H and Maury, S and Renou, S and Coqueugniot, H and Vanderesse, N and Kolobova, K and Shnaider, S and Rots, V and Guérin, G and Rendu, W}, title = {On the Quina side: A Neanderthal bone industry at Chez-Pinaud site, France.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {18}, number = {6}, pages = {e0284081}, pmid = {37315040}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Acclimatization ; Artifacts ; France ; Industry ; *Reindeer ; }, abstract = {Did Neanderthal produce a bone industry? The recent discovery of a large bone tool assemblage at the Neanderthal site of Chagyrskaya (Altai, Siberia, Russia) and the increasing discoveries of isolated finds of bone tools in various Mousterian sites across Eurasia stimulate the debate. Assuming that the isolate finds may be the tip of the iceberg and that the Siberian occurrence did not result from a local adaptation of easternmost Neanderthals, we looked for evidence of a similar industry in the Western side of their spread area. We assessed the bone tool potential of the Quina bone-bed level currently under excavation at chez Pinaud site (Jonzac, Charente-Maritime, France) and found as many bone tools as flint ones: not only the well-known retouchers but also beveled tools, retouched artifacts and a smooth-ended rib. Their diversity opens a window on a range of activities not expected in a butchering site and not documented by the flint tools, all involved in the carcass processing. The re-use of 20% of the bone blanks, which are mainly from large ungulates among faunal remains largely dominated by reindeer, raises the question of blank procurement and management. From the Altai to the Atlantic shore, through a multitude of sites where only a few objects have been reported so far, evidence of a Neanderthal bone industry is emerging which provides new insights on Middle Paleolithic subsistence strategies.}, }
@article {pmid37308599, year = {2024}, author = {Curtis, D and Amos, W}, title = {The human genome harbours widespread exclusive yin yang haplotypes.}, journal = {European journal of human genetics : EJHG}, volume = {32}, number = {6}, pages = {691-696}, pmid = {37308599}, issn = {1476-5438}, mesh = {Humans ; *Haplotypes ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; *Genome, Human ; Yin-Yang ; Animals ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Gene Frequency ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; }, abstract = {There have been reports of examples of exclusive yin yang haplotypes, differing at every locus, but there has been no systematic search for them. Unphased whole genome sequence data for 2504 unrelated 1000 Genomes subjects was searched for chains of SNPs having global minor allele frequency (MAF) > =0.1 made up of at least 20 SNPs in complete linkage disequilibrium with each other and with no pair being separated by more than 9 other SNPs. The global distribution of these haplotypes was investigated, along with their ancestral origins and associations with genes and phenotypes. A number of previously unrecognised repeats were noted, flagged by all or most subjects being called as heterozygotes, and these were discarded. There were 5114 exclusive yin yang haplotypes each consisting of on average 34.8 SNPs, each spanning on average 15.7 kb and cumulatively covering 80 Mb. Although for some haplotypes the MAF varied markedly between populations the average global fixation index was similar to that for SNPs elsewhere in the genome and there was no evidence of enrichment for genes or gene ontologies. For all but 92 haplotypes there were partial forms present in the chimpanzee and/or Neanderthal genome, indicating that they had been formed in a gradual process but that intermediate haplotypes were now absent from modern humans. Exclusive yin yang haplotypes cover over 2% of the human genome. The mechanisms accounting for their formation and preservation are unclear. They may serve as useful markers of the dispersal of chromosomal regions through human history.}, }
@article {pmid37269363, year = {2023}, author = {Garcia-Heras, J}, title = {The 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.}, journal = {Journal of the Association of Genetic Technologists}, volume = {49}, number = {2}, pages = {56-67}, pmid = {37269363}, issn = {1523-7834}, abstract = {The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Svante Pääbo (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany). This award acknowledged his discoveries about the genomes of extinct hominins (Neandertal man and the Denisovans), the molecular genetic insights of human origin and evolutionary history, and the understanding of phylogenetic relationships between archaic hominins and modern humans. The scientific advances included detection of Neandertal and Denisovan DNA carried by modern humans due to past admixture events, which in turn stimulated active research about the functional and phenotypic significance of such archaic ancestry on non-disease and disease phenotypic features in modern populations. In addition, comparative genomic studies started to delineate the genes and genetic regulation mechanisms that distinguish modern-day humans from the archaic hominins and our immediate ancestors, the anatomically modern humans. These breakthroughs allowed a more thorough understanding of ancestral and modern human population genetics, and propelled the take-off of human paleogenomics as a new scientific discipline in its own right.}, }
@article {pmid37246494, year = {2023}, author = {Boneta Jiménez, I and Cardoso, JL and Pérez-García, A}, title = {The turtles from the middle Paleolithic site of Gruta Nova da Columbeira (Bombarral, Portugal): Update through an archaeozoological perspective.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25229}, pmid = {37246494}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {PID2019-111210GB-I00//Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci&#xf3;n/ ; }, abstract = {Twenty-five years after the preliminary systematic study of the turtle remains (Agrionemys [=Testudo] hermanni and Emys or Mauremys) recovered from Gruta Nova da Columbeira site (Bombarral, Portugal), the results of its review from systematic and archaeozoological perspectives are presented here. Tortoise remains studies from pre-Upper Paleolithic sites worldwide have provided relevant data confirming its role as a dietary supply for hominid populations and informing about their ability to adapt to local environmental resources. The Iberian Peninsula record in general, and specifically, that from Portugal, have yielded substantial evidence to this highly debated topic. In this sense, turtle remains recovered in Gruta Nova da Columbeira site, discovered in the 1960s and the main ensemble chronologically ascribed to the MIS-5 (87.1 ± 6.3 ka BP), offer new information to this debate. Its detailed restudy, has allowed us the identification, justification, and figuration of remains attributed to two Iberian turtle taxa, Chersine hermanni and Emys orbicularis. Therefore, this update on the data concerning the turtle record from Gruta Nova da Columbeira provides new justified taxonomic evidence regarding the Iberian turtle taxa distribution during the Upper Pleistocene. The previously suggested hypothesis about the tortoise human consumption on the site is here evaluated through the development of an archaeozoological and taphonomical analysis, as well as considering the potential documentation of anthropic alterations (e.g., burning, cutmarks, percussion marks). In this sense, this hypothesis is confirmed. In addition, the presence of carnivore activity evidence indicates the engagement of other agents in the deposit formation.}, }
@article {pmid37228449, year = {2023}, author = {Schmidt, P and Koch, TJ and Blessing, MA and Karakostis, FA and Harvati, K and Dresely, V and Charrié-Duhaut, A}, title = {Production method of the Königsaue birch tar documents cumulative culture in Neanderthals.}, journal = {Archaeological and anthropological sciences}, volume = {15}, number = {6}, pages = {84}, pmid = {37228449}, issn = {1866-9557}, abstract = {UNLABELLED: Birch tar is the oldest synthetic substance made by early humans. The earliest such artefacts are associated with Neanderthals. According to traditional interpretations, their study allows understanding Neanderthal tool behaviours, skills and cultural evolution. However, recent work has found that birch tar can also be produced with simple processes, or even result from fortuitous accidents. Even though these findings suggest that birch tar per se is not a proxy for cognition, they do not shed light on the process by which Neanderthals produced it, and, therefore, cannot evaluate the implications of that behaviour. Here, we address the question of how tar was made by Neanderthals. Through a comparative chemical analysis of the two exceptional birch tar pieces from Königsaue (Germany) and a large reference birch tar collection made with Stone Age techniques, we found that Neanderthals did not use the simplest method to make tar. Rather, they distilled tar in an intentionally created underground environment that restricted oxygen flow and remained invisible during the process. This degree of complexity is unlikely to have been invented spontaneously. Our results suggest that Neanderthals invented or developed this process based on previous simpler methods and constitute one of the clearest indicators of cumulative cultural evolution in the European Middle Palaeolithic.<br><br>SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12520-023-01789-2.}, }
@article {pmid37220274, year = {2023}, author = {Tobler, R and Souilmi, Y and Huber, CD and Bean, N and Turney, CSM and Grey, ST and Cooper, A}, title = {The role of genetic selection and climatic factors in the dispersal of anatomically modern humans out of Africa.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {120}, number = {22}, pages = {e2213061120}, pmid = {37220274}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; Africa ; *Neanderthals ; Acclimatization ; Arabia ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {The evolutionarily recent dispersal of anatomically modern humans (AMH) out of Africa (OoA) and across Eurasia provides a unique opportunity to examine the impacts of genetic selection as humans adapted to multiple new environments. Analysis of ancient Eurasian genomic datasets (~1,000 to 45,000 y old) reveals signatures of strong selection, including at least 57 hard sweeps after the initial AMH movement OoA, which have been obscured in modern populations by extensive admixture during the Holocene. The spatiotemporal patterns of these hard sweeps provide a means to reconstruct early AMH population dispersals OoA. We identify a previously unsuspected extended period of genetic adaptation lasting ~30,000 y, potentially in the Arabian Peninsula area, prior to a major Neandertal genetic introgression and subsequent rapid dispersal across Eurasia as far as Australia. Consistent functional targets of selection initiated during this period, which we term the Arabian Standstill, include loci involved in the regulation of fat storage, neural development, skin physiology, and cilia function. Similar adaptive signatures are also evident in introgressed archaic hominin loci and modern Arctic human groups, and we suggest that this signal represents selection for cold adaptation. Surprisingly, many of the candidate selected loci across these groups appear to directly interact and coordinately regulate biological processes, with a number associated with major modern diseases including the ciliopathies, metabolic syndrome, and neurodegenerative disorders. This expands the potential for ancestral human adaptation to directly impact modern diseases, providing a platform for evolutionary medicine.}, }
@article {pmid37202264, year = {2023}, author = {Klein, K and Weniger, GC and Ludwig, P and Stepanek, C and Zhang, X and Wegener, C and Shao, Y}, title = {Assessing climatic impact on transition from Neanderthal to anatomically modern human population on Iberian Peninsula: a macroscopic perspective.}, journal = {Science bulletin}, volume = {68}, number = {11}, pages = {1176-1186}, doi = {10.1016/j.scib.2023.04.025}, pmid = {37202264}, issn = {2095-9281}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Fossils ; Europe ; Europe, Eastern ; Archaeology ; Anti-Mullerian Hormone ; }, abstract = {The Iberian Peninsula is of particular interest for the research on the Neanderthal (NEA) to anatomically modern human (AMH) population transition. The AMHs arrived in Iberia last from Eastern Europe and thus any possible contacts between the two populations occurred here later than elsewhere. The transition process took place in the earlier part of the Marine Isotope Stage 3 (∼60-27 cal ka BP) as repeated and profound climate changes challenged the population stability. To investigate how climate change and population interactions influenced the transition, we combine climate data with archaeological-site data to reconstruct the Human Existence Potential, a measure of the probability of human existence, for both the NEA and AMH populations in the Greenland Interstadial 11-10 (GI11-10) and Stadial 10-9/Heinrich event 4 (GS10-9/HE4) times. It is found that during GS10-9/HE4, large parts of the peninsula became unsuitable for NEA human existence and the NEA settlement areas contracted to isolated coastal hot spots. As a consequence, the NEA networks became highly unstable, triggering the final collapse of the population. The AMHs arrived in Iberia in GI10 but were confined to patches in the northern most strip of the peninsula. They were soon facing the much colder climate of GS10-9/HE4, which prevented their further expansion or even caused a contraction of their settlement areas. Thus, due to the constellation of climate change and the dispersal of the two populations into different regions of the peninsula, it is unlikely that the NEAs and AMHs coexisted in extensive areas and the AMHs had a significant influence on the demography of the NEAs.}, }
@article {pmid37192163, year = {2023}, author = {Rong, S and Neil, CR and Welch, A and Duan, C and Maguire, S and Meremikwu, IC and Meyerson, M and Evans, BJ and Fairbrother, WG}, title = {Large-scale functional screen identifies genetic variants with splicing effects in modern and archaic humans.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {120}, number = {21}, pages = {e2218308120}, pmid = {37192163}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {R01 GM127472/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Male ; Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Semen ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Alleles ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Genome, Human ; }, abstract = {Humans coexisted and interbred with other hominins which later became extinct. These archaic hominins are known to us only through fossil records and for two cases, genome sequences. Here, we engineer Neanderthal and Denisovan sequences into thousands of artificial genes to reconstruct the pre-mRNA processing patterns of these extinct populations. Of the 5,169 alleles tested in this massively parallel splicing reporter assay (MaPSy), we report 962 exonic splicing mutations that correspond to differences in exon recognition between extant and extinct hominins. Using MaPSy splicing variants, predicted splicing variants, and splicing quantitative trait loci, we show that splice-disrupting variants experienced greater purifying selection in anatomically modern humans than that in Neanderthals. Adaptively introgressed variants were enriched for moderate-effect splicing variants, consistent with positive selection for alternative spliced alleles following introgression. As particularly compelling examples, we characterized a unique tissue-specific alternative splicing variant at the adaptively introgressed innate immunity gene TLR1, as well as a unique Neanderthal introgressed alternative splicing variant in the gene HSPG2 that encodes perlecan. We further identified potentially pathogenic splicing variants found only in Neanderthals and Denisovans in genes related to sperm maturation and immunity. Finally, we found splicing variants that may contribute to variation among modern humans in total bilirubin, balding, hemoglobin levels, and lung capacity. Our findings provide unique insights into natural selection acting on splicing in human evolution and demonstrate how functional assays can be used to identify candidate causal variants underlying differences in gene regulation and phenotype.}, }
@article {pmid37156940, year = {2023}, author = {Li, Q and Chen, J and Faux, P and Delgado, ME and Bonfante, B and Fuentes-Guajardo, M and Mendoza-Revilla, J and Chacón-Duque, JC and Hurtado, M and Villegas, V and Granja, V and Jaramillo, C and Arias, W and Barquera, R and Everardo-Martínez, P and Sánchez-Quinto, M and Gómez-Valdés, J and Villamil-Ramírez, H and Silva de Cerqueira, CC and Hünemeier, T and Ramallo, V and Wu, S and Du, S and Giardina, A and Paria, SS and Khokan, MR and Gonzalez-José, R and Schüler-Faccini, L and Bortolini, MC and Acuña-Alonzo, V and Canizales-Quinteros, S and Gallo, C and Poletti, G and Rojas, W and Rothhammer, F and Navarro, N and Wang, S and Adhikari, K and Ruiz-Linares, A}, title = {Automatic landmarking identifies new loci associated with face morphology and implicates Neanderthal introgression in human nasal shape.}, journal = {Communications biology}, volume = {6}, number = {1}, pages = {481}, pmid = {37156940}, issn = {2399-3642}, support = {R01 DE016148/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; R01 DE027023/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DE020078/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; Mice ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Nose ; Cell Differentiation ; }, abstract = {We report a genome-wide association study of facial features in >6000 Latin Americans based on automatic landmarking of 2D portraits and testing for association with inter-landmark distances. We detected significant associations (P-value <5 × 10[-8]) at 42 genome regions, nine of which have been previously reported. In follow-up analyses, 26 of the 33 novel regions replicate in East Asians, Europeans, or Africans, and one mouse homologous region influences craniofacial morphology in mice. The novel region in 1q32.3 shows introgression from Neanderthals and we find that the introgressed tract increases nasal height (consistent with the differentiation between Neanderthals and modern humans). Novel regions include candidate genes and genome regulatory elements previously implicated in craniofacial development, and show preferential transcription in cranial neural crest cells. The automated approach used here should simplify the collection of large study samples from across the world, facilitating a cosmopolitan characterization of the genetics of facial features.}, }
@article {pmid37155903, year = {2023}, author = {Linscott, B and Pike, AWG and Angelucci, DE and Cooper, MJ and Milton, JS and Matias, H and Zilhão, J}, title = {Reconstructing Middle and Upper Paleolithic human mobility in Portuguese Estremadura through laser ablation strontium isotope analysis.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {120}, number = {20}, pages = {e2204501120}, pmid = {37155903}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Portugal ; *Hominidae ; *Tooth/chemistry ; Strontium Isotopes/analysis ; *Neanderthals ; *Laser Therapy ; Strontium/analysis ; }, abstract = {Understanding mobility and landscape use is important in reconstructing subsistence behavior, range, and group size, and it may contribute to our understanding of phenomena such as the dynamics of biological and cultural interactions between distinct populations of Upper Pleistocene humans. However, studies using traditional strontium isotope analysis are generally limited to identifying locations of childhood residence or nonlocal individuals and lack the sampling resolution to detect movement over short timescales. Here, using an optimized methodology, we present highly spatially resolved [87]Sr/[86]Sr measurements made by laser ablation multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry along the growth axis of the enamel of two marine isotope stage 5b, Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal teeth (Gruta da Oliveira), a Tardiglacial, Late Magdalenian human tooth (Galeria da Cisterna), and associated contemporaneous fauna from the Almonda karst system, Torres Novas, Portugal. Strontium isotope mapping of the region shows extreme variation in [87]Sr/[86]Sr, with values ranging from 0.7080 to 0.7160 over a distance of c. 50 km, allowing short-distance (and arguably short-duration) movement to be detected. We find that the early Middle Paleolithic individuals roamed across a subsistence territory of approximately 600 km[2], while the Late Magdalenian individual parsimoniously fits a pattern of limited, probably seasonal movement along the right bank of the 20-km-long Almonda River valley, between mouth and spring, exploiting a smaller territory of approximately 300 km[2]. We argue that the differences in territory size are due to an increase in population density during the Late Upper Paleolithic.}, }
@article {pmid37142741, year = {2023}, author = {Brand, CM and Colbran, LL and Capra, JA}, title = {Resurrecting the alternative splicing landscape of archaic hominins using machine learning.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {7}, number = {6}, pages = {939-953}, pmid = {37142741}, issn = {2397-334X}, support = {R35 GM127087/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 HG009495/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Hominidae/genetics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Alternative Splicing ; Genome, Human ; Population Density ; }, abstract = {Alternative splicing contributes to adaptation and divergence in many species. However, it has not been possible to directly compare splicing between modern and archaic hominins. Here, we unmask the recent evolution of this previously unobservable regulatory mechanism by applying SpliceAI, a machine-learning algorithm that identifies splice-altering variants (SAVs), to high-coverage genomes from three Neanderthals and a Denisovan. We discover 5,950 putative archaic SAVs, of which 2,186 are archaic-specific and 3,607 also occur in modern humans via introgression (244) or shared ancestry (3,520). Archaic-specific SAVs are enriched in genes that contribute to traits potentially relevant to hominin phenotypic divergence, such as the epidermis, respiration and spinal rigidity. Compared to shared SAVs, archaic-specific SAVs occur in sites under weaker selection and are more common in genes with tissue-specific expression. Further underscoring the importance of negative selection on SAVs, Neanderthal lineages with low effective population sizes are enriched for SAVs compared to Denisovan and shared SAVs. Finally, we find that nearly all introgressed SAVs in humans were shared across the three Neanderthals, suggesting that older SAVs were more tolerated in human genomes. Our results reveal the splicing landscape of archaic hominins and identify potential contributions of splicing to phenotypic differences among hominins.}, }
@article {pmid37134082, year = {2023}, author = {Slimak, L}, title = {The three waves: Rethinking the structure of the first Upper Paleolithic in Western Eurasia.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {18}, number = {5}, pages = {e0277444}, pmid = {37134082}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Hominidae ; Europe ; Archaeology ; France ; *Neanderthals ; Fossils ; }, abstract = {The Neronian is a lithic tradition recognized in the Middle Rhône Valley of Mediterranean France now directly linked to Homo sapiens and securely dated to 54,000 years ago (ka), pushing back the arrival of modern humans in Europe by 10 ka. This incursion of modern humans into Neandertal territory and the relationships evoked between the Neronian and the Levantine Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) question the validity of concepts that define the first H. sapiens migrations and the very nature of the first Upper Paleolithic in western Eurasia. Direct comparative analyses between lithic technology from Grotte Mandrin and East Mediterranean archeological sequences, especially Ksar Akil, suggest that the three key phases of the earliest Levantine Upper Paleolithic have very precise technical and chronological counterparts in Western Europe, recognized from the Rhône Valley to Franco-Cantabria. These trans-Mediterranean technical connections suggest three distinct waves of H. sapiens expansion into Europe between 55-42 ka. These elements support an original thesis on the origin, structure, and evolution of the first moments of the Upper Paleolithic in Europe tracing parallel archaeological changes in the East Mediterranean region and Europe.}, }
@article {pmid37091460, year = {2023}, author = {Sinaei, R and Pezeshki, S and Sinaei, R}, title = {What Kept Back on the Mirror of COVID-19-Related Acute Transverse Myelitis? A Genetic Background!.}, journal = {Iranian journal of child neurology}, volume = {17}, number = {2}, pages = {143-147}, pmid = {37091460}, issn = {1735-4668}, abstract = {COVID-19-associated acute transverse myelitis (ATM) cases have been reported worldwide. Nevertheless, Iran, Italy, and the USA are the most affected countries, witnessing the possibility that genetic factors might be associated with this susceptibility. The genetic variants of the coronavirus-2 entry mechanisms and host innate immune response-related genes like interferons, interleukins, Toll-like receptors, human leukocyte antigens, blood groups, and some risk loci may be accountable. This study describes the compatibility of the geographical distribution between ATM and the Neanderthal core haplotype that confers risk for severe COVID-19 and some possible culprit genes.}, }
@article {pmid37070424, year = {2024}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {The Sima de los Huesos cervical spine.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {307}, number = {7}, pages = {2451-2464}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25224}, pmid = {37070424}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {//Fundaci&#xf3;n Atapuerca/ ; //Junta de Castilla y Le&#xf3;n/ ; PGC2018-093925-B-C33, MCI/AEI/FEDER, UE//Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci&#xf3;n/ ; PID2021-122355NB-C31, MCIN/AEI/10.13039/5011000110, UE//Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci&#xf3;n/ ; RYC-2017-22558//Ram&#xf3;n y Cajal fellowship/ ; }, mesh = {*Cervical Vertebrae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Animals ; *Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Biological Evolution ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Information regarding the evolution of the neck in genus Homo is hampered owing to a limited fossil record. Neandertals display significant metric and/or morphological differences in all the cervical vertebrae, when compared to Homo sapiens. Thus, the important fossil record from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH) not only offers important information about the evolution of this anatomical region within the Neandertal lineage, but also provides important clues to understand the evolution of this region at the genus level. We present the current knowledge of the anatomy of the cervical spine of the hominins found in SH compared to that of Neandertals and modern humans, and, when possible, to Homo erectus and Homo antecessor. The current SH fossil record comprises 172 cervical specimens (after refittings) belonging to a minimum of 11 atlases, 13 axes, and 52 subaxial cervical vertebrae. The SH hominins exhibit a morphological pattern in their cervical spine more similar to that of Neandertals than that of H. sapiens, which is consistent with the phylogenetic position of these hominins. However, there are some differences between the SH hominins and Neandertals in this anatomical region, primarily in the length and robusticity, and to a lesser extent in the orientation of the spinous processes of the lowermost cervical vertebrae. We hypothesize that these differences in the lowermost subaxial cervical vertebrae could be related to the increase in the brain size and/or changes in the morphology of the skull that occurred in the Neandertal lineage.}, }
@article {pmid37053172, year = {2023}, author = {Doronicheva, EV and Golovanova, LV and Doronichev, VB and Kurbanov, RN}, title = {Archaeological evidence for two culture diverse Neanderthal populations in the North Caucasus and contacts between them.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {18}, number = {4}, pages = {e0284093}, pmid = {37053172}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Europe ; Europe, Eastern ; Archaeology ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals were widespread during the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) across Europe and Asia, including the Caucasus Mountains. Occupying the border between eastern Europe and West Asia, the Caucasus is important region regarding the Neanderthal occupation of Eurasia. On current radiometric estimates, the MP is represented in the Caucasus between about 260-210 ka and about 40 ka. Archaeological record indicates that several culture diverse MP hominin populations inhabited the Caucasus, but the region complex population history during this period remains poorly understood. In this paper, we identify for the first time the archaeological evidence indicating contacts between two culture diverse MP Neanderthal populations in the North Caucasus and discuss the nature of these contacts. Basing on the lithic assemblages that we excavated at Mezmaiskaya cave in the north-western Caucasus (Kuban River basin) and Saradj-Chuko grotto in the north-central Caucasus (Terek River basin), dating from MIS 5 to MIS 3, and comparative data from other MP sites in the Caucasus, we identify two large cultural regions that existed during the late MP in the North Caucasus. The distinctive toolkits and stone knapping technologies indicate that the MP assemblages from Mezmaiskaya cave and other sites in the west of North Caucasus represent a Caucasian variant of the Eastern Micoquian industry that was wide spread in central and eastern Europe, while the assemblages from Saradj-Chuko Grotto and other sites in the east of North Caucasus closely resemble the Zagros Mousterian industry that was wide spread in the Armenian Highlands, Lesser Caucasus and Zagros Mountains. The archaeological evidence implies that two culture diverse populations of Neanderthals settled the North Caucasus during the Late Pleistocene from two various source regions: from the Armenian Highlands and Lesser Caucasus along the Caspian Sea coast, and from Russian plain along the Sea of Azov coast.}, }
@article {pmid37035790, year = {2023}, author = {Chung, S and Son, JW}, title = {How Well Do We Understand Autistic Savant Artists: A Review of Various Hypotheses and Research Findings to Date.}, journal = {Soa--ch'ongsonyon chongsin uihak = Journal of child &amp; adolescent psychiatry}, volume = {34}, number = {2}, pages = {93-111}, pmid = {37035790}, issn = {1225-729X}, abstract = {The authors investigated the artistic characteristics of autistic savant artists, hypotheses on the proximate and ultimate causes of their emergence, recent psychological and other studies about them, and psychological and neuroaesthetic studies about non-savant autistic individuals. The artistic features of autistic savant artists were significantly similar to those of outsider artists. Furthermore, the authors investigated the explanatory power of the paradoxical functional facilitation theory, the superior visual perception hypothesis, the "Hmmmmm" hypothesis, and the Neanderthal theory of autism regarding the emergence of autistic savant artists. In addition, we investigated whether an increase in savant characteristics was related to a decrease in the ability for social communication. The authors suggested that in studies on the aesthetic experience of non-savant autistic individuals, their aesthetic experience ability is never lower than that of neurotypical individuals and that some non-savant autistic individuals may potentially have artistic talent. Finally, the authors reviewed the effectiveness of the "autism savant spectrum syndromic disorder" proposed by some researchers. More scientific and systematic studies on autistic savant artists from a multidisciplinary perspective are warranted.}, }
@article {pmid37016656, year = {2023}, author = {Turner, MD}, title = {Possible Causes of Hypertrophic Osteoarthropathy in the La Ferrassie 1 Neanderthal.}, journal = {Cureus}, volume = {15}, number = {3}, pages = {e35721}, pmid = {37016656}, issn = {2168-8184}, abstract = {For over a century, researchers have been perplexed by the unique osteological findings on La Ferrassie 1 (LF1), one of the most complete Neanderthal remains ever found. In 1997, Fennel and Trinkaus proposed that LF1 suffered from hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA), likely secondary to chronic thoracic infection or pulmonary malignancy. This disease process can have many etiologies, and no study has fully explored the possible origin of LF1's HOA. Ultimately, it is most likely that LF1's HOA etiology arose from one of the many infectious diseases that prehistoric Neanderthals were exposed to, specifically a chronic pulmonary RNA virus.}, }
@article {pmid37010952, year = {2023}, author = {Richards, GD and Jabbour, RS and Guipert, G and Defleur, A}, title = {Neanderthal child's maxilla from Baume Moula-Guercy (Soyons, Ardèche, France).}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {306}, number = {10}, pages = {2484-2513}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25218}, pmid = {37010952}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {Humans ; Child ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Maxilla/anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; France ; Fossils ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {This article provides an ontogenetically-based comparative description of the Guercy 3 partial child's maxilla with Rdm[2] -RM[1] and unerupted RI[2] -RP[4] from Baume Moula-Guercy (MIS 5e) and examines its affinities to European and Middle Eastern Middle-to-Late Pleistocene (≈MIS 14-MIS 1) Homo. Description of the Guercy 3 maxilla and dentition (7.0 year ± 0.9 month) is based on observations of original fossils, casts, CT scans, literature descriptions, and virtual reconstructions. Our ontogenetic sample comprises a Preneanderthal-Neanderthal group and a Homo sapiens group. These groups are subdivided into (1) Preneanderthals (≈MIS 14-9), Early Neanderthals (MIS 7-5e), and Late Neanderthals (MIS 5d-3), and (2) Middle (MIS 5), Upper (MIS 3-2), and Late Upper Paleolithic (≈MIS 1), and recent H. sapiens. Standard techniques were employed for measurements and developmental age determinations.The Guercy 3 maxilla lacks changes found in Late Neanderthals, including the positioning of the root of the zygomatic process, infraorbital and nasal plates, premaxilla, buccal and labial alveolus, maxillary sinus, nasal cavity, and verticality of anterior tooth implantation. The morphology of the Guercy 3 maxilla more closely approximates that of Sima de los Huesos Preneanderthals, while the dentition more closely approximates the Early-Late Neanderthal condition. Maxillary remains of children and juveniles between MIS 14-MIS 5e are rare, and the available sample is fragmentary and distorted. Although fragmentary, the Guercy 3 maxilla is undistorted and provides new insights into the evolution of the midface in Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid37001690, year = {2023}, author = {Pomeroy, E}, title = {Review: The different adaptive trajectories in Neanderthals and Homo sapiens and their implications for contemporary human physiological variation.}, journal = {Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular &amp; integrative physiology}, volume = {280}, number = {}, pages = {111420}, doi = {10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111420}, pmid = {37001690}, issn = {1531-4332}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Acclimatization ; Climate ; Adaptation, Physiological ; Cold Climate ; Fossils ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals are our one of our closest evolutionary cousins, but while they evolved in Eurasia, we (anatomically modern humans, AMH) originated in Africa. This contrasting evolutionary history has led to morphological and genetic distinctions between our species. Neanderthals are characterised by a relatively stocky build, high body mass, proportionally wide bodies and shorter limbs, a bell-shaped ribcage with a wide pelvis, and a long, low cranial vault compared with AMH. Classic readings of Neanderthal morphology link many of these traits to cold climate adaptations, however these interpretations have been questioned and alternative hypotheses including behavioural factors, dietary adaptations, locomotor specialisations, evolutionary history and neutral evolutionary processes have been invoked. Compared with AMH, Neanderthals may have been adapted for strength and power rather than endurance and may have consumed a diet high in animal products. However, reviewing these hypotheses highlights a number of limitations in our understanding of contemporary human physiology and metabolism, including the relationship between climate and morphology in AMH and Neanderthals, physiological limits on protein consumption, and the relationship between gut morphology and diet. As various relevant factors are clearly linked (e.g. diet, behaviour, metabolism, morphology, activity), ultimately a more integrated approach may be needed to fully understand Neanderthal biology. Variation among contemporary AMHs may offer, with caveats, a useful model for understanding the evolution of both Neanderthal and modern human characteristics, which in turn may further deepen our understanding of variability within and between contemporary humans. Neanderthals; Anatomically modern humans; morphology; climate adaptation; power adaptations; metabolism; diet; physiology; endurance running.}, }
@article {pmid36998196, year = {2024}, author = {Quam, R and Martínez, I and Rak, Y and Hylander, B and Pantoja, A and Lorenzo, C and Conde-Valverde, M and Keeling, B and Ortega Martínez, MC and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {The Neandertal nature of the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos mandibles.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {307}, number = {7}, pages = {2343-2393}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25190}, pmid = {36998196}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {PID2021-122355NB-C31MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER,UE,//Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci&#xf3;n of the Government of Spain/ ; }, mesh = {*Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; *Biological Evolution ; Male ; Humans ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {The recovery of additional mandibular fossils from the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos (SH) site provides new insights into the evolutionary significance of this sample. In particular, morphological descriptions of the new adult specimens are provided, along with standardized metric data and phylogenetically relevant morphological features for the expanded adult sample. The new and more complete specimens extend the known range of variation in the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles in some metric and morphological details. In other aspects, the addition of new specimens has made it possible to confirm previous observations based on more limited evidence. Pairwise comparisons of individual metric variables revealed the only significant difference between the Atapuerca (SH) hominins and Neandertals was a more vertical symphysis in the latter. Similarly, principal components analysis of size-adjusted variables showed a strong similarity between the Atapuerca (SH) hominins and Neandertals. Morphologically, the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles show nearly the full complement of Neandertal-derived features. Nevertheless, the Neandertals differ from the Atapuerca (SH) mandibles in showing a high frequency of the H/O mandibular foramen, a truncated, thinned and inverted gonial margin, a high placement of the mylohyoid line at the level of the M3, a more vertical symphysis and somewhat more pronounced expression of the chin structures. Size-related morphological variation in the SH hominins includes larger retromolar spaces, more posterior placement of the lateral corpus structures, and stronger markings associated with the muscles of mastication in larger specimens. However, phylogenetically relevant features in the SH sample are fairly stable and do not vary with the overall size of the mandible. Direct comparison of the enlarged mandibular sample from Atapuerca (SH) with the Mauer mandible, the type specimen of H. heidelbergensis, reveals important differences from the SH hominins, and there is no morphological counterpart of Mauer within the SH sample, suggesting the SH fossils should not be assigned to this taxon. The Atapuerca (SH) mandibles show a greater number of derived Neandertal features, particularly those related to midfacial prognathism and in the configuration of the superior ramus, than other European middle Pleistocene specimens. This suggests that more than one evolutionary lineage co-existed in the middle Pleistocene, and, broadly speaking, it appears possible to separate the European middle Pleistocene mandibular remains into two distinct groupings. One group shows a suite of derived Neandertal features and includes specimens from the sites of Atapuerca (SH), Payre, l'Aubesier and Ehringsdorf. The other group includes specimens that generally lack derived Neandertal features and includes the mandibles from the sites of Mauer, Mala Balanica, Montmaurin and (probably) Visogliano. The two published Arago mandibles differ strongly from one another, with Arago 2 probably belonging to this former group, and Neandertal affinities being more difficult to identify in Arago 13. Outside of the SH sample, derived Neandertal features in the mandible only become more common during the second half of the middle Pleistocene. Acceptance of a cladogenetic pattern of evolution during the European middle Pleistocene has the potential to reconcile the predictions of the accretion model and the two phases model for the appearance of Neandertal morphology. The precise taxonomic classification of the SH hominins must contemplate features from the dentition, cranium, mandible and postcranial skeleton, all of which are preserved at the SH site. Nevertheless, the origin of the Neandertal clade may be tied to a speciation event reflected in the appearance of a suite of derived Neandertal features in the face, dentition and mandible, all of which are present in the Atapuerca (SH) hominins. This same suite of features also provides a useful anatomical basis to include other European middle Pleistocene mandibles and crania within the Neandertal clade.}, }
@article {pmid36980999, year = {2023}, author = {Toncheva, D and Marinova, M and Chobanov, T and Serbezov, D}, title = {Pathogenic Variants Associated with Rare Monogenic Diseases Established in Ancient Neanderthal and Denisovan Genome-Wide Data.}, journal = {Genes}, volume = {14}, number = {3}, pages = {}, pmid = {36980999}, issn = {2073-4425}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Rare Diseases/genetics ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Genome, Human ; DNA ; }, abstract = {Ancient anatomically modern humans (AMHs) encountered other archaic human species, most notably Neanderthals and Denisovans, when they left Africa and spread across Europe and Asia ~60,000 years ago. They interbred with them, and modern human genomes retain DNA inherited from these interbreeding events. High quality (high coverage) ancient human genomes have recently been sequenced allowing for a direct estimation of individual heterozygosity, which has shown that genetic diversity in these archaic human groups was very low, indicating low population sizes. In this study, we analyze ten ancient human genome-wide data, including four sequenced with high-coverage. We screened these ancient genome-wide data for pathogenic mutations associated with monogenic diseases, and established unusual aggregation of pathogenic mutations in individual subjects, including quadruple homozygous cases of pathogenic variants in the PAH gene associated with the condition phenylketonuria in a ~120,000 years old Neanderthal. Such aggregation of pathogenic mutations is extremely rare in contemporary populations, and their existence in ancient humans could be explained by less significant clinical manifestations coupled with small community sizes, leading to higher inbreeding levels. Our results suggest that pathogenic variants associated with rare diseases might be the result of introgression from other archaic human species, and archaic admixture thus could have influenced disease risk in modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid36966596, year = {2023}, author = {Zhang, Y and Li, Z}, title = {Three-dimensional geometric morphometric study of the Xuchang 2 cranium.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {178}, number = {}, pages = {103347}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103347}, pmid = {36966596}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Results of traditional metric and nonmetric assessments suggest that the Xuchang hominin shares features with Neanderthals. To comprehensively compare the nuchal morphology of XC 2 to those of the genus Homo, we conduct a three-dimensional geometric morphometric study with 35 cranial landmarks and surface semilandmarks of XC 2, Homo erectus, Middle Pleistocene humans, Neanderthals, and early and recent modern humans. Results reveal that the centroid size of XC 2 is larger than that of early and recent modern humans and can only be compared to that of Middle Pleistocene humans and H. erectus. Early and recent modern humans share a nuchal morphology distinct from archaic hominins (Ngandong H. erectus, Middle Pleistocene humans, and Neanderthals), except for SM 3, Sangiran 17, and Asian and African H. erectus. Although Ngandong specimens differ from the other H. erectus, it is unclear whether this represents a temporal or spatial trend in the process of evolution of this species. The nuchal morphological resemblance between Middle Pleistocene humans and Neanderthals may be attributed to similar cranial architecture and cerebellar shape. The great nuchal morphological variation shared by recent modern humans may indicate a particular developmental pattern. In conclusion, the nuchal morphology of different human groups is highly variable and may be caused by different factors including brain globularization and developmental plasticity. XC 2 shares similar nuchal morphology with Middle Pleistocene humans and Neanderthals, but these results are insufficient to fully resolve the taxonomic status of XC 2.}, }
@article {pmid36964200, year = {2023}, author = {Profico, A and Buzi, C and Di Vincenzo, F and Boggioni, M and Borsato, A and Boschian, G and Marchi, D and Micheli, M and Cecchi, JM and Samadelli, M and Tafuri, MA and Arsuaga, JL and Manzi, G}, title = {Virtual excavation and analysis of the early Neanderthal cranium from Altamura (Italy).}, journal = {Communications biology}, volume = {6}, number = {1}, pages = {316}, pmid = {36964200}, issn = {2399-3642}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Italy ; }, abstract = {Complete Neanderthal skeletons are almost unique findings. A very well-preserved specimen of this kind was discovered in 1993 in the deepest recesses of a karstic system near the town of Altamura in Southern Italy. We present here a detailed description of the cranium, after we virtually extracted it from the surrounding stalagmites and stalactites. The morphology of the Altamura cranium fits within the Neanderthal variability, though it retains features occurring in more archaic European samples. Some of these features were never observed in Homo neanderthalensis, i.e. in fossil specimens dated between 300 and 40 ka. Considering the U-Th age we previously obtained (>130 ka), the morphology of Altamura suggests that the archaic traits it retains may have been originated by geographic isolation of the early Neanderthal populations from Southern Italy.}, }
@article {pmid36950386, year = {2023}, author = {Skov, L and Coll Macià, M and Lucotte, EA and Cavassim, MIA and Castellano, D and Schierup, MH and Munch, K}, title = {Extraordinary selection on the human X chromosome associated with archaic admixture.}, journal = {Cell genomics}, volume = {3}, number = {3}, pages = {100274}, pmid = {36950386}, issn = {2666-979X}, abstract = {The X chromosome in non-African humans shows less diversity and less Neanderthal introgression than expected from neutral evolution. Analyzing 162 human male X chromosomes worldwide, we identified fourteen chromosomal regions where nearly identical haplotypes spanning several hundred kilobases are found at high frequencies in non-Africans. Genetic drift alone cannot explain the existence of these haplotypes, which must have been associated with strong positive selection in partial selective sweeps. Moreover, the swept haplotypes are entirely devoid of archaic ancestry as opposed to the non-swept haplotypes in the same genomic regions. The ancient Ust'-Ishim male dated at 45,000 before the present (BP) also carries the swept haplotypes, implying that selection on the haplotypes must have occurred between 45,000 and 55,000 years ago. Finally, we find that the chromosomal positions of sweeps overlap previously reported hotspots of selective sweeps in great ape evolution, suggesting a mechanism of selection unique to X chromosomes.}, }
@article {pmid36939312, year = {2023}, author = {Wei, X and Robles, CR and Pazokitoroudi, A and Ganna, A and Gusev, A and Durvasula, A and Gazal, S and Loh, PR and Reich, D and Sankararaman, S}, title = {The lingering effects of Neanderthal introgression on human complex traits.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {12}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {36939312}, issn = {2050-084X}, support = {R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM125055/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HG012287/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R35GM125055/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; R01 HG006399/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Multifactorial Inheritance ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genetics, Population ; Genome, Human ; }, abstract = {The genetic variants introduced into the ancestors of modern humans from interbreeding with Neanderthals have been suggested to contribute an unexpected extent to complex human traits. However, testing this hypothesis has been challenging due to the idiosyncratic population genetic properties of introgressed variants. We developed rigorous methods to assess the contribution of introgressed Neanderthal variants to heritable trait variation and applied these methods to analyze 235,592 introgressed Neanderthal variants and 96 distinct phenotypes measured in about 300,000 unrelated white British individuals in the UK Biobank. Introgressed Neanderthal variants make a significant contribution to trait variation (explaining 0.12% of trait variation on average). However, the contribution of introgressed variants tends to be significantly depleted relative to modern human variants matched for allele frequency and linkage disequilibrium (about 59% depletion on average), consistent with purifying selection on introgressed variants. Different from previous studies (McArthur et al., 2021), we find no evidence for elevated heritability across the phenotypes examined. We identified 348 independent significant associations of introgressed Neanderthal variants with 64 phenotypes. Previous work (Skov et al., 2020) has suggested that a majority of such associations are likely driven by statistical association with nearby modern human variants that are the true causal variants. Applying a customized fine-mapping led us to identify 112 regions across 47 phenotypes containing 4303 unique genetic variants where introgressed variants are highly likely to have a phenotypic effect. Examination of these variants reveals their substantial impact on genes that are important for the immune system, development, and metabolism.}, }
@article {pmid36925053, year = {2023}, author = {Chen, Z and Reynolds, RH and Pardiñas, AF and Gagliano Taliun, SA and van Rheenen, W and Lin, K and Shatunov, A and Gustavsson, EK and Fogh, I and Jones, AR and Robberecht, W and Corcia, P and Chiò, A and Shaw, PJ and Morrison, KE and Veldink, JH and van den Berg, LH and Shaw, CE and Powell, JF and Silani, V and Hardy, JA and Houlden, H and Owen, MJ and Turner, MR and Ryten, M and Al-Chalabi, A}, title = {The contribution of Neanderthal introgression and natural selection to neurodegenerative diseases.}, journal = {Neurobiology of disease}, volume = {180}, number = {}, pages = {106082}, doi = {10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106082}, pmid = {36925053}, issn = {1095-953X}, support = {MR/R024804/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; MR/L010305/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; TURNER/OCT18/989-797/MNDA_/Motor Neurone Disease Association/United Kingdom ; NIHR202421/DH_/Department of Health/United Kingdom ; MR/L501529/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; MR/N008324/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Neurodegenerative Diseases/genetics ; *Alzheimer Disease ; *Parkinson Disease ; *Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Humans are thought to be more susceptible to neurodegeneration than equivalently-aged primates. It is not known whether this vulnerability is specific to anatomically-modern humans or shared with other hominids. The contribution of introgressed Neanderthal DNA to neurodegenerative disorders remains uncertain. It is also unclear how common variants associated with neurodegenerative disease risk are maintained by natural selection in the population despite their deleterious effects. In this study, we aimed to quantify the genome-wide contribution of Neanderthal introgression and positive selection to the heritability of complex neurodegenerative disorders to address these questions. We used stratified-linkage disequilibrium score regression to investigate the relationship between five SNP-based signatures of natural selection, reflecting different timepoints of evolution, and genome-wide associated variants of the three most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. We found no evidence for enrichment of positively-selected SNPs in the heritability of Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, suggesting that common deleterious disease variants are unlikely to be maintained by positive selection. There was no enrichment of Neanderthal introgression in the SNP-heritability of these disorders, suggesting that Neanderthal admixture is unlikely to have contributed to disease risk. These findings provide insight into the origins of neurodegenerative disorders within the evolution of Homo sapiens and addresses a long-standing debate, showing that Neanderthal admixture is unlikely to have contributed to common genetic risk of neurodegeneration in anatomically-modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid36916962, year = {2024}, author = {Carretero, JM and García-González, R and Rodríguez, L and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Main anatomical characteristics of the hominin fossil humeri from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain: An update.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {307}, number = {7}, pages = {2519-2549}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25194}, pmid = {36916962}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {//Fundaci&#xf3;n Atapuerca/ ; PID2021-122355NB-C31//Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovaci&#xf3;n y Universidades (Spain)/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Biological Evolution ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Some of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) humeri have been previously studied and described elsewhere. Here we present an updated inventory and a review of the specimens recovered to the present day. The morphological key traits of the adult and subadult specimens are described, discussed, and illustrated. The SH humeri share with Neandertals many traits usually considered to be Neandertal specializations, thus, most of this morphological pattern is not exclusive to them. The variation found within fossil samples stresses the frequential nature of all these traits and in the specific case of the SH humeri, most of the traits considered as phylogenetically relevant are retained by their descendants, the Neandertals. Some traits are plesiomorphic for the entire genus Homo or are present in European hominins since the early Pleistocene. Finally, some other traits display high variability within the SH sample or different hominin samples and are of uncertain phylogenetic value. Altogether, this evidence is consistent with the hypothesis based on the overall cranial and postcranial morphology that the SH hominins are a sister group to the later Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid36893252, year = {2023}, author = {Herai, RH and Semendeferi, K and Muotri, AR}, title = {Comment on "Human TKTL1 implies greater neurogenesis in frontal neocortex of modern humans than Neanderthals".}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {379}, number = {6636}, pages = {eadf0602}, doi = {10.1126/science.adf0602}, pmid = {36893252}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Neocortex/growth &amp; development ; Neurogenesis/genetics ; *Transketolase ; }, abstract = {Pinson et al. (1) concluded that the modern human TKTL1 gene is responsible for an increased number of cortical neurons. We show that the "putative Neanderthal variant" of TKTL1 is present in modern human backgrounds. We dispute their argument that this genetic variant is responsible for brain differences in modern humans as opposed to Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid36871458, year = {2023}, author = {Jones, EL and Carvalho, M}, title = {Ecospaces of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition: The archaeofaunal record of the Iberian Peninsula.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {177}, number = {}, pages = {103331}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103331}, pmid = {36871458}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Archaeology ; Fossils ; Mammals ; }, abstract = {The rich archaeofaunal record of Iberia provides a means of exploring potential differences between Neanderthal and anatomically modern human interactions with the environment. In this article, we present an analysis of Iberian archaeofaunas dating between 60 and 30 ka to explore if, how, and why the faunal ecospaces of Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans differed. We test for impacts of chronology (as a proxy for Neanderthal and anatomically modern human exploitation) and environmental regionalization (using bioclimatic regions) on archaeofaunal composition, using a combination of cluster (unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages) and nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Our chronological analysis finds no significant compositional difference between Neanderthal and anatomically modern mammalian faunal assemblages; however, bioclimatic regionalization is stronger in anatomically modern human-affiliated assemblages than in Neanderthal ones, a finding that may indicate a difference in site occupation duration or foraging mobility between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid36833167, year = {2023}, author = {González-Álvarez, R and Rodríguez-Sánchez, IP and Barrera-Saldaña, HA}, title = {Gene Content and Coding Diversity of the Growth Hormone Loci of Apes.}, journal = {Genes}, volume = {14}, number = {2}, pages = {}, pmid = {36833167}, issn = {2073-4425}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Pregnancy ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Gorilla gorilla/genetics ; Hylobates/genetics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Base Sequence ; Phylogeny ; Placenta ; Growth Hormone ; *Human Growth Hormone/genetics ; Primates/genetics ; Pongo/genetics ; }, abstract = {The growth hormone (GH) locus has experienced a dramatic evolution in primates, becoming multigenic and diverse in anthropoids. Despite sequence information from a vast number of primate species, it has remained unclear how the multigene family was favored. We compared the structure and composition of apes' GH loci as a prerequisite to understanding their origin and possible evolutionary role. These thorough analyses of the GH loci of the chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan were done by resorting to previously sequenced bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) harboring them, as well as to their respective genome projects data available in GenBank. The GH loci of modern man, Neanderthal, gibbon, and wild boar were retrieved from GenBank. Coding regions, regulatory elements, and repetitive sequences were identified and compared among species. The GH loci of all the analyzed species are flanked by the genes CD79B (5') and ICAM-1 (3'). In man, Neanderthal, and chimpanzee, the loci were integrated by five almost indistinguishable genes; however, in the former two, they rendered three different hormones, and in the latter, four different proteins were derived. Gorilla exhibited six genes, gibbon seven, and orangutan four. The sequences of the proximal promoters, enhancers, P-elements, and a locus control region (LCR) were highly conserved. The locus evolution might have implicated duplications of the ancestral pituitary gene (GH-N) and subsequent diversification of the copies, leading to the placental single GH-V gene and the multiple CSH genes.}, }
@article {pmid36825485, year = {2024}, author = {Conde-Valverde, M and Martínez, I and Quam, R and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {The ear of the Sima de los Huesos hominins (Atapuerca, Spain).}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {307}, number = {7}, pages = {2410-2424}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25181}, pmid = {36825485}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {MCIN/AEI/10.13039/5011000110033//Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci&#xf3;n/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Spain ; *Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Biological Evolution ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Ear, Inner/anatomy &amp; histology ; Ear, Middle/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Previous studies on the morphology of the inner ear (semicircular canals and cochlea) in the Sima de los Huesos hominin sample have provided important results on the evolution of these structures in the Neandertal lineage. Similarly, studies of the anatomy of the external and middle ear cavities of the Sima de los Huesos hominins have also provided important data on the auditory capacities of this European Middle Pleistocene population. The present contribution provides unpublished data on three new middle ear variables from the Sima de los Huesos fossils and compares these data with values from samples of Pan troglodytes, Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. The results of this analysis are combined with those obtained in previous studies to characterize the anatomy of the outer, middle and inner ear in the Sima de los Huesos fossils, as well as to establish the order of appearance of the features that characterize Neandertal ears. As in other cranial structures, the ear region in the Sima de los Huesos show a mosaic evolutionary pattern that includes primitive traits, others shared exclusively with Neandertals, and others that are specific to the Sima de los Huesos hominins. Neandertals and Sima de los Huesos hominins share two exclusive features of the middle ear that are among the first characteristics of the Neandertal lineage: a long tympanic cavity and a large entrance and exit of the mastoid antrum. Along with these traits, the Sima de los Huesos hominins present two specialized features: large volumes of the tympanic cavity and the mastoid antrum. Finally, the middle ear of the Neandertals is characterized by the presence of small angles between the tympanic axis and the plane of the oval window.}, }
@article {pmid36823244, year = {2023}, author = {Wang, PY and Yang, Y and Shi, XQ and Chen, Y and Liu, SD and Wang, HY and Peng, T and Shi, Q and Zhang, W and Sun, C}, title = {Distilling functional variations for human UGT2B4 upstream region based on selection signals and implications for phenotypes of Neanderthal and Denisovan.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {3134}, pmid = {36823244}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Breast Neoplasms/genetics ; *Genetics, Population ; Genome, Human ; *Glucuronosyltransferase/genetics ; Hominidae/genetics ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Phenotype ; }, abstract = {Our previous work identified one region upstream human UGT2B4 (UDP glucuronosyltransferase family 2 member B4) which is associated with breast cancer and under balancing selection. However, the distribution, functional variation and molecular mechanism underlying breast cancer and balancing selection remain unclear. In current study, the two haplotypes with deep divergence are described by analyzing 1000 genomes project data and observed to be with high frequencies in all human populations. Through population genetics analysis and genome annotation, the potential functional region is identified and verified by reporter gene assay. Further mutagenesis indicates that the functional mutations are rs66862535 and rs68096061. Both SNPs can alter the interaction efficiency of transcription factor POU2F1 (POU class 2 homeobox 1). Through chromosome conformation capture, it is identified that the enhancer containing these two SNPs can interact with UGT2B4 promoter. Expression quantitative trait loci analysis indicates that UGT2B4 expression is dependent on the genotype of this locus. The common haplotype in human is lost in four genomes of archaic hominins, which suggests that Neanderthal and Denisovan should present relatively lower UGT2B4 expression and further higher steroid hormone level. This study provides new insight into the contribution of ancient population structure to human phenotypes.}, }
@article {pmid36821540, year = {2023}, author = {Ghasidian, E and Kafash, A and Kehl, M and Yousefi, M and Heydari-Guran, S}, title = {Modelling Neanderthals' dispersal routes from Caucasus towards east.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {18}, number = {2}, pages = {e0281978}, pmid = {36821540}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; *Hominidae ; Europe ; Archaeology ; }, abstract = {The study of the cultural materials associated with the Neanderthal physical remains from the sites in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Siberian Altai and adjacent areas documents two distinct techno-complexes of Micoquian and Mousterian. These findings potentially outline two dispersal routes for the Neanderthals out of Europe. Using data on topography and Palaeoclimate, we generated computer-based least-cost-path modelling for the Neanderthal dispersal routes from Caucasus towards the east. In this regard, two dispersal routes have been identified: A northern route from Greater Caucasus associated with Micoquian techno-complex towards Siberian Altai and a southern route from Lesser Caucasus associated with Mousterian towards Siberian Altai via the Southern Caspian Corridor. Based on archaeological, bio- and physio-geographical data, our model hypothesises that during climatic deterioration phases (e.g. MIS 4) the connection between Greater and Lesser Caucasus was limited. This issue perhaps resulted in the separate development and spread of two cultural groups of Micoquian and Mousterian with an input from two different population sources of Neanderthal influxes: eastern and southern Europe refugia for these two northern and southern dispersal routes respectively. Of these two, we focus on the southern dispersal route, for it comprises a 'rapid dispersal route' towards east. The significant location of the Southern Caspian corridor between high mountains of Alborz and the Caspian Sea, provided a special biogeographical zone and a refugium. This exceptional physio-geographic condition brings forward the Southern Caspian corridor as a potential place of admixture of different hominin species including Neanderthals and homo sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid36806751, year = {2023}, author = {Cazenave, M and Radovčić, D}, title = {The Neanderthal patellae from Krapina (Croatia): A comparative investigation of their endostructural conformation and distinctive features compared to the extant human condition.}, journal = {American journal of biological anthropology}, volume = {181}, number = {1}, pages = {118-129}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.24709}, pmid = {36806751}, issn = {2692-7691}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Patella/diagnostic imaging ; Croatia ; *Hominidae ; Knee Joint ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The Neanderthal patella differs from that of extant humans by being thicker anteroposteriorly and by having more symmetric medial and lateral articular facets. However, it is still unclear to what extent these differences affect knee kinesiology. We aim at assessing the endostructural conformation of Neanderthal patellae to reveal functionally related mechanical information comparatively to the extant human condition. In principle, we expect that the Neanderthal patella (i) shows a higher amount of cortical bone and (ii) a trabecular network organization distinct from the extant human condition.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: By using micro-focus X-ray tomography, we characterized the endostructure of six adult patellae from the OIS 5e Neanderthal site of Krapina, Croatia, the largest assemblage of human fossil patellae assessed so far, and compared their pattern to the configuration displayed by a sample of 22 recent humans.<br><br>RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The first expectation is rejected, indicating that the patellar bone might have not followed the trend of generalized gracilization of the human postcranial skeleton occurred through the Upper Pleistocene. The second prediction is at least partially supported. In Krapina the trabecular network differs from the comparative sample by showing a higher medial density and by lacking a proximal reinforcement. Such conformation indicates similar load patterns exerted in Neanderthals and extant humans by the vastus lateralis, but not by the vastus medialis, with implications on the mediolateral stabilization of the knee joint. However, the patterns of structural variation of the patellar network remain to be assessed in other Neanderthal samples.}, }
@article {pmid36796364, year = {2023}, author = {Corcoran, M and Chernyshev, M and Mandolesi, M and Narang, S and Kaduk, M and Ye, K and Sundling, C and Färnert, A and Kreslavsky, T and Bernhardsson, C and Larena, M and Jakobsson, M and Karlsson Hedestam, GB}, title = {Archaic humans have contributed to large-scale variation in modern human T cell receptor genes.}, journal = {Immunity}, volume = {56}, number = {3}, pages = {635-652.e6}, doi = {10.1016/j.immuni.2023.01.026}, pmid = {36796364}, issn = {1097-4180}, mesh = {Humans ; *Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics ; *Antigens ; Genes, T-Cell Receptor ; }, abstract = {Human T cell receptors (TCRs) are critical for mediating immune responses to pathogens and tumors and regulating self-antigen recognition. Yet, variations in the genes encoding TCRs remain insufficiently defined. Detailed analysis of expressed TCR alpha, beta, gamma, and delta genes in 45 donors from four human populations-African, East Asian, South Asian, and European-revealed 175 additional TCR variable and junctional alleles. Most of these contained coding changes and were present at widely differing frequencies in the populations, a finding confirmed using DNA samples from the 1000 Genomes Project. Importantly, we identified three Neanderthal-derived, introgressed TCR regions including a highly divergent TRGV4 variant, which mediated altered butyrophilin-like molecule 3 (BTNL3) ligand reactivity and was frequent in all modern Eurasian population groups. Our results demonstrate remarkable variation in TCR genes in both individuals and populations, providing a strong incentive for including allelic variation in studies of TCR function in human biology.}, }
@article {pmid36790758, year = {2022}, author = {Oxilia, G and Bortolini, E and Marciani, G and Menghi Sartorio, JC and Vazzana, A and Bettuzzi, M and Panetta, D and Arrighi, S and Badino, F and Figus, C and Lugli, F and Romandini, M and Silvestrini, S and Sorrentino, R and Moroni, A and Donadio, C and Morigi, MP and Slon, V and Piperno, M and Talamo, S and Collina, C and Benazzi, S}, title = {Direct evidence that late Neanderthal occupation precedes a technological shift in southwestern Italy.}, journal = {American journal of biological anthropology}, volume = {179}, number = {1}, pages = {18-30}, pmid = {36790758}, issn = {2692-7691}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Italy ; Europe ; Tooth, Deciduous ; Technology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: During the middle-to-upper Paleolithic transition (50,000 and 40,000 years ago), interaction between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens varied across Europe. In southern Italy, the association between Homo sapiens fossils and non-Mousterian material culture, as well as the mode and tempo of Neanderthal demise, are still vividly debated. In this research, we focus on the study of two human teeth by using 3D geometric morphometric approaches for a reliable taxonomical attribution as well as obtaining new radiometric dates on the archeological sequence.<br><br>MATERIAL AND METHODS: This work presents two lower deciduous molars uncovered at Roccia San Sebastiano (Mondragone-Caserta, Italy), stratigraphically associated with Mousterian (RSS1) and Uluzzian (RSS2) artifacts. To obtain a probabilistic attribution of the two RSS teeth to each reference taxa group composed of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, we performed and compared the performance of three supervised learning algorithms (flexible discriminant analysis, multiadaptive regression splines, and random forest) on both crown and cervical outlines obtained by virtual morphometric methods.<br><br>RESULTS: We show that RSS1, whose Mousterian context appears more recent than 44,800-44,230&#x2009;cal BP, can be attributed to a Neanderthal, while RSS2, found in an Uluzzian context that we dated to 42,640-42,380&#x2009;cal BP, is attributed to Homo sapiens.<br><br>DISCUSSION: This site yields the most recent direct evidence for a Neanderthal presence in southern Italy and confirms a later shift to upper Paleolithic technology in southwestern Italy compared to the earliest Uluzzian evidence at Grotta del Cavallo (Puglia, Italy).}, }
@article {pmid36776693, year = {2023}, author = {Hagymási, K}, title = {The Nobel prize in physiology and medicine - 2022.}, journal = {Structural chemistry}, volume = {34}, number = {2}, pages = {733-736}, pmid = {36776693}, issn = {1040-0400}, abstract = {The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to a Swedish geneticist, Svante Pääbo, for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution, for the sequencing of the genome of the Neanderthal, the discovery of a previously unknown hominin, Denisova, and the establishment of a new scientific discipline, paleogenomics.}, }
@article {pmid36763080, year = {2023}, author = {Jagoda, E and Marnetto, D and Senevirathne, G and Gonzalez, V and Baid, K and Montinaro, F and Richard, D and Falzarano, D and LeBlanc, EV and Colpitts, CC and Banerjee, A and Pagani, L and Capellini, TD}, title = {Regulatory dissection of the severe COVID-19 risk locus introgressed by Neanderthals.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {12}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {36763080}, issn = {2050-084X}, support = {IIR 16-003/HX/HSRD VA/United States ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *COVID-19/genetics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; SARS-CoV-2/genetics ; *Virus Diseases ; Genetics, Population ; }, abstract = {Individuals infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus present with a wide variety of symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to severe and even lethal outcomes. Past research has revealed a genetic haplotype on chromosome 3 that entered the human population via introgression from Neanderthals as the strongest genetic risk factor for the severe response to COVID-19. However, the specific variants along this introgressed haplotype that contribute to this risk and the biological mechanisms that are involved remain unclear. Here, we assess the variants present on the risk haplotype for their likelihood of driving the genetic predisposition to severe COVID-19 outcomes. We do this by first exploring their impact on the regulation of genes involved in COVID-19 infection using a variety of population genetics and functional genomics tools. We then perform a locus-specific massively parallel reporter assay to individually assess the regulatory potential of each allele on the haplotype in a multipotent immune-related cell line. We ultimately reduce the set of over 600 linked genetic variants to identify four introgressed alleles that are strong functional candidates for driving the association between this locus and severe COVID-19. Using reporter assays in the presence/absence of SARS-CoV-2, we find evidence that these variants respond to viral infection. These variants likely drive the locus' impact on severity by modulating the regulation of two critical chemokine receptor genes: CCR1 and CCR5. These alleles are ideal targets for future functional investigations into the interaction between host genomics and COVID-19 outcomes.}, }
@article {pmid36724231, year = {2023}, author = {Gaudzinski-Windheuser, S and Kindler, L and MacDonald, K and Roebroeks, W}, title = {Hunting and processing of straight-tusked elephants 125.000 years ago: Implications for Neanderthal behavior.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {9}, number = {5}, pages = {eadd8186}, pmid = {36724231}, issn = {2375-2548}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Elephants ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Hunting ; Mammals ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {Straight-tusked elephants (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) were the largest terrestrial mammals of the Pleistocene, present in Eurasian landscapes between 800,000 and 100,000 years ago. The occasional co-occurrence of their skeletal remains with stone tools has generated rich speculation about the nature of interactions between these elephants and Pleistocene humans: Did hominins scavenge on elephants that died a natural death or maybe even hunt some individuals? Our archaeozoological study of the largest P. antiquus assemblage known, excavated from 125,000-year-old lake deposits in Germany, shows that hunting of elephants weighing up to 13 metric tons was part of the cultural repertoire of Last Interglacial Neanderthals there, over >2000 years, many dozens of generations. The intensity and nutritional yields of these well-documented butchering activities, combined with previously reported data from this Neumark-Nord site complex, suggest that Neanderthals were less mobile and operated within social units substantially larger than commonly envisaged.}, }
@article {pmid36719913, year = {2023}, author = {Ben-Dor, M and Barkai, R}, title = {A limited protein high-fat diet may explain the low δ[66]Zn conundrum in the Neandertal from Gabasa.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {120}, number = {6}, pages = {e2218081120}, pmid = {36719913}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects ; Zinc ; Diet ; }, }
@article {pmid36712807, year = {2022}, author = {Williams, SA and Zeng, I and Paton, GJ and Yelverton, C and Dunham, C and Ostrofsky, KR and Shukman, S and Avilez, MV and Eyre, J and Loewen, T and Prang, TC and Meyer, MR}, title = {Inferring lumbar lordosis in Neandertals and other hominins.}, journal = {PNAS nexus}, volume = {1}, number = {1}, pages = {pgab005}, pmid = {36712807}, issn = {2752-6542}, abstract = {Lumbar lordosis is a key adaptation to bipedal locomotion in the human lineage. Dorsoventral spinal curvatures enable the body's center of mass to be positioned above the hip, knee, and ankle joints, and minimize the muscular effort required for postural control and locomotion. Previous studies have suggested that Neandertals had less lordotic (ventrally convex) lumbar columns than modern humans, which contributed to historical perceptions of postural and locomotor differences between the two groups. Quantifying lower back curvature in extinct hominins is entirely reliant upon bony correlates of overall lordosis, since the latter is significantly influenced by soft tissue structures (e.g. intervertebral discs). Here, we investigate sexual dimorphism, ancestry, and lifestyle effects on lumbar vertebral body wedging and inferior articular facet angulation, two features previously shown to be significantly correlated with overall lordosis in living individuals, in a large sample of modern humans and Neandertals. Our results demonstrate significant differences between postindustrial cadaveric remains and archaeological samples of people that lived preindustrial lifestyles. We suggest these differences are related to activity and other aspects of lifestyle rather than innate population (ancestry) differences. Neandertal bony correlates of lumbar lordosis are significantly different from all human samples except preindustrial males. Therefore, although Neandertals demonstrate more bony kyphotic wedging than most modern humans, we cast doubt on proposed locomotor and postural differences between the two lineages based on inferred lumbar lordosis (or lack thereof), and we recommend future research compare fossils to modern humans from varied populations and not just recent, postindustrial samples.}, }
@article {pmid36702939, year = {2023}, author = {Baquedano, E and Arsuaga, JL and Pérez-González, A and Laplana, C and Márquez, B and Huguet, R and Gómez-Soler, S and Villaescusa, L and Galindo-Pellicena, M&#xc1; and Rodríguez, L and García-González, R and Ortega, MC and Martín-Perea, DM and Ortega, AI and Hernández-Vivanco, L and Ruiz-Liso, G and Gómez-Hernanz, J and Alonso-Martín, JI and Abrunhosa, A and Moclán, A and Casado, AI and Vegara-Riquelme, M and Álvarez-Fernández, A and Domínguez-García, &#xc1;C and Álvarez-Lao, DJ and García, N and Sevilla, P and Blain, HA and Ruiz-Zapata, B and Gil-García, MJ and Álvarez-Vena, A and Sanz, T and Quam, R and Higham, T}, title = {A symbolic Neanderthal accumulation of large herbivore crania.}, journal = {Nature human behaviour}, volume = {7}, number = {3}, pages = {342-352}, pmid = {36702939}, issn = {2397-3374}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Herbivory ; Skull ; Archaeology ; Spain ; Mammals ; }, abstract = {This work examines the possible behaviour of Neanderthal groups at the Cueva Des-Cubierta (central Spain) via the analysis of the latter's archaeological assemblage. Alongside evidence of Mousterian lithic industry, Level 3 of the cave infill was found to contain an assemblage of mammalian bone remains dominated by the crania of large ungulates, some associated with small hearths. The scarcity of post-cranial elements, teeth, mandibles and maxillae, along with evidence of anthropogenic modification of the crania (cut and percussion marks), indicates that the carcasses of the corresponding animals were initially processed outside the cave, and the crania were later brought inside. A second round of processing then took place, possibly related to the removal of the brain. The continued presence of crania throughout Level 3 indicates that this behaviour was recurrent during this level's formation. This behaviour seems to have no subsistence-related purpose but to be more symbolic in its intent.}, }
@article {pmid36691623, year = {2023}, author = {de March, CA and Matsunami, H and Abe, M and Cobb, M and Hoover, KC}, title = {Genetic and functional odorant receptor variation in the Homo lineage.}, journal = {iScience}, volume = {26}, number = {1}, pages = {105908}, pmid = {36691623}, issn = {2589-0042}, abstract = {Humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans independently adapted to a wide range of geographic environments and their associated food odors. Using ancient DNA sequences, we explored the in vitro function of thirty odorant receptor genes in the genus Homo. Our extinct relatives had highly conserved olfactory receptor sequence, but humans did not. Variations in odorant receptor protein sequence and structure may have produced variation in odor detection and perception. Variants led to minimal changes in specificity but had more influence on functional sensitivity. The few Neanderthal variants disturbed function, whereas Denisovan variants increased sensitivity to sweet and sulfur odors. Geographic adaptations may have produced greater functional variation in our lineage, increasing our olfactory repertoire and expanding our adaptive capacity. Our survey of olfactory genes and odorant receptors suggests that our genus has a shared repertoire with possible local ecological adaptations.}, }
@article {pmid36681659, year = {2022}, author = {Zhou, Z and M A Swagemakers, S and S Lourens, M and Suratannon, N and J van der Spek, P and A S H Dalm, V and A Dik, W and IJspeert, H and van Hagen, PM}, title = {Did variants in inborn errors of immunity genes contribute to the extinction of Neanderthals?.}, journal = {Asian Pacific journal of allergy and immunology}, volume = {40}, number = {4}, pages = {422-434}, doi = {10.12932/AP-251022-1489}, pmid = {36681659}, issn = {0125-877X}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Genome ; Genome, Human ; Membrane Proteins/genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Neanderthals were a species of archaic humans that became extinct around 40,000 years ago. Modern humans have inherited 1-6% of Neanderthal DNA as a result of interbreeding. These inherited Neanderthal genes have paradoxical influences, while some can provide protection to viral infections, some others are associated with autoimmune/auto-inflammatory diseases.<br><br>OBJECTIVE: We aim to investigate whether genetic variants with strong detrimental effects on the function of the immune system could have potentially contributed to the extinction of the Neanderthal population.<br><br>METHODS: We used the publically available genome information from an Altai Neanderthal and filtered for potentially damaging variants present in genes associated with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) and checked whether these variants were present in the genomes of the Denisovan, Vindija and Chagyrskaya Neanderthals.<br><br>RESULTS: We identified 24 homozygous variants and 15 heterozygous variants in IEI-related genes in the Altai Neanderthal. Two homozygous variants in the UNC13D gene and one variant in the MOGS gene were present in all archaic genomes. Defects in the UNC13D gene are known to cause a severe and often fatal disease called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocystosis (HLH). One of these variants p.(N943S) has been reported in patients with HLH. Variants in MOGS are associated with glycosylation defects in the immune system affecting the susceptibility for infections.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Although the exact functional impact of these three variants needs further elucidation, we speculate that they could have resulted in an increased susceptibility to severe diseases and may have contributed to the extinction of Neanderthals after exposure to specific infections.}, }
@article {pmid36652426, year = {2023}, author = {Berlioz, E and Capdepon, E and Discamps, E}, title = {A long-term perspective on Neanderthal environment and subsistence: Insights from the dental microwear texture analysis of hunted ungulates at Combe-Grenal (Dordogne, France).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {18}, number = {1}, pages = {e0278395}, pmid = {36652426}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Cattle ; *Neanderthals ; *Bison ; *Deer ; France ; Ecology ; Ruminants ; *Reindeer ; Fossils ; }, abstract = {Large bovids and cervids constituted major components of the European Middle Palaeolithic faunas and hence a key resource for Neanderthal populations. In paleoenvironmental reconstructions, red deer (Cervus elaphus) occurrence is classically considered as a tree-cover indicator while Bovinae (Bison priscus and Bos primigenius) and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) occurrences are typically associated with open landscapes. However, insights into the ecology of extant ungulate populations show a more complex reality. Exploring the diet of past ungulates allows to better comprehend the hunting strategies of Palaeolithic populations and to reconstruct the modifications through time of past landscapes. By reflecting what animals have eaten during the last days or weeks of their life, dental microwear textures of herbivores link a population and its environment. Here we analyzed, via Dental Microwear Texture Analysis (DMTA), the diet of 50 Bos/Bison, 202 R. tarandus and 116 C. elaphus preyed upon by the Neanderthals that occupied Combe-Grenal rock-shelter, one of the most important Mousterian archaeo-sequences in southwestern France considering its long stratigraphy, abundance of faunal remains and the variations perceptible in Palaeolithic material culture. Grazers and mixed-feeders are the most represented dietary categories among Combe-Grenal's guild of herbivores, highlighting the availability, along the sequence, of open landscapes. The absence of clear changes in the use of plant resources by hunted ungulates through time, even though palaeoenvironmental changes were well-documented by previous studies along the sequence, is interpreted as resulting from the hunting of non-randomly selected prey by Neanderthals, preferentially in open environments. Thus, these results provide further insight into the hunting strategies of Neanderthals and modify our perception of potential links between subsistence and material culture. Combe-Grenal hunters "stayed in the open" through millennia, and were not forced to switch to hunting tactics and material technology adapted to close encounters in forested environments.}, }
@article {pmid36625544, year = {2023}, author = {Aqil, A and Speidel, L and Pavlidis, P and Gokcumen, O}, title = {Balancing selection on genomic deletion polymorphisms in humans.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {12}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {36625544}, issn = {2050-084X}, support = {220457/Z/20/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Genome ; Genomics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {A key question in biology is why genomic variation persists in a population for extended periods. Recent studies have identified examples of genomic deletions that have remained polymorphic in the human lineage for hundreds of millennia, ostensibly owing to balancing selection. Nevertheless, genome-wide investigation of ancient and possibly adaptive deletions remains an imperative exercise. Here, we demonstrate an excess of polymorphisms in present-day humans that predate the modern human-Neanderthal split (ancient polymorphisms), which cannot be explained solely by selectively neutral scenarios. We analyze the adaptive mechanisms that underlie this excess in deletion polymorphisms. Using a previously published measure of balancing selection, we show that this excess of ancient deletions is largely owing to balancing selection. Based on the absence of signatures of overdominance, we conclude that it is a rare mode of balancing selection among ancient deletions. Instead, more complex scenarios involving spatially and temporally variable selective pressures are likely more common mechanisms. Our results suggest that balancing selection resulted in ancient deletions harboring disproportionately more exonic variants with GWAS (genome-wide association studies) associations. We further found that ancient deletions are significantly enriched for traits related to metabolism and immunity. As a by-product of our analysis, we show that deletions are, on average, more deleterious than single nucleotide variants. We can now argue that not only is a vast majority of common variants shared among human populations, but a considerable portion of biologically relevant variants has been segregating among our ancestors for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years.}, }
@article {pmid39017102, year = {2023}, author = {Leonard, D}, title = {Quick Hits: Synchronizing chimpanzees in Zambia, a plankton-trapping ecosystem in the Maldives, Neandertal teeth from Spain, and much more in this month's Quick Hits.}, journal = {Scientific American}, volume = {328}, number = {1}, pages = {20}, doi = {10.1038/scientificamerican0123-20a}, pmid = {39017102}, issn = {0036-8733}, }
@article {pmid36576952, year = {2022}, author = {Peresani, M}, title = {Inspecting human evolution from a cave. Late Neanderthals and early sapiens at Grotta di Fumane: present state and outlook.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {100}, number = {}, pages = {71-107}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.10016}, pmid = {36576952}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Fossils ; Europe ; *Hominidae ; Paleontology ; Archaeology ; }, abstract = {Of the many critical phases of human evolution, one of the most investigated is the transition from the Middle to the Upper Palaeolithic with the pivotal bio-cultural substitution of Neanderthals by Homo sapiens in Western Eurasia. The complexity of this over ten thousands years phase raises from the ensemble of evidence ascribed to the diverse adaptations expressed by Neanderthals and the first representatives of our species. In countless archaeological records Neanderthals left clear traces of a cultural variability dotted with innovations in the technology of stone and bone tools, alongside with manifestations in the range of the symbolic sphere. Together with other aspects of daily life, this evidence contributes shedding light on the cognitive aptitudes of those hominins and reassessing gaps in Pleistocene human diversities. Among archaeological contexts, the cave of Fumane in the Monti Lessini (Veneto Pre-Alps, northeastern Italy) is a key site. It is positioned along the potential trajectory of hominins moving into southern Europe from eastern and southeastern regions and includes a finely layered sedimentary sequence with cultural layers ascribed to the Mousterian, Uluzzian, Aurignacian and Gravettian. The ensemble constitutes one of the most complete, detailed and dated continental stratigraphic series from a segment of the late Pleistocene between 50 and 30 ka cal BP in a cave context of Southern Europe. Assessments based on sedimentological and palaeontological record provide indicators for framing Neanderthals in their respective ecological contexts since the late Middle Pleistocene until their demise during MIS3. On-going research is producing data ascribable to the human ecological relations and the interaction with specific natural resources, thus contributing to shed light on the complexity of Neanderthal behavior. Thanks to the high-resolution archaeological record of the earliest appearances of Homo sapiens, Fumane also provides clues to compare life, subsistence, and cultures between these Pleistocene hominins for comprehensive reasonings on our unicity.}, }
@article {pmid36564491, year = {2022}, author = {Bañuls-Cardona, S and Blasco, R and Rosell, J and Rufà, A and Vallverdú, J and Rivals, F}, title = {New quantitative method for dental wear analysis of small mammals.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {22231}, pmid = {36564491}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Mice ; Fossils ; Mammals ; Molar ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Tooth Wear ; }, abstract = {The application of dental wear study to murids has always been ruled out because of their omnivorous diet, which does not leave significant wear on the dentition. Nevertheless, in our work we select Apodemus sylvaticus (wood mouse) as the object of study for several reasons: its seasonal diet, its ability to resist the gastric juices of predators, the fact that it has not undergone major morphological changes since its appearance 3 million years ago, and its widespread distribution throughout much of Europe and part of Africa. The importance of this work lies in the modifications we make to the dental wear methodology for its application to murids. These enable us to obtain quantitative data on the entire tooth surface. The sample chosen was a total of 75 lower first molars from two different archaeological sites: Teixoneres cave and Xaragalls cave. The chronology of the samples chosen ranges from Marine Isotope Stages 5-3. The data obtained reveal that the part of the tooth that shows most wear is the distal part (entoconid). Furthermore, the results provide us with relevant information on the types of accumulations of remains in the caves (short vs. long term), as well as on the seasonality of Neanderthal occupations during the Upper Pleistocene (MIS5-3) of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula.}, }
@article {pmid36560850, year = {2023}, author = {Yermakovich, D and Pankratov, V and Võsa, U and Yunusbayev, B and ,  and Dannemann, M}, title = {Long-range regulatory effects of Neandertal DNA in modern humans.}, journal = {Genetics}, volume = {223}, number = {3}, pages = {}, pmid = {36560850}, issn = {1943-2631}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genome ; Phenotype ; DNA/genetics ; }, abstract = {The admixture between modern humans and Neandertals has resulted in ∼2% of the genomes of present-day non-Africans being composed of Neandertal DNA. Introgressed Neandertal DNA has been demonstrated to significantly affect the transcriptomic landscape in people today and via this molecular mechanism influence phenotype variation as well. However, little is known about how much of that regulatory impact is mediated through long-range regulatory effects that have been shown to explain ∼20% of expression variation. Here we identified 60 transcription factors (TFs) with their top cis-eQTL SNP in GTEx being of Neandertal ancestry and predicted long-range Neandertal DNA-induced regulatory effects by screening for the predicted target genes of those TFs. We show that the TFs form a significantly connected protein-protein interaction network. Among them are JUN and PRDM5, two brain-expressed TFs that have their predicted target genes enriched in regions devoid of Neandertal DNA. Archaic cis-eQTLs for the 60 TFs include multiple candidates for local adaptation, some of which show significant allele frequency increases over the last ∼10,000 years. A large proportion of the cis-eQTL-associated archaic SNPs have additional associations with various immune traits, schizophrenia, blood cell type composition and anthropometric measures. Finally, we demonstrate that our results are consistent with those of Neandertal DNA-associated empirical trans-eQTLs. Our results suggest that Neandertal DNA significantly influences regulatory networks, that its regulatory reach goes beyond the 40% of genomic sequence it still covers in present-day non-Africans and that via the investigated mechanism Neandertal DNA influences the phenotypic variation in people today.}, }
@article {pmid36511798, year = {2022}, author = {Stringer, C}, title = {The development of ideas about a recent African origin for Homo sapiens.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {100}, number = {}, pages = {5-18}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.10009}, pmid = {36511798}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Biological Evolution ; *Hominidae/genetics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Fossils ; France ; }, abstract = {In this contribution I will review the development of ideas about a recent African origin for our species over the last 50 years, starting from the time of my PhD in the early 1970s. I will examine the instructive and quite different interpretations placed on the 1979 discovery of a partial Neanderthal skeleton associated with a Châtelperronian industry at the rock shelter of St-Césaire in France, and then focus on the crucial years from 1987-1989, including the so-called 'Human Revolution' conference of 1987, and my 1988 Science paper with Peter Andrews: 'Genetic and Fossil Evidence for the Origin of Modern Humans'. Following the historical review, I will assess the status of five proposed models for the evolution of derived Homo sapiens: Recent African Origin (RAO); RAO and Hybridisation (RAOH); Assimilation (AM); Multiregional Evolution (MRE); and Braided Stream (BS). I conclude that a recent African origin model with hybridization (RAOH) is the best supported from the fossil and genetic evidence.}, }
@article {pmid36503519, year = {2022}, author = {Taravella Oill, AM and Buetow, KH and Wilson, MA}, title = {The role of Neanderthal introgression in liver cancer.}, journal = {BMC medical genomics}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, pages = {255}, pmid = {36503519}, issn = {1755-8794}, support = {R35 GM124827/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35GM124827/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Haplotypes ; Alleles ; *Liver Neoplasms/genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Neanderthal introgressed DNA has been linked to different normal and disease traits including immunity and metabolism-two important functions that are altered in liver cancer. However, there is limited understanding of the relationship between Neanderthal introgression and liver cancer risk. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Neanderthal introgression and liver cancer risk.<br><br>METHODS: Using germline and somatic DNA and tumor RNA from liver cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas, along with ancestry-match germline DNA from unaffected individuals from the 1000 Genomes Resource, and allele specific expression data from normal liver tissue from The Genotype-Tissue Expression project we investigated whether Neanderthal introgression impacts cancer etiology. Using a previously generated set of Neanderthal alleles, we identified Neanderthal introgressed haplotypes. We then tested whether somatic mutations are enriched or depleted on Neanderthal introgressed haplotypes compared to modern haplotypes. We also computationally assessed whether somatic mutations have a functional effect or show evidence of regulating expression of Neanderthal haplotypes. Finally, we compared patterns of Neanderthal introgression in liver cancer patients and the general population.<br><br>RESULTS: We find Neanderthal introgressed haplotypes exhibit an excess of somatic mutations compared to modern haplotypes. Variant Effect Predictor analysis revealed that most of the somatic mutations on these Neanderthal introgressed haplotypes are not functional. We did observe expression differences of Neanderthal alleles between tumor and normal for four genes that also showed a pattern of enrichment of somatic mutations on Neanderthal haplotypes. However, gene expression was similar between liver cancer patients with modern ancestry and liver cancer patients with Neanderthal ancestry at these genes. Provocatively, when analyzing all genes, we find evidence of Neanderthal introgression regulating expression in tumor from liver cancer patients in two genes, ARK1C4 and OAS1. Finally, we find that most genes do not show a difference in the proportion of Neanderthal introgression between liver cancer patients and the general population.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that Neanderthal introgression provides opportunity for somatic mutations to accumulate, and that some Neanderthal introgression may impact liver cancer risk.}, }
@article {pmid36493597, year = {2023}, author = {Keeling, BA and Quam, R and Martínez, I and Arsuaga, JL and Maroto, J}, title = {Reassessment of the human mandible from Banyoles (Girona, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {174}, number = {}, pages = {103291}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103291}, pmid = {36493597}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Spain ; Proteomics ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Biological Evolution ; }, abstract = {Since the discovery of a human mandible in 1887 near the present-day city of Banyoles, northeastern Spain, researchers have generally emphasized its archaic features, including the lack of chin structures, and suggested affinities with the Neandertals or European Middle Pleistocene (Chibanian) specimens. Uranium-series and electron spin resonance dating suggest the mandible dates to the Late Pleistocene (Tarantian), approximately ca. 45-66 ka. In this study, we reassessed the taxonomic affinities of the Banyoles mandible by comparing it to samples of Middle Pleistocene fossils from Africa and Europe, Neandertals, Early and Upper Paleolithic modern humans, and recent modern humans. We evaluated the frequencies and expressions of morphological features and performed a three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis on a virtual reconstruction of Banyoles to capture overall mandibular shape. Our results revealed no derived Neandertal morphological features in Banyoles. While a principal component analysis based on Euclidean distances from the first two principal components clearly grouped Banyoles with both fossil and recent Homo sapiens individuals, an analysis of the Procrustes residuals demonstrated that Banyoles did not fit into any of the comparative groups. The lack of Neandertal features in Banyoles is surprising considering its Late Pleistocene age. A consideration of the Middle Pleistocene fossil record in Europe and southwest Asia suggests that Banyoles is unlikely to represent a late-surviving Middle Pleistocene population. The lack of chin structures also complicates an assignment to H. sapiens, although early fossil H. sapiens do show somewhat variable development of the chin structures. Thus, Banyoles represents a non-Neandertal Late Pleistocene European individual and highlights the continuing signal of diversity in the hominin fossil record. The present situation makes Banyoles a prime candidate for ancient DNA or proteomic analyses, which may shed additional light on its taxonomic affinities.}, }
@article {pmid36480515, year = {2022}, author = {Vespasiani, DM and Jacobs, GS and Cook, LE and Brucato, N and Leavesley, M and Kinipi, C and Ricaut, FX and Cox, MP and Gallego Romero, I}, title = {Denisovan introgression has shaped the immune system of present-day Papuans.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {18}, number = {12}, pages = {e1010470}, pmid = {36480515}, issn = {1553-7404}, mesh = {Humans ; *Immune System ; *Hominidae/genetics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Papua New Guinea ; *Evolution, Molecular ; }, abstract = {Modern humans have admixed with multiple archaic hominins. Papuans, in particular, owe up to 5% of their genome to Denisovans, a sister group to Neanderthals whose remains have only been identified in Siberia and Tibet. Unfortunately, the biological and evolutionary significance of these introgression events remain poorly understood. Here we investigate the function of both Denisovan and Neanderthal alleles characterised within a set of 56 genomes from Papuan individuals. By comparing the distribution of archaic and non-archaic variants we assess the consequences of archaic admixture across a multitude of different cell types and functional elements. We observe an enrichment of archaic alleles within cis-regulatory elements and transcribed regions of the genome, with Denisovan variants strongly affecting elements active within immune-related cells. We identify 16,048 and 10,032 high-confidence Denisovan and Neanderthal variants that fall within annotated cis-regulatory elements and with the potential to alter the affinity of multiple transcription factors to their cognate DNA motifs, highlighting a likely mechanism by which introgressed DNA can impact phenotypes. Lastly, we experimentally validate these predictions by testing the regulatory potential of five Denisovan variants segregating within Papuan individuals, and find that two are associated with a significant reduction of transcriptional activity in plasmid reporter assays. Together, these data provide support for a widespread contribution of archaic DNA in shaping the present levels of modern human genetic diversity, with different archaic ancestries potentially affecting multiple phenotypic traits within non-Africans.}, }
@article {pmid36471017, year = {2023}, author = {Saraiva, LR}, title = {The Neanderthal inside us.}, journal = {Nature reviews. Genetics}, volume = {24}, number = {3}, pages = {142}, pmid = {36471017}, issn = {1471-0064}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals ; *Hominidae ; Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; }, }
@article {pmid36467077, year = {2022}, author = {Schäfer, W and Stähler, T and Pinto Espinoza, C and Danquah, W and Knop, JH and Rissiek, B and Haag, F and Koch-Nolte, F}, title = {Origin, distribution, and function of three frequent coding polymorphisms in the gene for the human P2X7 ion channel.}, journal = {Frontiers in pharmacology}, volume = {13}, number = {}, pages = {1033135}, pmid = {36467077}, issn = {1663-9812}, abstract = {P2X7, an ion channel gated by extracellular ATP, is widely expressed on the plasma membrane of immune cells and plays important roles in inflammation and apoptosis. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms have been identified in the human P2RX7 gene. In contrast to other members of the P2X family, non-synonymous polymorphisms in P2X7 are common. Three of these occur at overall frequencies of more than 25% and affect residues in the extracellular "head"-domain of P2X7 (155 Y/H), its "lower body" (270 R/H), and its "tail" in the second transmembrane domain (348 T/A). Comparison of the P2X7 orthologues of human and other great apes indicates that the ancestral allele is Y-R-T (at 155-270-348). Interestingly, each single amino acid variant displays lower ATP-sensitivity than the ancestral allele. The originally published reference sequence of human P2X7, often referred to as "wildtype," differs from the ancestral allele at all three positions, i.e. H-H-A. The 1,000 Genome Project determined the sequences of both alleles of 2,500 human individuals, including roughly 500 persons from each of the five major continental regions. This rich resource shows that the ancestral alleles Y155, R270, and T348 occur in all analyzed human populations, albeit at strikingly different frequencies in various subpopulations (e.g., 25%-59% for Y155, 59%-77% for R270, and 13%-47% for T348). BLAST analyses of ancient human genome sequences uncovered several homozygous carriers of variant P2X7 alleles, possibly reflecting a high degree of inbreeding, e.g., H-R-T for a 50.000 year old Neanderthal, H-R-A for a 24.000 year old Siberian, and Y-R-A for a 7,000 year old mesolithic European. In contrast, most present-day individuals co-express two copies of P2X7 that differ in one or more amino acids at positions 155, 270, and 348. Our results improve the understanding of how P2X7 structure affects its function and suggest the importance of considering P2X7 variants of participants when designing clinical trials targeting P2X7.}, }
@article {pmid36465121, year = {2022}, author = {Ma, X and Xu, S}, title = {Archaic introgression contributed to the pre-agriculture adaptation of vitamin B1 metabolism in East Asia.}, journal = {iScience}, volume = {25}, number = {12}, pages = {105614}, pmid = {36465121}, issn = {2589-0042}, abstract = {Thiamine (vitamin B1) is an essential micronutrient. Genes involved in thiamine metabolisms, such as SLC19A2, SLC35F3, and SLC35F4, were assumed to be underlying positive selection in East Asians, but the detailed mechanism remains unknown. Here, we analyzed genome data of 3,823 individuals representing 223 global populations and identified the adaptive haplotypes at thiamine genes. Interestingly, the putative adaptive haplotype at SLC35F4 was of Neanderthal ancestry, while that at SLC35F3 was also likely of archaic origins. Leveraging new methods and available ancient DNA data, we further demonstrated that the beneficial haplotypes reached a high frequency at least 10,000 years ago and are maintained persistently in present-day East Asians. We argue that pathogens, rather than agriculture developed ∼10,000 years ago in East Asia, were likely the initial driving force of the putative positive selection. Notably, the first American people did not carry the putative adaptive haplotype at SLC35F4.}, }
@article {pmid36455404, year = {2023}, author = {Velez, AD and Quam, R and Conde-Valverde, M and Martínez, I and Lorenzo, C and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Geometric morphometric analysis of the bony labyrinth of the Sima de los Huesos hominins.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {174}, number = {}, pages = {103280}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103280}, pmid = {36455404}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Hominidae ; *Neanderthals ; Phylogeny ; *Ear, Inner ; Cochlea ; Fossils ; }, abstract = {The bony labyrinth contains phylogenetic information that can be used to determine interspecific differences between fossil hominins. The present study conducted a comparative 3D geometric morphometric analysis on the bony labyrinth of the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos (SH) hominins. The findings of this study corroborate previous multivariate analyses of the SH hominin bony labyrinth. The analysis of the semicircular canals revealed the SH hominin canal morphologies appear closer to those of the Neandertals than to those of Homo sapiens. This is attributable to a Neandertal-like ovoid anterior canal, and mediolaterally expanded, circular posterior canal. However, the SH hominins lack the increased torsion in the anterior canal and the inferior orientation of the lateral canal seen in Neandertals. The results of the cochlear analysis indicated that, although there is some overlap, there are notable differences between the SH hominins and the Neandertals. In particular, the SH hominin cochlea appears more constricted than in Neandertals in the first and second turns. A principal component analysis of the full bony labyrinth separated most SH hominins from the Neandertals, which largely clustered with modern humans. A covariance ratio analysis found a significant degree of modularity within the bony labyrinth of all three groups, with the SH hominins and Neandertals displaying the highest modularity. This modular signal in the bony labyrinth may be attributable to different selective pressures related to locomotion and audition. Overall, the results of this study confirm previous suggestions that the semicircular canals in the SH hominins are somewhat derived toward Neandertals, while their cochlea is largely primitive within the genus Homo.}, }
@article {pmid36455403, year = {2023}, author = {Britton, K and Jimenez, EL and Le Corre, M and Pederzani, S and Daujeard, C and Jaouen, K and Vettese, D and Tütken, T and Hublin, JJ and Moncel, MH}, title = {Multi-isotope zooarchaeological investigations at Abri du Maras: The paleoecological and paleoenvironmental context of Neanderthal subsistence strategies in the Rhône Valley during MIS 3.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {174}, number = {}, pages = {103292}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103292}, pmid = {36455403}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; Horses ; *Neanderthals ; *Deer ; *Reindeer ; *Bison ; *Hominidae ; Oxygen Isotopes/analysis ; Archaeology ; Fossils ; }, abstract = {The exploitation of mid- and large-sized herbivores (ungulates) was central to hominin subsistence across Late Pleistocene Europe. Reconstructing the paleoecology of prey-taxa is key to better understanding procurement strategies, decisions and behaviors, and the isotope analysis of faunal bones and teeth found at archaeological sites represent a powerful means of accessing information about past faunal behaviors. These isotope zooarchaeological approaches also have a near-unique ability to reveal environmental conditions contemporary to the human activities that produced these remains. Here, we present the results of a multi-isotope, multitissue study of ungulate remains from the Middle Paleolithic site of Abri du Maras, southern France, providing new insights into the living landscapes of the Rhône Valley during MIS 3 (level 4.2 = 55 ± 2 to 42 ± 3 ka; level 4.1 = 46 ± 3 to 40 ± 3 ka). Isotope data (carbon, nitrogen) reveal the dietary niches of different ungulate taxa, including the now-extinct giant deer (Megaloceros). Oxygen isotope data are consistent with a mild seasonal climate during level 4.2, where horse (Equus), bison (Bison), and red deer (Cervus elaphus) were exploited year-round. Strontium and sulfur isotope analyses provide new evidence for behavioral plasticity in Late Pleistocene European reindeer (Rangifer) between level 4.2 and level 4.1, indicating a change from the migratory to the sedentary ecotype. In level 4.1, the strong seasonal nature of reindeer exploitation, combined with their nonmigratory behavior, is consistent with a seasonally restricted use of the site by Neanderthals at that time or the preferential hunting of reindeer when in peak physical condition during the autumn.}, }
@article {pmid36423581, year = {2022}, author = {Mangan, RJ and Alsina, FC and Mosti, F and Sotelo-Fonseca, JE and Snellings, DA and Au, EH and Carvalho, J and Sathyan, L and Johnson, GD and Reddy, TE and Silver, DL and Lowe, CB}, title = {Adaptive sequence divergence forged new neurodevelopmental enhancers in humans.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {185}, number = {24}, pages = {4587-4603.e23}, pmid = {36423581}, issn = {1097-4172}, support = {R01 NS083897/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 NS110388/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 HG011332/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Genome, Human ; Genomics ; }, abstract = {Searches for the genetic underpinnings of uniquely human traits have focused on human-specific divergence in conserved genomic regions, which reflects adaptive modifications of existing functional elements. However, the study of conserved regions excludes functional elements that descended from previously neutral regions. Here, we demonstrate that the fastest-evolved regions of the human genome, which we term "human ancestor quickly evolved regions" (HAQERs), rapidly diverged in an episodic burst of directional positive selection prior to the human-Neanderthal split, before transitioning to constraint within hominins. HAQERs are enriched for bivalent chromatin states, particularly in gastrointestinal and neurodevelopmental tissues, and genetic variants linked to neurodevelopmental disease. We developed a multiplex, single-cell in vivo enhancer assay to discover that rapid sequence divergence in HAQERs generated hominin-unique enhancers in the developing cerebral cortex. We propose that a lack of pleiotropic constraints and elevated mutation rates poised HAQERs for rapid adaptation and subsequent susceptibility to disease.}, }
@article {pmid36418334, year = {2022}, author = {Deschamps, M and Martín-Lerma, I and Linares-Matás, G and Zilhão, J}, title = {Organization of residential space, site function variability, and seasonality of activities among MIS 5 Iberian Neandertals.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {20221}, pmid = {36418334}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Archaeology ; Climate ; Seasons ; Anthropology, Cultural ; }, abstract = {Whether ethnoarcheological models of hunter-gatherer mobility, landscape use, and structuration of the inhabited space are relevant to the archeology of Neandertals and the Middle Paleolithic remains controversial. The thin lenses of hearth-associated stone tools and faunal remains excavated in sub-complex AS5 of Cueva Antón (Murcia, Spain) significantly advance these debates. Dated to 77.8-85.1 ka, these living floors are interstratified in river-accumulated sands and were buried shortly after abandonment by low-energy inundation events, with minimal disturbance and negligible palimpsest formation. Stone tools were made and ergonomically modified to fit tasks; their spatial distributions and use-wear reveal hearth-focused activities and a division of the inhabited space into resting and working areas. Site function varied with season of the year: units III-i/j1 and III-i/j2-3 record winter visits focused on filleting and hide processing, while woodworking predominated in unit III-b/d, which subsumes visits to the site over the course of at least one winter, one spring, and one summer. These snapshots of Neandertal behavior match expectations derived from the ethnographic and Upper Paleolithic records for the lifeways of hunter-gatherers inhabiting temperate regions with a markedly seasonal climate.}, }
@article {pmid36394417, year = {2023}, author = {Wielgus, K and Danielewski, M and Walkowiak, J}, title = {Svante Pääbo, reader of the Neanderthal genome.}, journal = {Acta physiologica (Oxford, England)}, volume = {237}, number = {1}, pages = {e13902}, pmid = {36394417}, issn = {1748-1716}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Biological Evolution ; }, }
@article {pmid36345622, year = {2022}, author = {Tveito, K}, title = {From Icelandic family sagas to Neanderthal genes.}, journal = {Tidsskrift for den Norske laegeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny raekke}, volume = {142}, number = {16}, pages = {}, doi = {10.4045/tidsskr.22.0684}, pmid = {36345622}, issn = {0807-7096}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Iceland ; }, }
@article {pmid36344982, year = {2022}, author = {Koller, D and Wendt, FR and Pathak, GA and De Lillo, A and De Angelis, F and Cabrera-Mendoza, B and Tucci, S and Polimanti, R}, title = {Denisovan and Neanderthal archaic introgression differentially impacted the genetics of complex traits in modern populations.}, journal = {BMC biology}, volume = {20}, number = {1}, pages = {249}, pmid = {36344982}, issn = {1741-7007}, support = {MC_PC_17228/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; R21 DC018098/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/United States ; UL1 TR001863/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States ; F32 MH122058/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R33 DA047527/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; MC_QA137853/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Multifactorial Inheritance ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genome, Human ; Asian People ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Introgression from extinct Neanderthal and Denisovan human species has been shown to contribute to the genetic pool of modern human populations and their phenotypic spectrum. Evidence of how Neanderthal introgression shaped the genetics of human traits and diseases has been extensively studied in populations of European descent, with signatures of admixture reported for instance in genes associated with pigmentation, immunity, and metabolic traits. However, limited information is currently available about the impact of archaic introgression on other ancestry groups. Additionally, to date, no study has been conducted with respect to the impact of Denisovan introgression on the health and disease of modern populations. Here, we compare the way evolutionary pressures shaped the genetics of complex traits in East Asian and European populations, and provide evidence of the impact of Denisovan introgression on the health of East Asian and Central/South Asian populations.<br><br>RESULTS: Leveraging genome-wide association statistics from the Biobank Japan and UK Biobank, we assessed whether Denisovan and Neanderthal introgression together with other evolutionary genomic signatures were enriched for the heritability of physiological and pathological conditions in populations of East Asian and European descent. In EAS, Denisovan-introgressed loci were enriched for coronary artery disease heritability (1.69-fold enrichment, p=0.003). No enrichment for archaic introgression was observed in EUR. We also performed a phenome-wide association study of Denisovan and Neanderthal alleles in six ancestry groups available in the UK Biobank. In EAS, the Denisovan-introgressed SNP rs62391664 in the major histocompatibility complex region was associated with albumin/globulin ratio (beta=-0.17, p=3.57&#xd7;10[-7]). Neanderthal-introgressed alleles were associated with psychiatric and cognitive traits in EAS (e.g., "No Bipolar or Depression"-rs79043717 beta=-1.5, p=1.1&#xd7;10[-7]), and with blood biomarkers (e.g., alkaline phosphatase-rs11244089 beta=0.1, p=3.69&#xd7;10[-116]) and red hair color (rs60733936 beta=-0.86, p=4.49&#xd7;10[-165]) in EUR. In the other ancestry groups, Neanderthal alleles were associated with several traits, also including the use of certain medications (e.g., Central/South East Asia: indapamide - rs732632 beta=-2.38, p=5.22&#xd7;10[-7]).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides novel evidence regarding the impact of archaic introgression on the genetics of complex traits in worldwide populations, highlighting the specific contribution of Denisovan introgression in EAS populations.}, }
@article {pmid36336759, year = {2023}, author = {Richards, GD and Jabbour, RS and Guipert, G and Defleur, A}, title = {Endocranial anatomy of the Guercy 1 early Neanderthal from Baume Moula-Guercy (Soyons, Ardèche, France).}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {306}, number = {3}, pages = {564-593}, doi = {10.1002/ar.25118}, pmid = {36336759}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Brain ; France ; Fossils ; Biological Evolution ; }, abstract = {We provide the first comparative description of the endocranium of the Guercy 1 Early Neanderthal and examine its affinities to Preneanderthals, Neanderthals, and Homo sapiens. The Guercy 1 cranium derives from deposits chronostratigraphically and biostratigraphically dated to the Eemian Interglacial (MIS 5e). For comparative purposes, we compiled a sample of European and Southwest Asian subadult and adult Middle-to-Late Pleistocene hominins (≈MIS 12-MIS 1; N = 65). We sampled both a Preneanderthal-Neanderthal group and a Homo sapiens group. The Preneanderthal-Neanderthal group was further divided into three time-successive subgroups defined by associated MIS stages. Metric and morphological observations were made on original fossils and physical and virtual endocranial reconstructions. Guercy 1 and other Early Neanderthals, differ from Preneanderthals by increased development of the prefrontal cortex, precentral and postcentral gyri, inferior parietal lobule, and frontoparietal operculum. Early Neanderthal differ, in general, from Late Neanderthals by exhibiting less development in most of the latter brain structures. The late group additionally differentiates itself from the early group by a greater development of the rostral superior parietal lobule, angular gyrus, superior and middle temporal gyri, and caudal branches of the superior temporal gyrus. Endocranial morphology assessed along the Preneanderthal-Neanderthal sequence show that brain structures prominent in Preneanderthals are accentuated in Early-to-Late Neanderthals. However, both the Early and Late groups differentiate themselves by also showing regionally specific changes in brain development. This pattern of morphological change is consistent with a mosaic pattern of neural evolution in these Middle-to-Late Pleistocene hominins.}, }
@article {pmid36323899, year = {2022}, author = {Graham, F}, title = {Daily briefing: First known Neanderthal family discovered.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1038/d41586-022-03378-0}, pmid = {36323899}, issn = {1476-4687}, }
@article {pmid36322514, year = {2022}, author = {Campelo Dos Santos, AL and Owings, A and Sullasi, HSL and Gokcumen, O and DeGiorgio, M and Lindo, J}, title = {Genomic evidence for ancient human migration routes along South America's Atlantic coast.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {289}, number = {1986}, pages = {20221078}, pmid = {36322514}, issn = {1471-2954}, support = {R35 GM128590/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Humans ; History, Ancient ; Animals ; *Human Migration ; Genomics ; Genome, Human ; *Neanderthals ; Brazil ; }, abstract = {An increasing body of archaeological and genomic evidence has hinted at a complex settlement process of the Americas by humans. This is especially true for South America, where unexpected ancestral signals have raised perplexing scenarios for the early migrations into different regions of the continent. Here, we present ancient human genomes from the archaeologically rich Northeast Brazil and compare them to ancient and present-day genomic data. We find a distinct relationship between ancient genomes from Northeast Brazil, Lagoa Santa, Uruguay and Panama, representing evidence for ancient migration routes along South America's Atlantic coast. To further add to the existing complexity, we also detect greater Denisovan than Neanderthal ancestry in ancient Uruguay and Panama individuals. Moreover, we find a strong Australasian signal in an ancient genome from Panama. This work sheds light on the deep demographic history of eastern South America and presents a starting point for future fine-scale investigations on the regional level.}, }
@article {pmid36313404, year = {2022}, author = {Mortazavi, SA and Bevelacqua, JJ and Welsh, JS and Masoumi, SJ and Bahaaddini Beigy Zarandi, BF and Ghadimi-Moghadam, A and Haghani, M and Mortazavi, SMJ}, title = {The Paradox of COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa: Why it is More Unethical Not to Investigate Low Dose Radiotherapy for COVID-19.}, journal = {Journal of biomedical physics &amp; engineering}, volume = {12}, number = {5}, pages = {539-542}, pmid = {36313404}, issn = {2251-7200}, abstract = {An accumulating body of evidence shows that various ethnicities are differentially affected by SARS-COV-2 infection. Moreover, some evidence shows that due to the vaccine inequity and millions of people living with HIV, a major catastrophe could occur in African countries that possibly affects the whole world. Given the possibility that Neanderthal genes confer a slight increase in susceptibility, this difference, at least to some extent, might possibly decrease the risk of the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants among black people in Africa. Recent studies show less death and fewer cases among the ethnic group classified as "Black Africans". Although Neanderthal DNA might explain some differences in morbidity and mortality of COVID-19, a multitude of confounders complicate things to where drawing definite conclusions is hard or even impossible. Using selective-pressure-free treatments (e.g. low dose radiotherapy) for COVID-19 pneumonia would be of crucial importance everywhere, but particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where "long COVID" in millions of people with HIV paves the road for the more frequent emergence of new variants.}, }
@article {pmid36261727, year = {2022}, author = {Callaway, E}, title = {First known Neanderthal family discovered in Siberian cave.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {610}, number = {7933}, pages = {615-616}, pmid = {36261727}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; *Caves ; *Fossils ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; History, Ancient ; }, }
@article {pmid36261548, year = {2022}, author = {Skov, L and Peyrégne, S and Popli, D and Iasi, LNM and Devièse, T and Slon, V and Zavala, EI and Hajdinjak, M and Sümer, AP and Grote, S and Bossoms Mesa, A and López Herráez, D and Nickel, B and Nagel, S and Richter, J and Essel, E and Gansauge, M and Schmidt, A and Korlević, P and Comeskey, D and Derevianko, AP and Kharevich, A and Markin, SV and Talamo, S and Douka, K and Krajcarz, MT and Roberts, RG and Higham, T and Viola, B and Krivoshapkin, AI and Kolobova, KA and Kelso, J and Meyer, M and Pääbo, S and Peter, BM}, title = {Genetic insights into the social organization of Neanderthals.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {610}, number = {7932}, pages = {519-525}, pmid = {36261548}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {803147/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; 715069/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; FP7/2007-2013/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; 694707/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Caves ; Genome/genetics ; Hybridization, Genetic ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Siberia ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Y Chromosome/genetics ; Male ; Family ; Homozygote ; }, abstract = {Genomic analyses of Neanderthals have previously provided insights into their population history and relationship to modern humans[1-8], but the social organization of Neanderthal communities remains poorly understood. Here we present genetic data for 13 Neanderthals from two Middle Palaeolithic sites in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia: 11 from Chagyrskaya Cave[9,10] and 2 from Okladnikov Cave[11]-making this one of the largest genetic studies of a Neanderthal population to date. We used hybridization capture to obtain genome-wide nuclear data, as well as mitochondrial and Y-chromosome sequences. Some Chagyrskaya individuals were closely related, including a father-daughter pair and a pair of second-degree relatives, indicating that at least some of the individuals lived at the same time. Up to one-third of these individuals' genomes had long segments of homozygosity, suggesting that the Chagyrskaya Neanderthals were part of a small community. In addition, the Y-chromosome diversity is an order of magnitude lower than the mitochondrial diversity, a pattern that we found is best explained by female migration between communities. Thus, the genetic data presented here provide a detailed documentation of the social organization of an isolated Neanderthal community at the easternmost extent of their known range.}, }
@article {pmid36261544, year = {2022}, author = {Cassidy, LM}, title = {The first genomic portrait of a Neanderthal family.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {610}, number = {7932}, pages = {454-455}, pmid = {36261544}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Genome/genetics ; Genomics ; }, }
@article {pmid36261474, year = {2022}, author = {Mayoral, E and Duveau, J and Santos, A and Ramírez, AR and Morales, JA and Díaz-Delgado, R and Rivera-Silva, J and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Díaz-Martínez, I}, title = {New dating of the Matalascañas footprints provides new evidence of the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 9-8) hominin paleoecology in southern Europe.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {17505}, pmid = {36261474}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Hominidae ; Fossils ; *Neanderthals ; Europe ; Luminescence ; }, abstract = {Hominin footprints were recently discovered at Matalascañas (Huelva; South of Iberian Peninsula). They were dated thanks to a previous study in deposits of the Asperillo cliff to 106 ± 19 ka, Upper Pleistocene, making Neandertals the most likely track-makers. In this paper, we report new Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating that places the hominin footprints surface in the range of 295.8 ± 17 ka (MIS 9-MIS 8 transition, Middle Pleistocene). This new age implies that the possible track-makers are individuals more likely from the Neandertal evolutionary lineage. Regardless of the taxon attributed to the Matalascañas footprints, they supplement the existing partial fossil record for the European Middle Pleistocene Hominins being notably the first palaeoanthropological evidence (hominin skeleton or footprints) from the MIS 9 and MIS 8 transition discovered in the Iberian Peninsula, a moment of climatic evolution from warm to cool. Thus, the Matalascañas footprints represent a crucial record for understanding human occupations in Europe in the Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid36253794, year = {2022}, author = {Bergman, J and Schierup, MH}, title = {Evolutionary dynamics of pseudoautosomal region 1 in humans and great apes.}, journal = {Genome biology}, volume = {23}, number = {1}, pages = {215}, pmid = {36253794}, issn = {1474-760X}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Nucleotides ; *Pseudoautosomal Regions ; Receptor, PAR-1/genetics ; Y Chromosome/genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The pseudoautosomal region 1 (PAR1) is a 2.7 Mb telomeric region of human sex chromosomes. PAR1 has a crucial role in ensuring proper segregation of sex chromosomes during male meiosis, exposing it to extreme recombination and mutation processes. We investigate PAR1 evolution using population genomic datasets of extant humans, eight populations of great apes, and two archaic human genome sequences.<br><br>RESULTS: We find that PAR1 is fast evolving and closer to evolutionary nucleotide equilibrium than autosomal telomeres. We detect a difference between substitution patterns and extant diversity in PAR1, mainly driven by the conflict between strong mutation and recombination-associated fixation bias at CpG sites. We detect excess C-to-G mutations in PAR1 of all great apes, specific to the mutagenic effect of male recombination. Despite recent evidence for Y chromosome introgression from humans into Neanderthals, we find that the Neanderthal PAR1 retained similarity to the Denisovan sequence. We find differences between substitution spectra of these archaics suggesting rapid evolution of PAR1 in recent hominin history. Frequency analysis of alleles segregating in females and males provided no evidence for recent sexual antagonism in this region. We study repeat content and double-strand break hotspot regions in PAR1 and find that they may play roles in ensuring the obligate X-Y recombination event during male meiosis.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides an unprecedented quantification of population genetic forces governing PAR1 biology across extant and extinct hominids. PAR1 evolutionary dynamics are predominantly governed by recombination processes with a strong impact on mutation patterns across all species.}, }
@article {pmid36252021, year = {2022}, author = {Jaouen, K and Villalba-Mouco, V and Smith, GM and Trost, M and Leichliter, J and Lüdecke, T and Méjean, P and Mandrou, S and Chmeleff, J and Guiserix, D and Bourgon, N and Blasco, F and Mendes Cardoso, J and Duquenoy, C and Moubtahij, Z and Salazar Garcia, DC and Richards, M and Tütken, T and Hublin, JJ and Utrilla, P and Montes, L}, title = {A Neandertal dietary conundrum: Insights provided by tooth enamel Zn isotopes from Gabasa, Spain.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {119}, number = {43}, pages = {e2109315119}, pmid = {36252021}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Carbon/analysis ; Carbon Isotopes/analysis ; *Carnivora ; Collagen ; Dental Enamel/chemistry ; Diet ; *Neanderthals ; Nitrogen Isotopes/analysis ; Oxygen/analysis ; Spain ; Strontium/analysis ; *Tooth/chemistry ; *Trace Elements/analysis ; Zinc/analysis ; Zinc Isotopes/analysis ; }, abstract = {The characterization of Neandertals' diets has mostly relied on nitrogen isotope analyses of bone and tooth collagen. However, few nitrogen isotope data have been recovered from bones or teeth from Iberia due to poor collagen preservation at Paleolithic sites in the region. Zinc isotopes have been shown to be a reliable method for reconstructing trophic levels in the absence of organic matter preservation. Here, we present the results of zinc (Zn), strontium (Sr), carbon (C), and oxygen (O) isotope and trace element ratio analysis measured in dental enamel on a Pleistocene food web in Gabasa, Spain, to characterize the diet and ecology of a Middle Paleolithic Neandertal individual. Based on the extremely low δ[66]Zn value observed in the Neandertal's tooth enamel, our results support the interpretation of Neandertals as carnivores as already suggested by δ[15]N isotope values of specimens from other regions. Further work could help identify if such isotopic peculiarities (lowest δ[66]Zn and highest δ[15]N of the food web) are due to a metabolic and/or dietary specificity of the Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid36229473, year = {2022}, author = {Djakovic, I and Key, A and Soressi, M}, title = {Optimal linear estimation models predict 1400-2900 years of overlap between Homo sapiens and Neandertals prior to their disappearance from France and northern Spain.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {15000}, pmid = {36229473}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; Fossils ; France ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Recent fossil discoveries suggest that Neandertals and Homo sapiens may have co-existed in Europe for as long as 5 to 6000 years. Yet, evidence for their contemporaneity at any regional scale remains highly elusive. In France and northern Spain, a region which features some of the latest directly-dated Neandertals in Europe, Protoaurignacian assemblages attributed to Homo sapiens appear to 'replace' Neandertal-associated Châtelperronian assemblages. Using the earliest and latest known occurrences as starting points, Bayesian modelling has provided indication that these occupations may in fact have been partly contemporaneous. The reality, however, is that we are unlikely to ever identify the 'first' or 'last' appearance of a species or cultural tradition in the archaeological and fossil record. Here, we use optimal linear estimation modelling to estimate the first appearance date of Homo sapiens and the extinction date of Neandertals in France and northern Spain by statistically inferring these 'missing' portions of the Protoaurignacian and Châtelperronian archaeological records. Additionally, we estimate the extinction date of Neandertals in this region using a dataset of directly-dated Neandertal fossil remains. Our total dataset consists of sixty-six modernly produced radiocarbon determinations which we recalibrated using the newest calibration curve (IntCal20) to produce updated age ranges. The results suggest that the onset of the Homo sapiens occupation of this region likely preceded the extinction of Neandertals and the Châtelperronian by up to 1400-2900 years. This reaffirms the Bayesian-derived duration of co-existence between these groups during the initial Upper Palaeolithic of this region using a novel independent method, and indicates that our understanding of the timing of these occupations may not be suffering from substantial gaps in the record. Whether or not this co-existence featured some form of direct interaction, however, remains to be resolved.}, }
@article {pmid36207518, year = {2022}, author = {Callaway, E}, title = {From Neanderthal genome to Nobel prize: meet geneticist Svante Pääbo.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {36207518}, issn = {1476-4687}, }
@article {pmid36198681, year = {2022}, author = {Dannemann, M and Milaneschi, Y and Yermakovich, D and Stiglbauer, V and Kariis, HM and Krebs, K and Friese, MA and Otte, C and ,  and Lehto, K and Penninx, BWJH and Kelso, J and Gold, SM}, title = {Neandertal introgression partitions the genetic landscape of neuropsychiatric disorders and associated behavioral phenotypes.}, journal = {Translational psychiatry}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {433}, pmid = {36198681}, issn = {2158-3188}, support = {MC_PC_17228/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; MC_QA137853/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; RC2 MH089951/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; RC2 MH089995/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Genetic Variation ; Genome ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Phenotype ; }, abstract = {Despite advances in identifying the genetic basis of psychiatric and neurological disorders, fundamental questions about their evolutionary origins remain elusive. Here, introgressed variants from archaic humans such as Neandertals can serve as an intriguing research paradigm. We compared the number of associations for Neandertal variants to the number of associations of frequency-matched non-archaic variants with regard to human CNS disorders (neurological and psychiatric), nervous system drug prescriptions (as a proxy for disease), and related, non-disease phenotypes in the UK biobank (UKBB). While no enrichment for Neandertal genetic variants were observed in the UKBB for psychiatric or neurological disease categories, we found significant associations with certain behavioral phenotypes including pain, chronotype/sleep, smoking and alcohol consumption. In some instances, the enrichment signal was driven by Neandertal variants that represented the strongest association genome-wide. SNPs within a Neandertal haplotype that was associated with smoking in the UKBB could be replicated in four independent genomics datasets.Our data suggest that evolutionary processes in recent human evolution like admixture with Neandertals significantly contribute to behavioral phenotypes but not psychiatric and neurological diseases. These findings help to link genetic variants in a population to putative past beneficial effects, which likely only indirectly contribute to pathology in modern day humans.}, }
@article {pmid36181428, year = {2022}, author = {Huang, X and Kruisz, P and Kuhlwilm, M}, title = {sstar: A Python Package for Detecting Archaic Introgression from Population Genetic Data with S.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {39}, number = {11}, pages = {}, pmid = {36181428}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Genome, Human ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Genetics, Population ; }, abstract = {S* is a widely used statistic for detecting archaic admixture from population genetic data. Previous studies used freezing-archer to apply S*, which is only directly applicable to the specific case of Neanderthal and Denisovan introgression in Papuans. Here, we implemented sstar for a more general purpose. Compared with several tools, including SPrime, SkovHMM, and ArchaicSeeker2.0, for detecting introgressed fragments with simulations, our results suggest that sstar is robust to differences in demographic models, including ghost introgression and two-source introgression. We believe sstar will be a useful tool for detecting introgressed fragments in various scenarios and in non-human species.}, }
@article {pmid36175541, year = {2022}, author = {Vidal-Cordasco, M and Ocio, D and Hickler, T and Marín-Arroyo, AB}, title = {Ecosystem productivity affected the spatiotemporal disappearance of Neanderthals in Iberia.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {6}, number = {11}, pages = {1644-1657}, pmid = {36175541}, issn = {2397-334X}, mesh = {Humans ; Animals ; *Neanderthals ; Ecosystem ; Bayes Theorem ; }, abstract = {What role did fluctuations play in biomass availability for secondary consumers in the disappearance of Neanderthals and the survival of modern humans? To answer this, we quantify the effects of stadial and interstadial conditions on ecosystem productivity and human spatiotemporal distribution patterns during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (50,000-30,000 calibrated years before the present) in Iberia. First, we used summed probability distribution, optimal linear estimation and Bayesian age modelling to reconstruct an updated timescale for the transition. Next, we executed a generalized dynamic vegetation model to estimate the net primary productivity. Finally, we developed a macroecological model validated with present-day observations to calculate herbivore abundance. The results indicate that, in the Eurosiberian region, the disappearance of Neanderthal groups was contemporaneous with a significant decrease in the available biomass for secondary consumers, and the arrival of the first Homo sapiens populations coincided with an increase in herbivore carrying capacity. During stadials, the Mediterranean region had the most stable conditions and the highest biomass of medium and medium-large herbivores. These outcomes support an ecological cause for the hiatus between the Mousterian and Aurignacian technocomplexes in Northern Iberia and the longer persistence of Neanderthals in southern latitudes.}, }
@article {pmid36167050, year = {2022}, author = {Reilly, PF and Tjahjadi, A and Miller, SL and Akey, JM and Tucci, S}, title = {The contribution of Neanderthal introgression to modern human traits.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {32}, number = {18}, pages = {R970-R983}, pmid = {36167050}, issn = {1879-0445}, support = {R01 GM110068/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM147565/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Africa ; Alleles ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals, our closest extinct relatives, lived in western Eurasia from 400,000 years ago until they went extinct around 40,000 years ago. DNA retrieved from ancient specimens revealed that Neanderthals mated with modern human contemporaries. As a consequence, introgressed Neanderthal DNA survives scattered across the human genome such that 1-4% of the genome of present-day people outside Africa are inherited from Neanderthal ancestors. Patterns of Neanderthal introgressed genomic sequences suggest that Neanderthal alleles had distinct fates in the modern human genetic background. Some Neanderthal alleles facilitated human adaptation to new environments such as novel climate conditions, UV exposure levels and pathogens, while others had deleterious consequences. Here, we review the body of work on Neanderthal introgression over the past decade. We describe how evolutionary forces shaped the genomic landscape of Neanderthal introgression and highlight the impact of introgressed alleles on human biology and phenotypic variation.}, }
@article {pmid36162354, year = {2022}, author = {Lockey, AL and Rodríguez, L and Martín-Francés, L and Arsuaga, JL and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Crété, L and Martinón-Torres, M and Parfitt, S and Pope, M and Stringer, C}, title = {Comparing the Boxgrove and Atapuerca (Sima de los Huesos) human fossils: Do they represent distinct paleodemes?.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {172}, number = {}, pages = {103253}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103253}, pmid = {36162354}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Adult ; Humans ; Fossils ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tibia/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The early Middle Pleistocene human material from Boxgrove (West Sussex, UK) consists of a partial left tibia and two lower incisors from a separate adult individual. These remains derive from deposits assigned to the MIS 13 interglacial at about 480 ka and have been referred to as Homo cf. heidelbergensis. The much larger skeletal sample from the Sima de los Huesos (Atapuerca, Spain) is dated to the succeeding MIS 12, at about 430 ka. This fossil material has previously been assigned to Homo heidelbergensis but is now placed within the Neanderthal clade. Because of the scarcity of human remains from the Middle Pleistocene and their morphological variability, this study assessed whether the Boxgrove specimens fit within the morphological variability of the homogeneous Sima de los Huesos population. Based on morphometric analyses performed against 22 lower incisors from Sima de los Huesos and published material, the data from the Boxgrove incisors place them comfortably within the range of Sima de los Huesos. Both assemblages present robust incisors distinct from the overall small recent Homo sapiens incisors, and Boxgrove also aligns closely with Homo neanderthalensis and some other European Middle Pleistocene hominins. Following morphological and cross-sectional analyses of the Boxgrove tibia compared to seven adult Sima de los Huesos specimens and a set of comparative tibiae, Boxgrove is shown to be similar to Sima de los Huesos and Neanderthals in having thick cortices and bone walls, but in contrast resembles modern humans in having a straight anterior tibial crest and a suggestion of a lateral concavity. Based on the patterns observed, there is no justification for assigning the Boxgrove and Sima de los Huesos incisors to distinct paleodemes, but the tibial data show greater contrasts and suggest that all three of these samples are unlikely to represent the same paleodeme.}, }
@article {pmid36161899, year = {2022}, author = {Alagöz, G and Molz, B and Eising, E and Schijven, D and Francks, C and Stein, JL and Fisher, SE}, title = {Using neuroimaging genomics to investigate the evolution of human brain structure.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {119}, number = {40}, pages = {e2200638119}, pmid = {36161899}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {MC_PC_17228/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; MC_QA137853/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; R01 DC016977/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; *Brain/growth &amp; development/ultrastructure ; DNA, Ancient ; *Genomics/methods ; Humans ; *Neuroimaging/methods ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; }, abstract = {Alterations in brain size and organization represent some of the most distinctive changes in the emergence of our species. Yet, there is limited understanding of how genetic factors contributed to altered neuroanatomy during human evolution. Here, we analyze neuroimaging and genetic data from up to 30,000 people in the UK Biobank and integrate with genomic annotations for different aspects of human evolution, including those based on ancient DNA and comparative genomics. We show that previously reported signals of recent polygenic selection for cortical anatomy are not replicable in a more ancestrally homogeneous sample. We then investigate relationships between evolutionary annotations and common genetic variants shaping cortical surface area and white-matter connectivity for each hemisphere. Our analyses identify single-nucleotide polymorphism heritability enrichment in human-gained regulatory elements that are active in early brain development, affecting surface areas of several parts of the cortex, including left-hemispheric speech-associated regions. We also detect heritability depletion in genomic regions with Neanderthal ancestry for connectivity of the uncinate fasciculus; this is a white-matter tract involved in memory, language, and socioemotional processing with relevance to neuropsychiatric disorders. Finally, we show that common genetic loci associated with left-hemispheric pars triangularis surface area overlap with a human-gained enhancer and affect regulation of ZIC4, a gene implicated in neurogenesis. This work demonstrates how genomic investigations of present-day neuroanatomical variation can help shed light on the complexities of our evolutionary past.}, }
@article {pmid36151242, year = {2022}, author = {Sossa-Ríos, S and Mayor, A and Hernández, CM and Bencomo, M and Pérez, L and Galván, B and Mallol, C and Vaquero, M}, title = {Multidisciplinary evidence of an isolated Neanderthal occupation in Abric del Pastor (Alcoi, Iberian Peninsula).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {15883}, pmid = {36151242}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Clergy ; Fossils ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Occupations ; *Starlings ; }, abstract = {Testing Neanderthal behavioural hypotheses requires a spatial-temporal resolution to the level of a human single occupation episode. Yet, most of the behavioural data on Neanderthals has been obtained from coarsely dated, time-averaged contexts affected by the archaeological palimpsest effect and a diversity of postdepositional processes. This implies that time-resolved Neanderthal behaviour remains largely unknown. In this study, we performed archaeostratigraphic analysis on stratigraphic units IVe, IVf, IVg, Va, Vb and Vc from Abric del Pastor (Alcoi, Iberian Peninsula). Further, we isolated the archaeological remains associated with the resulting archaeostratigraphic unit and applied raw material, technological, use-wear, archaeozoological and spatial analyses. Our results show a low-density accumulation of remains from flintknapping, flint tool-use and animal processing around a hearth. These data provide a time-resolved human dimension to previous high-resolution environmental and pyrotechnological data on the same hearth, representing the first comprehensive characterisation of a Neanderthal single occupation episode. Our integrated, multidisciplinary method also contributes to advance our understanding of archaeological record formation processes.}, }
@article {pmid36138831, year = {2022}, author = {Garralda, MD and Weiner, S and Arensburg, B and Maureille, B and Vandermeersch, B}, title = {Dental Paleobiology in a Juvenile Neanderthal (Combe-Grenal, Southwestern France).}, journal = {Biology}, volume = {11}, number = {9}, pages = {}, pmid = {36138831}, issn = {2079-7737}, support = {00//Ministerio de Educaci&#xf3;n y Ciencia, Spain/ ; }, abstract = {Combe-Grenal site (Southwest France) was excavated by F. Bordes between 1953 and 1965. He found several human remains in Mousterian levels 60, 39, 35 and especially 25, corresponding to MIS 4 (~75-70/60 ky BP) and with Quina Mousterian lithics. One of the fossils found in level 25 is Combe-Grenal IV, consisting of a fragment of the left corpus of a juvenile mandible. This fragment displays initial juvenile periodontitis, and the two preserved teeth (LLP4 and LLM1) show moderate attrition and dental calculus. The SEM tartar analysis demonstrates the presence of cocci and filamentous types of bacteria, the former being more prevalent. This result is quite different from those obtained for the two adult Neanderthals Kebara 2 and Subalyuk 1, where more filamentous bacteria appear, especially in the Subalyuk 1 sample from Central Europe. These findings agree with the available biomedical data on periodontitis and tartar development in extant individuals, despite the different environmental conditions and diets documented by numerous archeological, taphonomical and geological data available on Neanderthals and present-day populations. New metagenomic analyses are extending this information, and despite the inherent difficulties, they will open important perspectives in studying this ancient human pathology.}, }
@article {pmid36074851, year = {2022}, author = {Pinson, A and Xing, L and Namba, T and Kalebic, N and Peters, J and Oegema, CE and Traikov, S and Reppe, K and Riesenberg, S and Maricic, T and Derihaci, R and Wimberger, P and Pääbo, S and Huttner, WB}, title = {Human TKTL1 implies greater neurogenesis in frontal neocortex of modern humans than Neanderthals.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {377}, number = {6611}, pages = {eabl6422}, doi = {10.1126/science.abl6422}, pmid = {36074851}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {MR/N004272/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Ependymoglial Cells/cytology ; Ferrets ; Humans ; Mice ; *Neanderthals/embryology/genetics ; *Neocortex/embryology ; *Neurogenesis/genetics/physiology ; *Transketolase/genetics/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal brains were similar in size to those of modern humans. We sought to investigate potential differences in neurogenesis during neocortex development. Modern human transketolase-like 1 (TKTL1) differs from Neanderthal TKTL1 by a lysine-to-arginine amino acid substitution. Using overexpression in developing mouse and ferret neocortex, knockout in fetal human neocortical tissue, and genome-edited cerebral organoids, we found that the modern human variant, hTKTL1, but not the Neanderthal variant, increases the abundance of basal radial glia (bRG) but not that of intermediate progenitors (bIPs). bRG generate more neocortical neurons than bIPs. The hTKTL1 effect requires the pentose phosphate pathway and fatty acid synthesis. Inhibition of these metabolic pathways reduces bRG abundance in fetal human neocortical tissue. Our data suggest that neocortical neurogenesis in modern humans differs from that in Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid36044840, year = {2022}, author = {Kaczanowska, J and Ganglberger, F and Chernomor, O and Kargl, D and Galik, B and Hess, A and Moodley, Y and von Haeseler, A and Bühler, K and Haubensak, W}, title = {Molecular archaeology of human cognitive traits.}, journal = {Cell reports}, volume = {40}, number = {9}, pages = {111287}, doi = {10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111287}, pmid = {36044840}, issn = {2211-1247}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Cognition/physiology ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Human ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Mammals ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Phenotype ; }, abstract = {The brains and minds of our human ancestors remain inaccessible for experimental exploration. Therefore, we reconstructed human cognitive evolution by projecting nonsynonymous/synonymous rate ratios (ω values) in mammalian phylogeny onto the anatomically modern human (AMH) brain. This atlas retraces human neurogenetic selection and allows imputation of ancestral evolution in task-related functional networks (FNs). Adaptive evolution (high ω values) is associated with excitatory neurons and synaptic function. It shifted from FNs for motor control in anthropoid ancestry (60-41 mya) to attention in ancient hominoids (26-19 mya) and hominids (19-7.4 mya). Selection in FNs for language emerged with an early hominin ancestor (7.4-1.7 mya) and was later accompanied by adaptive evolution in FNs for strategic thinking during recent (0.8 mya-present) speciation of AMHs. This pattern mirrors increasingly complex cognitive demands and suggests that co-selection for language alongside strategic thinking may have separated AMHs from their archaic Denisovan and Neanderthal relatives.}, }
@article {pmid36009790, year = {2022}, author = {Churchill, SE and Keys, K and Ross, AH}, title = {Midfacial Morphology and Neandertal-Modern Human Interbreeding.}, journal = {Biology}, volume = {11}, number = {8}, pages = {}, pmid = {36009790}, issn = {2079-7737}, abstract = {Ancient DNA from, Neandertal and modern human fossils, and comparative morphological analyses of them, reveal a complex history of interbreeding between these lineages and the introgression of Neandertal genes into modern human genomes. Despite substantial increases in our knowledge of these events, the timing and geographic location of hybridization events remain unclear. Six measures of facial size and shape, from regional samples of Neandertals and early modern humans, were used in a multivariate exploratory analysis to try to identify regions in which early modern human facial morphology was more similar to that of Neandertals, which might thus represent regions of greater introgression of Neandertal genes. The results of canonical variates analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis suggest important affinities in facial morphology between both Middle and Upper Paleolithic early modern humans of the Near East with Neandertals, highlighting the importance of this region for interbreeding between the two lineages.}, }
@article {pmid35998220, year = {2022}, author = {Eising, E and Mirza-Schreiber, N and de Zeeuw, EL and Wang, CA and Truong, DT and Allegrini, AG and Shapland, CY and Zhu, G and Wigg, KG and Gerritse, ML and Molz, B and Alagöz, G and Gialluisi, A and Abbondanza, F and Rimfeld, K and van Donkelaar, M and Liao, Z and Jansen, PR and Andlauer, TFM and Bates, TC and Bernard, M and Blokland, K and Bonte, M and Børglum, AD and Bourgeron, T and Brandeis, D and Ceroni, F and Csépe, V and Dale, PS and de Jong, PF and DeFries, JC and Démonet, JF and Demontis, D and Feng, Y and Gordon, SD and Guger, SL and Hayiou-Thomas, ME and Hernández-Cabrera, JA and Hottenga, JJ and Hulme, C and Kere, J and Kerr, EN and Koomar, T and Landerl, K and Leonard, GT and Lovett, MW and Lyytinen, H and Martin, NG and Martinelli, A and Maurer, U and Michaelson, JJ and Moll, K and Monaco, AP and Morgan, AT and Nöthen, MM and Pausova, Z and Pennell, CE and Pennington, BF and Price, KM and Rajagopal, VM and Ramus, F and Richer, L and Simpson, NH and Smith, SD and Snowling, MJ and Stein, J and Strug, LJ and Talcott, JB and Tiemeier, H and van der Schroeff, MP and Verhoef, E and Watkins, KE and Wilkinson, M and Wright, MJ and Barr, CL and Boomsma, DI and Carreiras, M and Franken, MJ and Gruen, JR and Luciano, M and Müller-Myhsok, B and Newbury, DF and Olson, RK and Paracchini, S and Paus, T and Plomin, R and Reilly, S and Schulte-Körne, G and Tomblin, JB and van Bergen, E and Whitehouse, AJO and Willcutt, EG and St Pourcain, B and Francks, C and Fisher, SE}, title = {Genome-wide analyses of individual differences in quantitatively assessed reading- and language-related skills in up to 34,000 people.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {119}, number = {35}, pages = {e2202764119}, pmid = {35998220}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {U24 DA041147/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA051039/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; EP-C-15-001/EPA/EPA/United States ; U01 DA051038/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; G1000569/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; U01 DA051037/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; U01 MH109514/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA041106/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; /WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; RC2 MH089983/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; P50 HD027802/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA041120/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; R01 DC014489/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/United States ; 082036/B/07/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; MC_PC_19009/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; RC2 MH089995/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA051018/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; K99 HD094902/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; 075491/Z/04/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; UL1 TR001863/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA041093/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; R01 DC016977/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/United States ; 217065/Z/19/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; U24 DA041123/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA041134/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA041022/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AG046938/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; RC2 MH089924/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; MC_PC_15018/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; R01 MH058799/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA041156/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; 076566/Z/05/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; U01 DA050987/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA051016/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; 204821/Z/16/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; U01 DA041025/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA050989/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; R01 NS043530/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA041089/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; MR/M021475/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; U01 DA050988/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; U24 MH068457/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; 105621/Z/14/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; U01 DA041117/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA041028/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA041048/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; G9815508/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; P50 HD103556/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; U01 DA041148/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; MR/V012878/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; MR/V012878/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; U01 DA041174/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; 076566/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; RC2 DA029475/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Genetic Loci ; *Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; *Individuality ; Language ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; *Reading ; *Speech ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {The use of spoken and written language is a fundamental human capacity. Individual differences in reading- and language-related skills are influenced by genetic variation, with twin-based heritability estimates of 30 to 80% depending on the trait. The genetic architecture is complex, heterogeneous, and multifactorial, but investigations of contributions of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were thus far underpowered. We present a multicohort genome-wide association study (GWAS) of five traits assessed individually using psychometric measures (word reading, nonword reading, spelling, phoneme awareness, and nonword repetition) in samples of 13,633 to 33,959 participants aged 5 to 26 y. We identified genome-wide significant association with word reading (rs11208009, P = 1.098 × 10[-8]) at a locus that has not been associated with intelligence or educational attainment. All five reading-/language-related traits showed robust SNP heritability, accounting for 13 to 26% of trait variability. Genomic structural equation modeling revealed a shared genetic factor explaining most of the variation in word/nonword reading, spelling, and phoneme awareness, which only partially overlapped with genetic variation contributing to nonword repetition, intelligence, and educational attainment. A multivariate GWAS of word/nonword reading, spelling, and phoneme awareness maximized power for follow-up investigation. Genetic correlation analysis with neuroimaging traits identified an association with the surface area of the banks of the left superior temporal sulcus, a brain region linked to the processing of spoken and written language. Heritability was enriched for genomic elements regulating gene expression in the fetal brain and in chromosomal regions that are depleted of Neanderthal variants. Together, these results provide avenues for deciphering the biological underpinnings of uniquely human traits.}, }
@article {pmid35976853, year = {2022}, author = {Vettese, D and Borel, A and Blasco, R and Chevillard, L and Stavrova, T and Thun Hohenstein, U and Arzarello, M and Moncel, MH and Daujeard, C}, title = {New evidence of Neandertal butchery traditions through the marrow extraction in southwestern Europe (MIS 5-3).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {17}, number = {8}, pages = {e0271816}, pmid = {35976853}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Bone Marrow ; Bone and Bones ; Europe ; Fossils ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Technology ; Vegetables ; }, abstract = {Long bone breakage for bone marrow recovery is a commonly observed practice in Middle Palaeolithic contexts, regardless of the climatic conditions. While lithic technology is largely used to define cultural patterns in human groups, despite dedicating research by zooarchaeologists, for now butchering techniques rarely allowed the identification of clear traditions, notably for ancient Palaeolithic periods. In this paper, we test the hypothesis of butchery traditions among Neandertal groupsusing the bone assemblages from three sites in southwestern Europe. These sites are located in southeastern France and northern Italy and are dated to the Late Middle Palaeolithic: Abri du Maras (Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 4-3, Ardèche), Saint-Marcel (MIS 3, Ardèche), and Riparo Tagliente (MIS 4-3, Verona). The detection of culturally-induced patterns of bone breakage involves differentiating them from intuitively generated patterns. To tackle this issue, we used a zooarchaeological approach focusing on the percussion marks produced during the bone breakage process. Statistical analyses as the chi-square test of independence were employed to verify if percussion mark locations were randomly distributed, and if these distributions were different from the intuitive ones. For femurs and humeri, our results demonstrate that Neandertal groups occupying the Abri du Maras (levels 4.1 and 4.2) and the Saint-Marcel Cave (levels g and h) sites in France applied butchery traditions to recover yellow marrow. However, the traditions developed at each site were different. On the contrary, in Riparo Tagliente, in Italy, several groups or individuals of a same group did not share the same butchery traditions over time. Regarding the Abri du Maras and Saint Marcel Cave assemblages, our research demonstrates that Neandertal groups applied intense standardized bone breakage, far from the intuitive practice observed experimentally and related to bone density and/or skeletal morphology. These standardized patterns, which are systematic and counter-intuitive, can be interpreted as culturally induced for the Abri du Maras and Saint Marcel Cave. The diversity of Neandertal traditions should be considered by taking into account the butchery, in particular the practice of bone marrow extraction, and not only technological behaviours and types of tool kits.}, }
@article {pmid35906446, year = {2022}, author = {Andreeva, TV and Manakhov, AD and Gusev, FE and Patrikeev, AD and Golovanova, LV and Doronichev, VB and Shirobokov, IG and Rogaev, EI}, title = {Genomic analysis of a novel Neanderthal from Mezmaiskaya Cave provides insights into the genetic relationships of Middle Palaeolithic populations.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {13016}, pmid = {35906446}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Female ; Fossils ; Genomics ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {The Mezmaiskaya cave is located on the North Caucasus near the border that divides Europe and Asia. Previously, fossil remains for two Neanderthals were reported from Mezmaiskaya Cave. A tooth from the third archaic hominin specimen (Mezmaiskaya 3) was retrieved from layer 3 in Mezmaiskaya Cave. We performed genome sequencing of Mezmaiskaya 3. Analysis of partial nuclear genome sequence revealed that it belongs to a Homo sapiens neanderthalensis female. Based on a high-coverage mitochondrial genome sequence, we demonstrated that the relationships of Mezmaiskaya 3 to Mezmaiskaya 1 and Stajnia S5000 individuals were closer than those to other Neanderthals. Our data demonstrate the close genetic connections between the early Middle Palaeolithic Neanderthals that were replaced by genetically distant later group in the same geographic areas. Based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data, we suggest that Mezmaiskaya 3 was the latest Neanderthal individual from the early Neanderthal's branches. We proposed a hierarchical nomenclature for the mtDNA haplogroups of Neanderthals. In addition, we retrieved ancestral mtDNA mutations in presumably functional sites fixed in the Neanderthal clades, and also provided the first data showing mtDNA heteroplasmy in Neanderthal specimen.}, }
@article {pmid35905187, year = {2022}, author = {Mora-Bermúdez, F and Kanis, P and Macak, D and Peters, J and Naumann, R and Xing, L and Sarov, M and Winkler, S and Oegema, CE and Haffner, C and Wimberger, P and Riesenberg, S and Maricic, T and Huttner, WB and Pääbo, S}, title = {Longer metaphase and fewer chromosome segregation errors in modern human than Neanderthal brain development.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {8}, number = {30}, pages = {eabn7702}, pmid = {35905187}, issn = {2375-2548}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain ; Chromosome Segregation/genetics ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Kinesins ; Metaphase ; Mice ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {Since the ancestors of modern humans separated from those of Neanderthals, around 100 amino acid substitutions spread to essentially all modern humans. The biological significance of these changes is largely unknown. Here, we examine all six such amino acid substitutions in three proteins known to have key roles in kinetochore function and chromosome segregation and to be highly expressed in the stem cells of the developing neocortex. When we introduce these modern human-specific substitutions in mice, three substitutions in two of these proteins, KIF18a and KNL1, cause metaphase prolongation and fewer chromosome segregation errors in apical progenitors of the developing neocortex. Conversely, the ancestral substitutions cause shorter metaphase length and more chromosome segregation errors in human brain organoids, similar to what we find in chimpanzee organoids. These results imply that the fidelity of chromosome segregation during neocortex development improved in modern humans after their divergence from Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid35865048, year = {2022}, author = {D Farhud, D and Azari, M and Mehrabi, A}, title = {The History of Corona Virus: From Neanderthals to the Present Time: A Brief Review.}, journal = {Iranian journal of public health}, volume = {51}, number = {3}, pages = {531-534}, pmid = {35865048}, issn = {2251-6093}, abstract = {Contrary to popular belief, 2019 was not the first time humans were infected by the Coronavirus. Coronavirus is one of the oldest viruses on the earth. This article discusses the history of this virus from Neanderthal time so far. We have collected a variety of articles related to coronaviruses and the extent of their interaction with humans from the first time probably appeared on earth, given that this virus is one of the ancient viruses. By examining and following the footsteps of coronaviruses in different works of literature, we found that the first homo that was infected with the coronavirus was Neanderthal. Moreover, we realized that in addition to risk factors such as age and background diseases, genetic evolution also plays an essential role in the protection of the body against coronavirus. On the other hand, this virus has evolved throughout history gradually, the same as humans. The presence of disease in humans, in any period of history, causes changes in human quality of life. Therefore, paying attention to the background of ancient diseases reveals principal information about the complexity of pathogens.}, }
@article {pmid35757177, year = {2022}, author = {Theofanopoulou, C and Andirkó, A and Boeckx, C and Jarvis, ED}, title = {Oxytocin and vasotocin receptor variation and the evolution of human prosociality.}, journal = {Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {100139}, pmid = {35757177}, issn = {2666-4976}, abstract = {Modern human lifestyle strongly depends on complex social traits like empathy, tolerance and cooperation. These diverse facets of social cognition have been associated with variation in the oxytocin receptor (OTR) and its sister genes, the vasotocin/vasopressin receptors (VTR1A/AVPR1A and AVPR1B/VTR1B). Here, we compared the available genomic sequences of these receptors between modern humans, archaic humans, and 12 non-human primate species, and identified sites that show heterozygous variation in modern humans and archaic humans distinct from variation in other primates, and for which we could find association studies with clinical implications. On these sites, we performed a range of analyses (variant clustering, pathogenicity prediction, regulation, linkage disequilibrium frequency), and reviewed the literature on selection data in different modern-human populations. We found five sites with modern human specific variation, where the modern human allele is the major allele in the global population (OTR: rs1042778, rs237885, rs6770632; VTR1A: rs10877969; VTR1B: rs33985287). Among them, variation in the OTR-rs6770632 site was predicted to be the most functional. Two alleles (OTR: rs59190448 and rs237888) present only in modern humans and archaic humans were putatively under positive selection in modern humans, with rs237888 predicted to be a highly functional site. Three sites showed convergent evolution between modern humans and bonobos (OTR: rs2228485 and rs237897; VTR1A: rs1042615), with OTR-rs2228485 ranking highly in terms of functionality and reported to be under balancing selection in modern humans (Schaschl, 2015) [1]. Our findings have implications for understanding hominid prosociality, as well as the similarities between modern human and bonobo social behavior.}, }
@article {pmid35737986, year = {2022}, author = {Weasel, L}, title = {How Neanderthals Became White: The Introgression of Race into Contemporary Human Evolutionary Genetics.}, journal = {The American naturalist}, volume = {200}, number = {1}, pages = {129-139}, doi = {10.1086/720130}, pmid = {35737986}, issn = {1537-5323}, mesh = {Animals ; Genome, Human ; Genomics ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {AbstractHuman evolutionary theory has a history rife with racial biases in what might be considered its distant past that can appear glaringly obvious from our current vantage point. Despite the recognition that as a social activity science is always vulnerable to such biases (and science that attempts to uncover human origin stories all the more so), commitment to the scientific method can lead us to believe that we have improved on, overcome, or otherwise escaped these tendencies in our contemporary practices, whether through scientific contrition, changing social context, or better training and composition of research teams or as a result of advances in technologies and methodologies. This article adapts the evolutionary biology concept of introgression, which refers to the hybridization and repeated bidirectional backcross exchange of information between species, as a metaphorical frame to examine science itself and to trace the ways in which historic race biases from earlier, disowned human evolution research have been retained and selected for beneath the surface of current genomic research today. It takes as its focus the sequencing of the Neanderthal genome, first announced in 2006 and refined since, and the explosion of scientific research comparing that sequence to present-day human DNA from individuals around the world to illustrate the ways in which current research questions and findings in comparative evolutionary genomics draw on and dredge up earlier biases, albeit adapted to and disguised within contemporary social relations and power differentials.}, }
@article {pmid35652784, year = {2023}, author = {Marcazzan, D and Miller, CE and Ligouis, B and Duches, R and Conard, NJ and Peresani, M}, title = {Middle and Upper Paleolithic occupations of Fumane Cave (Italy): a geoarchaeological investigation of the anthropogenic features.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {101}, number = {}, pages = {37-62}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.10002}, pmid = {35652784}, issn = {2037-0644}, abstract = {Here we present the results of a microcontextual analysis of purported combustion features recovered from Middle and Upper Paleolithic occupations at the cave site of Fumane, Italy. Our analyses, which integrate micromorphology with organic petrology, show that only a few of the features represent primary, intact hearths; some of them show evidence for various phases of anthropogenic reworking, either through trampling or sweeping and dumping. Several of the features are multi-layered and reflect a complex formation history of various activities related to combustion and site maintenance. Many appear to be the remnants of occupation horizons only partially preserved and peripherally related to combustion. Within several of the intact hearths from the Mousterian, we were able to identify variable fuel sources in different features, implying a degree of flexibility in the fuel-selection strategies of the Neanderthal occupants of Fumane. In this study we design a classification system of the anthropogenic features and also conduct a spatial analysis, through which we can infer diachronic patterns in the frequency and intensity of site occupation and the spatial distribution of activities. We note a decrease in frequency of combustion features throughout the Mousterian which continues into the Uluzzian. The features associated with the Protoaurignacian occupation, in contrast with those from the Mousterian, are multi-layered and well-defined. We argue that these trends, which correspond with other trends in artefact frequency, imply changes in the settlement dynamics of the site during the transition from the last Neanderthal occupation of the cave to the arrival of modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid35514995, year = {2022}, author = {Mocci, S and Littera, R and Tranquilli, S and Provenzano, A and Mascia, A and Cannas, F and Lai, S and Giuressi, E and Chessa, L and Angioni, G and Campagna, M and Firinu, D and Del Zompo, M and La Nasa, G and Perra, A and Giglio, S}, title = {A Protective HLA Extended Haplotype Outweighs the Major COVID-19 Risk Factor Inherited From Neanderthals in the Sardinian Population.}, journal = {Frontiers in immunology}, volume = {13}, number = {}, pages = {891147}, pmid = {35514995}, issn = {1664-3224}, mesh = {Animals ; *COVID-19/genetics ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Risk Factors ; SARS-CoV-2 ; }, abstract = {Sardinia has one of the lowest incidences of hospitalization and related mortality in Europe and yet a very high frequency of the Neanderthal risk locus variant on chromosome 3 (rs35044562), considered to be a major risk factor for a severe SARS-CoV-2 disease course. We evaluated 358 SARS-CoV-2 patients and 314 healthy Sardinian controls. One hundred and twenty patients were asymptomatic, 90 were pauci-symptomatic, 108 presented a moderate disease course and 40 were severely ill. All patients were analyzed for the Neanderthal-derived genetic variants reported as being protective (rs1156361) or causative (rs35044562) for severe illness. The β°39 C>T Thalassemia variant (rs11549407), HLA haplotypes, KIR genes, KIRs and their HLA class I ligand combinations were also investigated. Our findings revealed an increased risk for severe disease in Sardinian patients carrying the rs35044562 high risk variant [OR 5.32 (95% CI 2.53 - 12.01), p = 0.000]. Conversely, the protective effect of the HLA-A*02:01, B*18:01, DRB*03:01 three-loci extended haplotype in the Sardinian population was shown to efficiently contrast the high risk of a severe and devastating outcome of the infection predicted for carriers of the Neanderthal locus [OR 15.47 (95% CI 5.8 - 41.0), p < 0.0001]. This result suggests that the balance between risk and protective immunogenetic factors plays an important role in the evolution of COVID-19. A better understanding of these mechanisms may well turn out to be the biggest advantage in the race for the development of more efficient drugs and vaccines.}, }
@article {pmid35513387, year = {2022}, author = {Rüther, PL and Husic, IM and Bangsgaard, P and Gregersen, KM and Pantmann, P and Carvalho, M and Godinho, RM and Friedl, L and Cascalheira, J and Taurozzi, AJ and Jørkov, MLS and Benedetti, MM and Haws, J and Bicho, N and Welker, F and Cappellini, E and Olsen, JV}, title = {SPIN enables high throughput species identification of archaeological bone by proteomics.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {2458}, pmid = {35513387}, issn = {2041-1723}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology/methods ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Mammals ; Peptides ; *Proteome ; *Proteomics/methods ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; }, abstract = {Species determination based on genetic evidence is an indispensable tool in archaeology, forensics, ecology, and food authentication. Most available analytical approaches involve compromises with regard to the number of detectable species, high cost due to low throughput, or a labor-intensive manual process. Here, we introduce "Species by Proteome INvestigation" (SPIN), a shotgun proteomics workflow for analyzing archaeological bone capable of querying over 150 mammalian species by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Rapid peptide chromatography and data-independent acquisition (DIA) with throughput of 200 samples per day reduce expensive MS time, whereas streamlined sample preparation and automated data interpretation save labor costs. We confirm the successful classification of known reference bones, including domestic species and great apes, beyond the taxonomic resolution of the conventional peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF)-based Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) method. In a blinded study of degraded Iron-Age material from Scandinavia, SPIN produces reproducible results between replicates, which are consistent with morphological analysis. Finally, we demonstrate the high throughput capabilities of the method in a high-degradation context by analyzing more than two hundred Middle and Upper Palaeolithic bones from Southern European sites with late Neanderthal occupation. While this initial study is focused on modern and archaeological mammalian bone, SPIN will be open and expandable to other biological tissues and taxa.}, }
@article {pmid35484382, year = {2022}, author = {Rodríguez, J and Willmes, C and Sommer, C and Mateos, A}, title = {Sustainable human population density in Western Europe between 560.000 and 360.000 years ago.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {6907}, pmid = {35484382}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Climate Change ; Europe ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Population Density ; }, abstract = {The time period between 560 and 360 ka (MIS14 to MIS11) was critical for the evolution of the Neanderthal lineage and the appearance of Levallois technology in Europe. The shifts in the distribution of the human populations, driven by cyclical climate changes, are generally accepted to have played major roles in both processes. We used a dataset of palaeoclimate maps and a species distribution model to reconstruct the changes in the area of Western Europe with suitable environmental conditions for humans during 11 time intervals of the MIS14 to MIS 11 period. Eventually, the maximum sustainable human population within the suitable area during each time interval was estimated by extrapolating the relationship observed between recent hunter-gatherer population density and net primary productivity and applying it to the past. Contrary to common assumptions, our results showed the three Mediterranean Peninsulas were not the only region suitable for humans during the glacial periods. The estimated total sustainable population of Western Europe from MIS14 to MIS11 oscillated between 13,000 and 25,000 individuals. These results offer a new theoretical scenario to develop models and hypotheses to explain cultural and biological evolution during the Middle Pleistocene in Western Europe.}, }
@article {pmid35445261, year = {2022}, author = {Vallini, L and Marciani, G and Aneli, S and Bortolini, E and Benazzi, S and Pievani, T and Pagani, L}, title = {Genetics and Material Culture Support Repeated Expansions into Paleolithic Eurasia from a Population Hub Out of Africa.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {14}, number = {4}, pages = {}, pmid = {35445261}, issn = {1759-6653}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Anthropology, Cultural ; Europe ; Genetics, Population ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Siberia ; }, abstract = {The population dynamics that followed the Out of Africa (OoA) expansion and the whereabouts of the early migrants before the differentiation that ultimately led to the formation of Oceanian, West and East Eurasian macropopulations have long been debated. Shedding light on these events may, in turn, provide clues to better understand the cultural evolution in Eurasia between 50 and 35 ka. Here, we analyze Eurasian Paleolithic DNA evidence to provide a comprehensive population model and validate it in light of available material culture. Leveraging on our integrated approach we propose the existence of a Eurasian population Hub, where Homo sapiens lived between the OoA and the broader colonization of Eurasia, which was characterized by multiple events of expansion and local extinction. A major population wave out of Hub, of which Ust'Ishim, Bacho Kiro, and Tianyuan are unadmixed representatives, is broadly associated with Initial Upper Paleolithic lithics and populated West and East Eurasia before or around 45 ka, before getting largely extinct in Europe. In this light, we suggest a parsimonious placement of Oase1 as an individual related to Bacho Kiro who experienced additional Neanderthal introgression. Another expansion, started before 38 ka, is broadly associated with Upper Paleolithic industries and repopulated Europe with sporadic admixtures with the previous wave (GoyetQ116-1) and more systematic ones, whereas moving through Siberia (Yana, Mal'ta). Before these events, we also confirm Zlatý Kůň as the most basal human lineage sequenced to date OoA, potentially representing an earlier wave of expansion out of the Hub.}, }
@article {pmid35440148, year = {2022}, author = {Brand, CM and Colbran, LL and Capra, JA}, title = {Predicting Archaic Hominin Phenotypes from Genomic Data.}, journal = {Annual review of genomics and human genetics}, volume = {23}, number = {}, pages = {591-612}, pmid = {35440148}, issn = {1545-293X}, support = {R35 GM127087/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 HG009495/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Ancient ; Genome, Human ; Genomics ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Phenotype ; }, abstract = {Ancient DNA provides a powerful window into the biology of extant and extinct species, including humans' closest relatives: Denisovans and Neanderthals. Here, we review what is known about archaic hominin phenotypes from genomic data and how those inferences have been made. We contend that understanding the influence of variants on lower-level molecular phenotypes-such as gene expression and protein function-is a promising approach to using ancient DNA to learn about archaic hominin traits. Molecular phenotypes have simpler genetic architectures than organism-level complex phenotypes, and this approach enables moving beyond association studies by proposing hypotheses about the effects of archaic variants that are testable in model systems. The major challenge to understanding archaic hominin phenotypes is broadening our ability to accurately map genotypes to phenotypes, but ongoing advances ensure that there will be much more to learn about archaic hominin phenotypes from their genomes.}, }
@article {pmid35430882, year = {2022}, author = {Witt, KE and Villanea, F and Loughran, E and Zhang, X and Huerta-Sanchez, E}, title = {Apportioning archaic variants among modern populations.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {377}, number = {1852}, pages = {20200411}, pmid = {35430882}, issn = {1471-2970}, support = {K99 GM143466/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM128946/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Genetic Drift ; Genome, Human ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {The apportionment of human genetic diversity within and between populations has been measured to understand human relatedness and demographic history. Likewise, the distribution of archaic ancestry in modern populations can be leveraged to better understand the interaction between our species and its archaic relatives. Resolving the interactions between modern and archaic human populations can be difficult, as archaic variants in modern populations have been shaped by genetic drift, bottlenecks and gene flow. Here, we investigate the distribution of archaic variation in Eurasian populations. We find that archaic ancestry coverage at the individual- and population-level present distinct patterns in modern human populations: South Asians have nearly twice the number of population-unique archaic alleles compared with Europeans or East Asians, indicating that these populations experienced differing demographic and archaic admixture events. We confirm previous observations that East Asian individuals have more Neanderthal ancestry than European individuals, but surprisingly, when we compare the number of single nucleotide polymorphisms with archaic alleles found across a population, Europeans have more Neanderthal ancestry than East Asians. We compare these results to simulated models and conclude that these patterns are consistent with multiple admixture events between modern humans and Neanderthals. This article is part of the theme issue 'Celebrating 50 years since Lewontin's apportionment of human diversity'.}, }
@article {pmid35353845, year = {2022}, author = {Rios-Garaizar, J and Iriarte, E and Arnold, LJ and Sánchez-Romero, L and Marín-Arroyo, AB and San Emeterio, A and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Pérez-Garrido, C and Demuro, M and Campaña, I and Bourguignon, L and Benito-Calvo, A and Iriarte, MJ and Aranburu, A and Arranz-Otaegi, A and Garate, D and Silva-Gago, M and Lahaye, C and Ortega, I}, title = {The intrusive nature of the Châtelperronian in the Iberian Peninsula.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {17}, number = {3}, pages = {e0265219}, pmid = {35353845}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Europe ; Fossils ; France ; *Neanderthals ; Paris ; Technology ; }, abstract = {Multiple factors have been proposed to explain the disappearance of Neandertals between ca. 50 and 40 kyr BP. Central to these discussions has been the identification of new techno-cultural complexes that overlap with the period of Neandertal demise in Europe. One such complex is the Châtelperronian, which extends from the Paris Basin to the Northern Iberian Peninsula between 43,760-39,220 BP. In this study we present the first open-air Châtelperronian site in the Northern Iberian Peninsula, Aranbaltza II. The technological features of its stone tool assemblage show no links with previous Middle Paleolithic technology in the region, and chronological modeling reveals a gap between the latest Middle Paleolithic and the Châtelperronian in this area. We interpret this as evidence of local Neandertal extinction and replacement by other Neandertal groups coming from southern France, illustrating how local extinction episodes could have played a role in the process of disappearance of Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid35339947, year = {2022}, author = {Roksandic, M and Radović, P and Lindal, J and Mihailović, D}, title = {Early Neanderthals in contact: The Chibanian (Middle Pleistocene) hominin dentition from Velika Balanica Cave, Southern Serbia.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {166}, number = {}, pages = {103175}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103175}, pmid = {35339947}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Dentition ; Fossils ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Serbia ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals are Eurasian fossil hominins whose distinctive morphology developed in the southwestern corner of Europe and later spread throughout the continent, reaching Southwest Asia before the Late Pleistocene and spreading into Central Asia by 59-49 ka. The timing, tempo, and route of the Neanderthal movements eastward are poorly documented. The earliest probable evidence of Neanderthals in Asia comes from Karain E Cave (Anatolia, Turkey), dated to 250-200 ka. We present four Chibanian (Middle Pleistocene) hominin specimens, representing at least two individuals, from Velika Balanica Cave (Serbia): a permanent upper third molar (BH-2), a deciduous upper fourth premolar (BH-3) refitted to a poorly preserved maxillary fragment with the permanent first molar in the alveolus (BH-4), and a permanent upper central incisor (BH-5). We provide descriptions of the teeth, as well as a comparative analysis of the well-preserved M[1] (BH-4), including assessments of cusp angles, relative occlusal polygon area, relative cusp base areas, two- and three-dimensional enamel thickness, and taurodontism. Morphology of both the occlusal surface and the enamel dentine junction of the M[1] indicates that the maxillary fragment and associated dP[4] belonged to an early Neanderthal child. The heavily worn I[1] and M[3] are consistent with the Neanderthal morphology, although they are less distinct taxonomically. These Chibanian remains with provenance from layer 3a are constrained by two thermoluminescence dates: 285 ± 34 ka and 295 ± 74 ka. They represent the earliest current evidence of Neanderthal spread into the Eastern Mediterranean Area. We discuss these findings in light of recent direct evidence for cultural connections between Southwestern Asia and Southeast Europe in the Chibanian.}, }
@article {pmid35338861, year = {2022}, author = {Pop, CM and Wilson, L and Browne, CL}, title = {Evaluating landscape knowledge and lithic resource selection at the French Middle Paleolithic site of the Bau de l'Aubesier.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {166}, number = {}, pages = {103152}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103152}, pmid = {35338861}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Hominidae ; }, abstract = {We report on the application of a novel approach to exploring the degree of landscape knowledge, wayfinding abilities, and the nature of decision-making processes reflected in the utilization of stone resources in the French Middle Paleolithic. Specifically, we use data from the site of the Bau de l'Aubesier to explore the reasons why a majority of the 350 raw material sources cataloged in the surrounding region appear not to have been utilized, including several located near the site and yielding high-quality lithic materials. To this end, we focus on the spatial relationships between sources as an explanatory variable, operationalized in terms of minimum travel times. Using geographic information system software and a generalized linear model of resource selection derived from the Bau assemblages, we compute source utilization probabilities from the perspective of hominins located off-site. We do so under three optimization scenarios, factoring in the intrinsic characteristics (e.g., quality) and time required to reach each source on the way to the Bau. More generally, we find that in slightly more than 50% of cases, seemingly viable sources may have been ignored simply because the minimum cost path leading back to the Bau passes through or requires only minimal deviations to reach, higher quality options. More generally, we found that throughout the entire region, a cost/benefit analysis of competing sources favors those from source areas known to have been utilized. Virtually all the available information on lithic procurement at the Bau is consistent with a model of landscape utilization premised on detailed knowledge of a very large area, an ability to accurately estimate travel times between locations, and a pragmatic strategy of stone resource exploitation based on minimizing costs (travel and search times) and maximizing utility.}, }
@article {pmid35260774, year = {2022}, author = {Picin, A and Hajdinjak, M and Nowaczewska, W and Benazzi, S and Urbanowski, M and Marciszak, A and Fewlass, H and Bosch, MD and Socha, P and Stefaniak, K and Żarski, M and Wiśniewski, A and Hublin, JJ and Nadachowski, A and Talamo, S}, title = {Author Correction: New perspectives on Neanderthal dispersal and turnover from Stajnia Cave (Poland).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {4060}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-022-08141-z}, pmid = {35260774}, issn = {2045-2322}, }
@article {pmid35193386, year = {2022}, author = {Cerrito, P and Nava, A and Radovčić, D and Borić, D and Cerrito, L and Basdeo, T and Ruggiero, G and Frayer, DW and Kao, AP and Bondioli, L and Mancini, L and Bromage, TG}, title = {Dental cementum virtual histology of Neanderthal teeth from Krapina (Croatia, 130-120 kyr): an informed estimate of age, sex and adult stressors.}, journal = {Journal of the Royal Society, Interface}, volume = {19}, number = {187}, pages = {20210820}, pmid = {35193386}, issn = {1742-5662}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Croatia ; Dental Cementum/diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Tooth/diagnostic imaging ; }, abstract = {The evolution of modern human reproductive scheduling is an aspect of our life history that remains vastly uncomprehended. The present work aims to address this gap by validating a non-destructive cutting-edge methodology to infer adult life-history events on modern teeth with known life history and then applying it to fossil specimens. We use phase-contrast synchrotron X-ray microtomography to visualize the dental cementum of 21 specimens: nine contemporary humans; 10 Neanderthals from Krapina (Croatia, 130-120 kyr); one Neolithic Homo sapiens from Ajmana (Serbia); and one Mesolithic H. sapiens from Vlasac (Serbia). We were able to correctly detect and time (root mean square error = 2.1 years; R[2] = 0.98) all reproductive (menarche, parturition, menopause) and other physiologically impactful events in the modern sample. Nonetheless, we could not distinguish between the causes of the events detected. For the fossil specimens, we estimated age at death and age at occurrence of biologically significant events. Finally, we performed an exploratory analysis regarding possible sexual dimorphism in dental cementum microstructure, which allowed us to correctly infer the sex of the Neolithic specimen, for which the true value was known via DNA analysis.}, }
@article {pmid35181735, year = {2022}, author = {Lee, HK and Knabl, L and Knabl, L and Wieser, M and Mur, A and Zabernigg, A and Schumacher, J and Kapferer, S and Kaiser, N and Furth, PA and Hennighausen, L}, title = {Immune transcriptome analysis of COVID-19 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants carrying the E484K escape mutation identifies a distinct gene module.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {2784}, pmid = {35181735}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/genetics ; Adult ; Aged ; COVID-19/genetics/*immunology/virology ; Female ; *Gene Regulatory Networks ; Humans ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; Middle Aged ; SARS-CoV-2/*genetics ; *Transcriptome ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Fast-spreading variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) energize the COVID-19 pandemic. While viral infections elicit a conserved immune response, it is not known whether SARS-CoV-2 variants, which display enhanced binding to the ACE2 receptor and reduced neutralizing activity by vaccine-elicited antibodies, prompt specific genomic immune responses. To test this, we generated and investigated the transcriptomes in BCs from hospitalized patients infected with either the Alpha variant (n = 36) or with the Alpha variant that had acquired the E484K escape mutation (Alpha+E484K) (n = 13). We identified a gene module preferentially activated in patients infected with the Alpha+E484K variant and in patients infected with the Beta (n = 9) and Gamma (n = 3) variants that also carry by the E484K escape mutation. The E484K signature was enriched for genes preferentially expressed in monocytes and linked to severe viral infection. However, both cohorts had undergone similar treatments and no differences in disease severity were reported suggesting that this signature reflects a variant response and does not necessarily associate with disease outcome. Additionally, longitudinal transcriptome analyses revealed a more persistent retention of immune signatures in Alpha+E484K patients throughout the entire course of COVID-19 disease and convalescence. While the OAS1 Neanderthal mutation has been linked to a milder COVID-19 pathology, we did not identify significant immune transcriptomes differences in the 25 patients homozygous for this mutation. Our study offers insights into distinct molecular immune responses elicited by SARS-CoV-2 variants carrying the E484K escape mutation throughout the COVID-19 disease.}, }
@article {pmid35143674, year = {2022}, author = {Göllner, T and Larena, M and Kutanan, W and Lukas, H and Fieder, M and Schaschl, H}, title = {Unveiling the Genetic History of the Maniq, a Primary Hunter-Gatherer Society.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {14}, number = {4}, pages = {}, pmid = {35143674}, issn = {1759-6653}, mesh = {Animals ; Asia, Southeastern ; *Asian People ; Genetics, Population ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Thailand ; }, abstract = {The Maniq of southern Thailand is one of the last remaining practicing hunter-gatherer communities in the world. However, our knowledge on their genetic origins and demographic history is still largely limited. We present here the genotype data covering ∼2.3 million single nucleotide polymorphisms of 11 unrelated Maniq individuals. Our analyses reveal the Maniq to be closely related to the Semang populations of Malaysia (Malay Negritos), who altogether carry an Andamanese-related ancestry linked to the ancient Hòabìnhian hunter-gatherers of Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA). Moreover, the Maniq possess ∼35% East Asian-related ancestry, likely brought about by recent admixture with surrounding agriculturist communities in the region. In addition, the Maniq exhibit one of the highest levels of genetic differentiation found among living human populations, indicative of their small population size and historical practice of endogamy. Similar to other hunter-gatherer populations of MSEA, we also find the Maniq to possess low levels of Neanderthal ancestry and undetectable levels of Denisovan ancestry. Altogether, we reveal the Maniq to be a Semang group that experienced intense genetic drift and exhibits signs of ancient Hòabìnhian ancestry.}, }
@article {pmid35138885, year = {2022}, author = {Slimak, L and Zanolli, C and Higham, T and Frouin, M and Schwenninger, JL and Arnold, LJ and Demuro, M and Douka, K and Mercier, N and Guérin, G and Valladas, H and Yvorra, P and Giraud, Y and Seguin-Orlando, A and Orlando, L and Lewis, JE and Muth, X and Camus, H and Vandevelde, S and Buckley, M and Mallol, C and Stringer, C and Metz, L}, title = {Modern human incursion into Neanderthal territories 54,000 years ago at Mandrin, France.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, pages = {eabj9496}, pmid = {35138885}, issn = {2375-2548}, abstract = {Determining the extent of overlap between modern humans and other hominins in Eurasia, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, is fundamental to understanding the nature of their interactions and what led to the disappearance of archaic hominins. Apart from a possible sporadic pulse recorded in Greece during the Middle Pleistocene, the first settlements of modern humans in Europe have been constrained to ~45,000 to 43,000 years ago. Here, we report hominin fossils from Grotte Mandrin in France that reveal the earliest known presence of modern humans in Europe between 56,800 and 51,700 years ago. This early modern human incursion in the Rhône Valley is associated with technologies unknown in any industry of that age outside Africa or the Levant. Mandrin documents the first alternating occupation of Neanderthals and modern humans, with a modern human fossil and associated Neronian lithic industry found stratigraphically between layers containing Neanderthal remains associated with Mousterian industries.}, }
@article {pmid35066426, year = {2022}, author = {Mihailović, D and Kuhn, SL and Bogićević, K and Dimitrijević, V and Marín-Arroyo, AB and Marković, J and Mercier, N and Mihailović, B and Morley, MW and Radović, P and Rink, WJ and Plavšić, S and Roksandic, M}, title = {Connections between the Levant and the Balkans in the late Middle Pleistocene: Archaeological findings from Velika and Mala Balanica Caves (Serbia).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {163}, number = {}, pages = {103138}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103138}, pmid = {35066426}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Balkan Peninsula ; Caves ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Serbia ; }, abstract = {Major changes in the technological, economic, and social behavior of Middle Pleistocene hominins occurred at the onset of the Middle Paleolithic, 400-200 ka. However, until recently it was not possible to establish when, where, and how certain forms of Middle Paleolithic behavior appeared and spread into Southeastern Europe, mainly owing to gaps in the Paleolithic record. Here we report new results of dating, material culture, and the archaeological context of finds from the Balanica Cave Complex in Sićevo (Serbia). Two methods-thermoluminescence and electron spin resonance-were used to date the sequence. The geoarchaeological context was examined through sedimentology, micromorphology, and spatial analysis. Microfaunal remains were used to constrain the dates within an ecological zone, whereas macrofauna was analyzed for taxonomy and taphonomy to examine the source of accumulation and hominin behavior. Technological and typological features of the lithic assemblage were used to characterize lithic production at the site. Materials recovered from Layer 3 in Velika Balanica and from Layer 2 in Mala Balanica, both dated to MIS 9-7, include a distinctive set of archaeological assemblages which resemble contemporaneous Yabrudian assemblages from the Levant in important ways, and which are unlike contemporary material from the surrounding regions. In Velika Balanica, the lithic assemblages are associated with a large fireplace containing evidence of human activities similar to those from Qesem Cave (Israel). Dental remains uncovered in the same layer are consistent with Neanderthals. These findings suggest that the end of the Middle Pleistocene (before 300-240 ka) saw population movement and/or cultural transmission between Southwest Asia and the Balkans, which led eventually to a transfer of technology between Middle Eastern and European hominin populations and contributed to the shaping of Neanderthal behaviors throughout the eastern and northern Mediterranean.}, }
@article {pmid34969841, year = {2022}, author = {Massilani, D and Morley, MW and Mentzer, SM and Aldeias, V and Vernot, B and Miller, C and Stahlschmidt, M and Kozlikin, MB and Shunkov, MV and Derevianko, AP and Conard, NJ and Wurz, S and Henshilwood, CS and Vasquez, J and Essel, E and Nagel, S and Richter, J and Nickel, B and Roberts, RG and Pääbo, S and Slon, V and Goldberg, P and Meyer, M}, title = {Microstratigraphic preservation of ancient faunal and hominin DNA in Pleistocene cave sediments.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {119}, number = {1}, pages = {}, pmid = {34969841}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Caves ; *DNA, Ancient ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Ancient DNA recovered from Pleistocene sediments represents a rich resource for the study of past hominin and environmental diversity. However, little is known about how DNA is preserved in sediments and the extent to which it may be translocated between archaeological strata. Here, we investigate DNA preservation in 47 blocks of resin-impregnated archaeological sediment collected over the last four decades for micromorphological analyses at 13 prehistoric sites in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America and show that such blocks can preserve DNA of hominins and other mammals. Extensive microsampling of sediment blocks from Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains reveals that the taxonomic composition of mammalian DNA differs drastically at the millimeter-scale and that DNA is concentrated in small particles, especially in fragments of bone and feces (coprolites), suggesting that these are substantial sources of DNA in sediments. Three microsamples taken in close proximity in one of the blocks yielded Neanderthal DNA from at least two male individuals closely related to Denisova 5, a Neanderthal toe bone previously recovered from the same layer. Our work indicates that DNA can remain stably localized in sediments over time and provides a means of linking genetic information to the archaeological and ecological records on a microstratigraphic scale.}, }
@article {pmid34943532, year = {2021}, author = {Durand, S and Dufour, J and Rosas, A and Becce, F and Orr, C}, title = {Three-Dimensional Comparative Study of Human Bipartite Scaphoids and the Os Centrale of the Wrist in Neandertals and Non-Human Anthropoid Primates.}, journal = {Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {11}, number = {12}, pages = {}, pmid = {34943532}, issn = {2075-4418}, support = {7484 and 8318//Wenner-Gren Foundation/ ; }, abstract = {In humans, bipartite scaphoid still does not differentiate clearly from traumatic non-union of the scaphoid. To aid diagnosis, we sought to analyze the main geometrical similarities among bipartite scaphoids from primate species with fused and unfused scaphoid centrales. Four human embryos, four cases of adult humans with bipartite scaphoid, twelve adult specimens of other extant anthropoid primates, and two Neandertal scaphoid specimens were included in this study. Three-dimensional polygon models of the scaphoid and os centrale were generated from CT scan, micro-CT scan, or histological sections. A 3D comparative study of the morphological and morphometrical parameters was performed using the MSC Patran software. The os centrale was smaller than the scaphoid in all specimens and its shape was elongated in the anteroposterior scaphoid direction. The position of the os centrale centroid compared to the scaphoid using direction vectors had a strong orientation along the proximodistal axis in all species. The main morphological feature of bipartite scaphoid was the continuity of the scaphoid from its proximal pole to its tubercule along the anteroposterior axis. In all specimens, if the os centrale was removed, the scaphoid still appeared normal and whole. The bipartite scaphoid in adult humans shares geometrical analogies with monkeys and orangutans, human embryos, and Neandertals. Morphological and morphometrical features identified in this study are useful to differentiate bipartite scaphoid from scaphoid pseudarthrosis. All other criteria suggested in the past lead to misdiagnosis.}, }
@article {pmid34923240, year = {2022}, author = {Hardy, K and Bocherens, H and Miller, JB and Copeland, L}, title = {Reconstructing Neanderthal diet: The case for carbohydrates.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {162}, number = {}, pages = {103105}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103105}, pmid = {34923240}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Carbohydrates ; Diet ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/physiology ; }, abstract = {Evidence for plants rarely survives on Paleolithic sites, while animal bones and biomolecular analyses suggest animal produce was important to hominin populations, leading to the perspective that Neanderthals had a very-high-protein diet. But although individual and short-term survival is possible on a relatively low-carbohydrate diet, populations are unlikely to have thrived and reproduced without plants and the carbohydrates they provide. Today, nutritional guidelines recommend that around half the diet should be carbohydrate, while low intake is considered to compromise physical performance and successful reproduction. This is likely to have been the same for Paleolithic populations, highlighting an anomaly in that the basic physiological recommendations do not match the extensive archaeological evidence. Neanderthals had large, energy-expensive brains and led physically active lifestyles, suggesting that for optimal health they would have required high amounts of carbohydrates. To address this anomaly, we begin by outlining the essential role of carbohydrates in the human reproduction cycle and the brain and the effects on physical performance. We then evaluate the evidence for resource availability and the archaeological evidence for Neanderthal diet and investigate three ways that the anomaly between the archaeological evidence and the hypothetical dietary requirements might be explained. First, Neanderthals may have had an as yet unidentified genetic adaptation to an alternative physiological method to spare blood glucose and glycogen reserves for essential purposes. Second, they may have existed on a less-than-optimum diet and survived rather than thrived. Third, the methods used in dietary reconstruction could mask a complex combination of dietary plant and animal proportions. We end by proposing that analyses of Paleolithic diet and subsistence strategies need to be grounded in the minimum recommendations throughout the life course and that this provides a context for interpretation of the archaeological evidence from the behavioral and environmental perspectives.}, }
@article {pmid34919805, year = {2022}, author = {Natri, HM and Hudjashov, G and Jacobs, G and Kusuma, P and Saag, L and Darusallam, CC and Metspalu, M and Sudoyo, H and Cox, MP and Gallego Romero, I and Banovich, NE}, title = {Genetic architecture of gene regulation in Indonesian populations identifies QTLs associated with global and local ancestries.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {109}, number = {1}, pages = {50-65}, pmid = {34919805}, issn = {1537-6605}, mesh = {Computational Biology/methods ; DNA Methylation ; Databases, Genetic ; *Gene Expression Regulation ; *Genetics, Population ; *Genome, Human ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genomics/methods ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Male ; Models, Genetic ; Molecular Sequence Annotation ; Multifactorial Inheritance ; *Quantitative Trait Loci ; Quantitative Trait, Heritable ; Selection, Genetic ; Whole Genome Sequencing ; }, abstract = {Lack of diversity in human genomics limits our understanding of the genetic underpinnings of complex traits, hinders precision medicine, and contributes to health disparities. To map genetic effects on gene regulation in the underrepresented Indonesian population, we have integrated genotype, gene expression, and CpG methylation data from 115 participants across three island populations that capture the major sources of genomic diversity in the region. In a comparison with European datasets, we identify eQTLs shared between Indonesia and Europe as well as population-specific eQTLs that exhibit differences in allele frequencies and/or overall expression levels between populations. By combining local ancestry and archaic introgression inference with eQTLs and methylQTLs, we identify regulatory loci driven by modern Papuan ancestry as well as introgressed Denisovan and Neanderthal variation. GWAS colocalization connects QTLs detected here to hematological traits, and further comparison with European datasets reflects the poor overall transferability of GWAS statistics across diverse populations. Our findings illustrate how population-specific genetic architecture, local ancestry, and archaic introgression drive variation in gene regulation across genetically distinct and in admixed populations and highlight the need for performing association studies on non-European populations.}, }
@article {pmid34897365, year = {2022}, author = {Decaup, PH and Couture, C and Colin, M and Garot, E}, title = {Prevalence of taurodontism: meta-analysis in recent humans and evolutionary perspectives.}, journal = {Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen}, volume = {73}, number = {1}, pages = {1-11}, doi = {10.1127/homo/2021/1447}, pmid = {34897365}, issn = {1618-1301}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Prevalence ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; *Tooth Abnormalities ; *Hominidae ; }, abstract = {Taurodontism is a continuous anatomical variation of permanent and primary posterior teeth represented by an enlargement of the pulp cavity. A high prevalence of the trait is reported in Homo neanderthalensis remains. Exploring and refining epidemiology of taurodontism in actual populations could strengthen the hypothesis of a selective advantage for a high attrition diet (as heavy tooth wear in Homo sapiens evolution changed little until recently) or favour pleiotropic or genetic drift effects to explain the high frequency of the trait in Neandertal remains. Prevalence ranges between 0.1% and 48% in the literature. The aim of the present study is to assess the prevalence of taurodontism in recent populations by means of meta-analysis, that is, is the prevalence of taurodontism lower or higher in modern human living populations, where the selective advantages of high attrition diet are still expected? From 90 potentially eligible studies, 15 were included in the meta-analysis. Only cross-sectional studies were reported, and 14,771 participants were included. The meta-analyses were performed with a random model, calculating a weighted-mean prevalence of 11.8%. Gender was found to be unrelated to the prevalence of taurodontism (OR = 0.84 (95% CI 0.67-1.05), p > 0.05). Taurodontism occurs in approximately 11.8% of the living population. This result questions the status of taurodontism as a "typical trait" in Homo neanderthalensis and allows a possible common evolutionary mechanism in Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis for the trait. Further studies should include more accurate and standardized methods to assess the condition.}, }
@article {pmid34866354, year = {2024}, author = {Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Martínez de Pinillos, M and Martín-Francés, L and Modesto-Mata, M and García-Campos, C and Arsuaga, JL and Martinón-Torres, M}, title = {Dental remains of the Middle Pleistocene hominins from the Sima de los Huesos site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain): Maxillary dentition.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {307}, number = {7}, pages = {2325-2342}, doi = {10.1002/ar.24841}, pmid = {34866354}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {//Consejer&#xed;a de Cultura y Turismo of the Junta de Castilla y Le&#xf3;n/ ; //Fundaci&#xf3;n Atapuerca/ ; PGC2018-093925-B.C31-C33//Spanish Ministry of "Ciencia, Innovaci&#xf3;n y Universidades"/ ; //Leakey Foundation/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Spain ; *Maxilla/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Dentition ; Humans ; Biological Evolution ; }, abstract = {The Middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Spain) has yielded a considerable number of human fossils during the period 1984-2020. Among them, up to 253 maxillary teeth have been recovered. In this article, we present the description of the eight dental classes of the maxilla following the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System classification. In addition, we present the mean mesiodistal and buccolingual diameters of these teeth compared to those of Neanderthals and a modern human sample. The morphology of both the anterior and posterior teeth suggests a close relationship of the Sima de los Huesos hominins with the populations of the second half of the Middle Pleistocene of Europe and the Near East, as well as with the so-called classic Neanderthals of Europe. Features with a recognizable taxonomic signal allow grouping the Sima de los Huesos hominins with different paleodemes into a Neanderthal clade. The dental evidence of the Sima de los Huesos hominins is key to suggest a complex model for the settlement of Europe during the Middle Pleistocene. During this period, different migrations of human groups probably coming from Southwest Asia, replacements, prolonged isolations, as well as hybridization and introgression processes would have contributed to the diversity of hominins in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid34855484, year = {2021}, author = {Marom, A and Rak, Y}, title = {Comment on "A Middle Pleistocene Homo from Nesher Ramla, Israel".}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {374}, number = {6572}, pages = {eabl4336}, doi = {10.1126/science.abl4336}, pmid = {34855484}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/classification ; Israel ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*classification ; }, abstract = {Hershkovitz et al. (Reports, 25 June 2021, p. 1424) conclude that the Nesher Ramla (NR) fossils represent a distinctive Homo paleodeme that played a role as a source population for Neanderthals. However, the highly diagnostic features of the Neanderthal mandible—clearly displayed by the NR fossils—are largely overlooked. Our analyses indicate that the NR fossils represent simply a Neanderthal.}, }
@article {pmid34855476, year = {2021}, author = {May, H and Sarig, R and Pokhojaev, A and Fornai, C and Martinón-Torres, M and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Weber, GW and Zaidner, Y and Hershkovitz, I}, title = {Response to Comment on "A Middle Pleistocene Homo from Nesher Ramla, Israel".}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {374}, number = {6572}, pages = {eabl5789}, doi = {10.1126/science.abl5789}, pmid = {34855476}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {*Fossils ; Israel ; }, abstract = {Marom and Rak claim, on the basis of a few mandibular features, that the Nesher Ramla (NR) Homo is a Neanderthal. Their comments lack substance and contribute little to the debate surrounding the evolution of Middle Pleistocene Homo. Limitations and preconceptions in their study prevented them from achieving resolution beyond a dichotomous interpretation of the NR as either a Neanderthal or a modern human.}, }
@article {pmid34851548, year = {2024}, author = {Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Martínez de Pinillos, M and Martín-Francés, L and Modesto-Mata, M and García-Campos, C and Arsuaga, JL and Martinón-Torres, M}, title = {Dental remains of the Middle Pleistocene hominins from the Sima de los Huesos site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain): Mandibular dentition.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {307}, number = {7}, pages = {2394-2409}, doi = {10.1002/ar.24840}, pmid = {34851548}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {//Consejer&#xed;a de Cultura y Turismo of the Junta de Castilla y Le&#xf3;n/ ; PGC2018-093925-B.C31-C33//Direcci&#xf3;n General de Investigaci&#xf3;n of the Spanish Ministry of "Ciencia, Innovaci&#xf3;n y Universidades/ ; //The Leakey Foundation/ ; //Atapuerca Foundation/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Dentition ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Biological Evolution ; }, abstract = {The Middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Spain) has yielded a considerable number of human fossils during the period 1984-2020. Among them, up to 314 mandibular teeth have been identified. In this second paper dedicated to the dentition we present the description of the eight dental classes of the mandible following the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS) classification. In addition, we show the mean mesiodistal and buccolingual diameters obtained in these teeth compared to those of Neanderthals and a modern human sample. The morphology of both the anterior and posterior teeth suggests a close relationship of the Sima de los Huesos hominins with the populations of the second half of the Middle Pleistocene of Europe and the Near East, as well as with the so-called classic Neanderthals of Europe. The combination of dental traits in these populations is characteristic and diagnostic and suggests grouping the Sima de los Huesos hominins with the other paleodemes in a Neanderthal clade. The dental evidence of the Sima de los Huesos hominins is key to propose a complex model for the settlement of Europe during the Middle Pleistocene. In this period, different migrations of human groups probably coming from Southwest Asia, replacements, prolonged isolations, as well as hybridization and introgression processes would have contributed to the diversity of hominins in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid34839228, year = {2022}, author = {Bahain, JJ and Mercier, N and Valladas, H and Falguères, C and Masaoudi, H and Joron, JL and Froget, L and Moigne, AM and Combier, J and Moncel, MH}, title = {Reappraisal of the chronology of Orgnac 3 Lower-to-Middle Paleolithic site (Ardèche, France), a regional key sequence for the Middle Pleistocene of southern France.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {162}, number = {}, pages = {103092}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103092}, pmid = {34839228}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Fossils ; France ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Technology ; *Tooth ; }, abstract = {Previous studies have suggested that the Lower-to-Middle Paleolithic transition was associated with the earliest Neanderthals, but recent research has established that the oldest Neanderthal fossils and the first signs of their technologies and behavior appear from MIS 11 or possibly earlier. To understand these changes, re-evaluation of the evidence is necessary to determine if this transition corresponds to a progressive evolution rather than abrupt change. Orgnac 3 is a key and appropriate site to study this research context. Located in southern France, it yields a long stratigraphic sequence testifying the evolution of technical and subsistence behaviors of pre-Neanderthal human groups during a Middle Pleistocene interglacial-glacial cycle. In this article, a new chronological framework is provided for the sequence based on results of dating methods applied to various types of geological materials. Speleothems and volcanic minerals, dated in previous studies by U-series and [40]Ar/[39]Ar, respectively, show periods of calcitic crystallization and regional volcanic activity. Other materials, such as heated flints and herbivore teeth, are directly related to evidence of anthropogenic activities and are analyzed in the present work by trapped-charge dating methods such as thermoluminescence and electron spin resonance combined with uranium series (ESR/U-series). The new thermoluminescence and ESR/U-series dates confirm the attribution of the Orgnac 3 stratigraphic sequence to the MIS 10-MIS 8 period and are discussed in relation to paleoenvironmental data derived from bioarchaeological studies. The paleoanthropological levels, including the emergence of Levallois technology, are dated to ca. 275 ka (early MIS 8) and appear coeval to a wet and temperate period recorded locally, the Amargiers interstadial, defined in the regional palynological records. The implications of this reassessed chronology for the archaeological assemblages are discussed in the wider context of behavioral innovations from MIS 11 onward and their establishment in subsequent periods.}, }
@article {pmid34824388, year = {2022}, author = {Brown, S and Massilani, D and Kozlikin, MB and Shunkov, MV and Derevianko, AP and Stoessel, A and Jope-Street, B and Meyer, M and Kelso, J and Pääbo, S and Higham, T and Douka, K}, title = {The earliest Denisovans and their cultural adaptation.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {6}, number = {1}, pages = {28-35}, pmid = {34824388}, issn = {2397-334X}, support = {694707/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; 715069/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; 324139/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Caves ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; *Hominidae/genetics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {Since the initial identification of the Denisovans a decade ago, only a handful of their physical remains have been discovered. Here we analysed ~3,800 non-diagnostic bone fragments using collagen peptide mass fingerprinting to locate new hominin remains from Denisova Cave (Siberia, Russia). We identified five new hominin bones, four of which contained sufficient DNA for mitochondrial analysis. Three carry mitochondrial DNA of the Denisovan type and one was found to carry mtDNA of the Neanderthal type. The former come from the same archaeological layer near the base of the cave's sequence and are the oldest securely dated evidence of Denisovans at 200 ka (thousand years ago) (205-192 ka at 68.2% or 217-187 ka at 95% probability). The stratigraphic context in which they were located contains a wealth of archaeological material in the form of lithics and faunal remains, allowing us to determine the material culture associated with these early hominins and explore their behavioural and environmental adaptations. The combination of bone collagen fingerprinting and genetic analyses has so far more-than-doubled the number of hominin bones at Denisova Cave and has expanded our understanding of Denisovan and Neanderthal interactions, as well as their archaeological signatures.}, }
@article {pmid34819448, year = {2021}, author = {Dhakal, B and Makaju, R and Dhakal R, R}, title = {The Risk of COVID-19 in People Having a Particular Set of Gene.}, journal = {Kathmandu University medical journal (KUMJ)}, volume = {19}, number = {74}, pages = {265-267}, pmid = {34819448}, issn = {1812-2078}, mesh = {*COVID-19 ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Male ; Risk Factors ; SARS-CoV-2 ; }, abstract = {These risk factors of advancing age, male gender and co-existing health conditions like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity do not fully explain why some people have no or mild symptoms whereas others have severe symptoms. Genomewide association study (GWAS) identify a 3p21.31 gene cluster as a genetic susceptibility locus in patients with COVID-19 with respiratory failure. They also found a higher risk among persons with blood group A and protective effect for blood group O than among patients with other blood groups. The particular haplotype in a region of chromosome 3 is contributed to modern humans by neandertals. Another Neanderthal haplotype on chromosome 12 is associated with a 22% reduction in relative risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19. The ApoE e4e4 homozygous genotype was found to increase the risk of severe COVID-19. Change in angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) 2 gene was also found to be associated with increased risk of COVID-19, cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions.}, }
@article {pmid34814754, year = {2021}, author = {Mahoney, P and McFarlane, G and Smith, BH and Miszkiewicz, JJ and Cerrito, P and Liversidge, H and Mancini, L and Dreossi, D and Veneziano, A and Bernardini, F and Cristiani, E and Behie, A and Coppa, A and Bondioli, L and Frayer, DW and Radovčić, D and Nava, A}, title = {Growth of Neanderthal infants from Krapina (120-130 ka), Croatia.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {288}, number = {1963}, pages = {20212079}, pmid = {34814754}, issn = {1471-2954}, mesh = {Animals ; Croatia ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Tooth ; }, abstract = {Modern humans have a slow and extended period of childhood growth, but to what extent this ontogenetic pathway was present in Neanderthals is debated. Dental development, linked to the duration of somatic growth across modern primates, is the main source for information about growth and development in a variety of fossil primates, including humans. Studies of Neanderthal permanent teeth report a pace of development either similar to recent humans or relatively accelerated. Neanderthal milk teeth, which form and emerge before permanent teeth, provide an opportunity to determine which pattern was present at birth. Here we present a comparative study of the prenatal and early postnatal growth of five milk teeth from three Neanderthals (120 000-130 000 years ago) using virtual histology. Results reveal regions of their milk teeth formed quickly before birth and over a relatively short period of time after birth. Tooth emergence commenced towards the earliest end of the eruption schedules displayed by extant human children. Advanced dental development is consistent with expectations for Neanderthal infant feeding.}, }
@article {pmid34795445, year = {2021}, author = {Liston, A and Humblet-Baron, S and Duffy, D and Goris, A}, title = {Human immune diversity: from evolution to modernity.}, journal = {Nature immunology}, volume = {22}, number = {12}, pages = {1479-1489}, pmid = {34795445}, issn = {1529-2916}, support = {BBS/E/B/000C0427/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BBS/E/B/000C0428/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Age Factors ; Diet ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Female ; Gene-Environment Interaction ; *Genetic Variation ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Humans ; Immune System/immunology/metabolism/*physiology ; Male ; Microbiota/immunology ; Sex Factors ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {The extreme diversity of the human immune system, forged and maintained throughout evolutionary history, provides a potent defense against opportunistic pathogens. At the same time, this immune variation is the substrate upon which a plethora of immune-associated diseases develop. Genetic analysis suggests that thousands of individually weak loci together drive up to half of the observed immune variation. Intense selection maintains this genetic diversity, even selecting for the introgressed Neanderthal or Denisovan alleles that have reintroduced variation lost during the out-of-Africa migration. Variations in age, sex, diet, environmental exposure, and microbiome each potentially explain the residual variation, with proof-of-concept studies demonstrating both plausible mechanisms and correlative associations. The confounding interaction of many of these variables currently makes it difficult to assign definitive contributions. Here, we review the current state of play in the field, identify the key unknowns in the causality of immune variation, and identify the multidisciplinary pathways toward an improved understanding.}, }
@article {pmid34749003, year = {2021}, author = {Sorrentino, R and Stephens, NB and Marchi, D and DeMars, LJD and Figus, C and Bortolini, E and Badino, F and Saers, JPP and Bettuzzi, M and Boschin, F and Capecchi, G and Feletti, F and Guarnieri, T and May, H and Morigi, MP and Parr, W and Ricci, S and Ronchitelli, A and Stock, JT and Carlson, KJ and Ryan, TM and Belcastro, MG and Benazzi, S}, title = {Unique foot posture in Neanderthals reflects their body mass and high mechanical stress.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {161}, number = {}, pages = {103093}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103093}, pmid = {34749003}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Phylogeny ; Posture ; Stress, Mechanical ; *Talus/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal foot bone proportions and morphology are mostly indistinguishable from those of Homo sapiens, with the exception of several distinct Neanderthal features in the talus. The biomechanical implications of these distinct talar features remain contentious, fueling debate around the adaptive meaning of this distinctiveness. With the aim of clarifying this controversy, we test phylogenetic and behavioral factors as possible contributors, comparing tali of 10 Neanderthals and 81 H. sapiens (Upper Paleolithic and Holocene hunter-gatherers, agriculturalists, and postindustrial group) along with the Clark Howell talus (Omo, Ethiopia). Variation in external talar structures was assessed through geometric morphometric methods, while bone volume fraction and degree of anisotropy were quantified in a subsample (n = 45). Finally, covariation between point clouds of site-specific trabecular variables and surface landmark coordinates was assessed. Our results show that although Neanderthal talar external and internal morphologies were distinct from those of H. sapiens groups, shape did not significantly covary with either bone volume fraction or degree of anisotropy, suggesting limited covariation between external and internal talar structures. Neanderthal external talar morphology reflects ancestral retentions, along with various adaptations to high levels of mobility correlated to their presumably unshod hunter-gatherer lifestyle. This pairs with their high site-specific trabecular bone volume fraction and anisotropy, suggesting intense and consistently oriented locomotor loading, respectively. Relative to H.sapiens, Neanderthals exhibit differences in the talocrural joint that are potentially attributable to cultural and locomotor behavior dissimilarity, a talonavicular joint that mixes ancestral and functional traits, and a derived subtalar joint that suggests a predisposition for a pronated foot during stance phase. Overall, Neanderthal talar variation is attributable to mobility strategy and phylogenesis, while H. sapiens talar variation results from the same factors plus footwear. Our results suggest that greater Neanderthal body mass and/or higher mechanical stress uniquely led to their habitually pronated foot posture.}, }
@article {pmid34716352, year = {2021}, author = {Di Pietro, L and Barba, M and Palacios, D and Tiberio, F and Prampolini, C and Baranzini, M and Parolini, O and Arcovito, A and Lattanzi, W}, title = {Shaping modern human skull through epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of the RUNX2 master bone gene.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {21316}, pmid = {34716352}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {Linea D1 - 2018//Universit&#xe0; Cattolica del Sacro Cuore/ ; Linea D1 - 2017//Universit&#xe0; Cattolica del Sacro Cuore/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit/*genetics/metabolism ; Cranial Sutures/growth &amp; development ; Craniosynostoses/genetics ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Genome, Human ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells ; MicroRNAs/genetics ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; Osteogenesis/genetics ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {RUNX2 encodes the master bone transcription factor driving skeletal development in vertebrates, and playing a specific role in craniofacial and skull morphogenesis. The anatomically modern human (AMH) features sequence changes in the RUNX2 locus compared with archaic hominins' species. We aimed to understand how these changes may have contributed to human skull globularization occurred in recent evolution. We compared in silico AMH and archaic hominins' genomes, and used mesenchymal stromal cells isolated from skull sutures of craniosynostosis patients for in vitro functional assays. We detected 459 and 470 nucleotide changes in noncoding regions of the AMH RUNX2 locus, compared with the Neandertal and Denisovan genomes, respectively. Three nucleotide changes in the proximal promoter were predicted to alter the binding of the zinc finger protein Znf263 and long-distance interactions with other cis-regulatory regions. By surface plasmon resonance, we selected nucleotide substitutions in the 3'UTRs able to affect miRNA binding affinity. Specifically, miR-3150a-3p and miR-6785-5p expression inversely correlated with RUNX2 expression during in vitro osteogenic differentiation. The expression of two long non-coding RNAs, AL096865.1 and RUNX2-AS1, within the same locus, was modulated during in vitro osteogenic differentiation and correlated with the expression of specific RUNX2 isoforms. Our data suggest that RUNX2 may have undergone adaptive phenotypic evolution caused by epigenetic and post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms, which may explain the delayed suture fusion leading to the present-day globular skull shape.}, }
@article {pmid34716342, year = {2021}, author = {Yuan, K and Ni, X and Liu, C and Pan, Y and Deng, L and Zhang, R and Gao, Y and Ge, X and Liu, J and Ma, X and Lou, H and Wu, T and Xu, S}, title = {Refining models of archaic admixture in Eurasia with ArchaicSeeker 2.0.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {6232}, pmid = {34716342}, issn = {2041-1723}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Animals ; Asia ; DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics ; Europe ; *Genetic Introgression ; Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Metagenomics/*methods ; *Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Quantitative Trait Loci ; Siberia ; }, abstract = {We developed a method, ArchaicSeeker 2.0, to identify introgressed hominin sequences and model multiple-wave admixture. The new method enabled us to discern two waves of introgression from both Denisovan-like and Neanderthal-like hominins in present-day Eurasian populations and an ancient Siberian individual. We estimated that an early Denisovan-like introgression occurred in Eurasia around 118.8-94.0 thousand years ago (kya). In contrast, we detected only one single episode of Denisovan-like admixture in indigenous peoples eastern to the Wallace-Line. Modeling ancient admixtures suggested an early dispersal of modern humans throughout Asia before the Toba volcanic super-eruption 74 kya, predating the initial peopling of Asia as proposed by the traditional Out-of-Africa model. Survived archaic sequences are involved in various phenotypes including immune and body mass (e.g., ZNF169), cardiovascular and lung function (e.g., HHAT), UV response and carbohydrate metabolism (e.g., HYAL1/HYAL2/HYAL3), while "archaic deserts" are enriched with genes associated with skin development and keratinization.}, }
@article {pmid34710249, year = {2022}, author = {Roksandic, M and Radović, P and Wu, XJ and Bae, CJ}, title = {Resolving the "muddle in the middle": The case for Homo bodoensis sp. nov.}, journal = {Evolutionary anthropology}, volume = {31}, number = {1}, pages = {20-29}, pmid = {34710249}, issn = {1520-6505}, support = {XDB26000000//Chinese Academy of Sciences/ ; RGPIN-2019-04113//Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; China ; Europe ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {Recent developments in the field of palaeoanthropology necessitate the suppression of two hominin taxa and the introduction of a new species of hominins to help resolve the current nebulous state of Middle Pleistocene (Chibanian) hominin taxonomy. In particular, the poorly defined and variably understood hominin taxa Homo heidelbergensis (both sensu stricto and sensu lato) and Homo rhodesiensis need to be abandoned as they fail to reflect the full range of hominin variability in the Middle Pleistocene. Instead, we propose: (1) introduction of a new taxon, Homo bodoensis sp. nov., as an early Middle Pleistocene ancestor of the Homo sapiens lineage, with a pan-African distribution that extends into the eastern Mediterranean (Southeast Europe and the Levant); (2) that many of the fossils from Western Europe (e.g. Sima de los Huesos) currently assigned to H. heidelbergensis s.s. be reassigned to Homo neanderthalensis to reflect the early appearance of Neanderthal derived traits in the Middle Pleistocene in the region; and (3) that the Middle Pleistocene Asian fossils, particularly from China, likely represent a different lineage altogether.}, }
@article {pmid34705887, year = {2021}, author = {Zilhão, J and Angelucci, DE and Arnold, LJ and d'Errico, F and Dayet, L and Demuro, M and Deschamps, M and Fewlass, H and Gomes, L and Linscott, B and Matias, H and Pike, AWG and Steier, P and Talamo, S and Wild, EM}, title = {Revisiting the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic archaeology of Gruta do Caldeirão (Tomar, Portugal).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {10}, pages = {e0259089}, pmid = {34705887}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology/*methods ; Fossils ; Geologic Sediments/*analysis ; Humans ; Portugal ; Radiometric Dating/*methods ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Gruta do Caldeirão features a c. 6 m-thick archaeological stratification capped by Holocene layers ABC-D and Ea, which overlie layer Eb, a deposit of Magdalenian age that underwent significant disturbance, intrusion, and component mixing caused by funerary use of the cave during the Early Neolithic. Here, we provide an updated overview of the stratigraphy and archaeological content of the underlying Pleistocene succession, whose chronology we refine using radiocarbon and single-grain optically stimulated luminescence dating. We find a high degree of stratigraphic integrity. Dating anomalies exist in association with the succession's two major discontinuities: between layer Eb and Upper Solutrean layer Fa, and between Early Upper Palaeolithic layer K and Middle Palaeolithic layer L. Mostly, the anomalies consist of older-than-expected radiocarbon ages and can be explained by bioturbation and palimpsest-forming sedimentation hiatuses. Combined with palaeoenvironmental inferences derived from magnetic susceptibility analyses, the dating shows that sedimentation rates varied in tandem with the oscillations in global climate revealed by the Greenland oxygen isotope record. A steep increase in sedimentation rate is observed through the Last Glacial Maximum, resulting in a c. 1.5 m-thick accumulation containing conspicuous remains of occupation by people of the Solutrean technocomplex, whose traditional subdivision is corroborated: the index fossils appear in the expected stratigraphic order; the diagnostics of the Protosolutrean and the Lower Solutrean predate 24,000 years ago; and the constraints on the Upper Solutrean place it after Greenland Interstadial 2.2. (23,220-23,340 years ago). Human usage of the site during the Early Upper and the Middle Palaeolithic is episodic and low-intensity: stone tools are few, and the faunal remains relate to carnivore activity. The Middle Palaeolithic is found to persist beyond 39,000 years ago, at least three millennia longer than in the Franco-Cantabrian region. This conclusion is upheld by Bayesian modelling and stands even if the radiocarbon ages for the Middle Palaeolithic levels are removed from consideration (on account of observed inversions and the method's potential for underestimation when used close to its limit of applicability). A number of localities in Spain and Portugal reveal a similar persistence pattern. The key evidence comes from high-resolution fluviatile contexts spared by the site formation issues that our study of Caldeirão brings to light-palimpsest formation, post-depositional disturbance, and erosion. These processes. are ubiquitous in the cave and rock-shelter sites of Iberia, reflecting the impact on karst archives of the variation in climate and environments that occurred through the Upper Pleistocene, and especially at two key points in time: between 37,000 and 42,000 years ago, and after the Last Glacial Maximum. Such empirical difficulties go a long way towards explaining the controversies surrounding the associated cultural transitions: from the Middle to the Upper Palaeolithic, and from the Solutrean to the Magdalenian. Alongside potential dating error caused by incomplete decontamination, proper consideration of sample association issues is required if we are ever to fully understand what happened with the human settlement of Iberia during these critical intervals, and especially so with regards to the fate of Iberia's last Neandertal populations.}, }
@article {pmid34702870, year = {2021}, author = {Mahadevan, J and Pathak, AK and Vemula, A and Nadella, RK and Viswanath, B and Jain, S and ,  and Purushottam, M and Mondal, M}, title = {Analysis of whole exome sequencing in severe mental illness hints at selection of brain development and immune related genes.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {21088}, pmid = {34702870}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; *Brain/growth &amp; development/immunology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate/*genetics ; Male ; *Mental Disorders/genetics/immunology ; Neanderthals/genetics/immunology ; *Exome Sequencing ; }, abstract = {Evolutionary trends may underlie some aspects of the risk for common, non-communicable disorders, including psychiatric disease. We analyzed whole exome sequencing data from 80 unique individuals from India coming from families with two or more individuals with severe mental illness. We used Population Branch Statistics (PBS) to identify variants and genes under positive selection and identified 74 genes as candidates for positive selection. Of these, 20 were previously associated with Schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and cognitive abilities in genome wide association studies. We then checked whether any of these 74 genes were involved in common biological pathways or related to specific cellular or molecular functions. We found that immune related pathways and functions related to innate immunity such as antigen binding were over-represented. We also evaluated for the presence of Neanderthal introgressed segments in these genes and found Neanderthal introgression in a single gene out of the 74 candidate genes. However, the introgression pattern indicates the region is unlikely to be the source for selection. Our findings hint at how selection pressures in individuals from families with a history of severe mental illness may diverge from the general population. Further, it also provides insights into the genetic architecture of severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia and its link to immune factors.}, }
@article {pmid34662402, year = {2022}, author = {Jagoda, E and Xue, JR and Reilly, SK and Dannemann, M and Racimo, F and Huerta-Sanchez, E and Sankararaman, S and Kelso, J and Pagani, L and Sabeti, PC and Capellini, TD}, title = {Detection of Neanderthal Adaptively Introgressed Genetic Variants That Modulate Reporter Gene Expression in Human Immune Cells.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {39}, number = {1}, pages = {}, pmid = {34662402}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {K99 HG010669/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM125055/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM128946/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Gene Expression ; *Genetic Variation ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate/*genetics ; Inflammation ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {Although some variation introgressed from Neanderthals has undergone selective sweeps, little is known about its functional significance. We used a Massively Parallel Reporter Assay (MPRA) to assay 5,353 high-frequency introgressed variants for their ability to modulate the gene expression within 170 bp of endogenous sequence. We identified 2,548 variants in active putative cis-regulatory elements (CREs) and 292 expression-modulating variants (emVars). These emVars are predicted to alter the binding motifs of important immune transcription factors, are enriched for associations with neutrophil and white blood cell count, and are associated with the expression of genes that function in innate immune pathways including inflammatory response and antiviral defense. We combined the MPRA data with other data sets to identify strong candidates to be driver variants of positive selection including an emVar that may contribute to protection against severe COVID-19 response. We endogenously deleted two CREs containing expression-modulation variants linked to immune function, rs11624425 and rs80317430, identifying their primary genic targets as ELMSAN1, and PAN2 and STAT2, respectively, three genes differentially expressed during influenza infection. Overall, we present the first database of experimentally identified expression-modulating Neanderthal-introgressed alleles contributing to potential immune response in modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid34615929, year = {2021}, author = {Rothschild, B and Haeusler, M}, title = {Possible vertebral brucellosis infection in a Neanderthal.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {19846}, pmid = {34615929}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Brucellosis/*diagnosis/*microbiology ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Male ; *Neanderthals ; Osteoarthritis/*diagnosis/*microbiology ; Skeleton ; Spine/diagnostic imaging/*microbiology/*pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {The La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 skeleton of an old (>60-year-old) male Neanderthal is renowned for the advanced osteoarthritis of its spinal column and hip joint, and their implications for posture and lifestyle in these Mid- to Late Pleistocene humans. Reassessment of the pathologic lesions reveals erosions at multiple non-contiguous vertebrae and reactive bone formation extending far beyond the left hip joint, which suggests the additional diagnosis of brucellosis. This implies the earliest secure evidence of this zoonotic disease in hominin evolution. Brucellosis might have been transmitted via butchering or eating raw meat and is well compatible with the range of prey animals documented for Neanderthals. The associated infertility could have represented an important aspect of health in these late archaic humans.}, }
@article {pmid36465976, year = {2021}, author = {Smith, R and Moots, RJ and Murad, M and Wallace, GR}, title = {A Darwinian View of Behçet's Disease.}, journal = {Rheumatology and immunology research}, volume = {2}, number = {2}, pages = {91-99}, pmid = {36465976}, issn = {2719-4523}, abstract = {Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, characterized by oral and genital ulceration, with other complications including eye, skin, joint, and central nervous system (CNS) lesions. Diagnosis is based on clinical findings, which may differ between patients. There is a strong genetic basis for BD; however, only a few genes have been associated with the disease across the geographical spread of BD. In this article, we discuss the history and combination of genes involved in this complex disease in relation to the geographical range and present our view that the disease has developed from a Darwinian perspective, with different gene polymorphisms that affect the same biological pathway. Moreover, these mutations individually are protective mechanisms against the disease relevant to each region, which affected both archaic and modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid34570765, year = {2021}, author = {Findley, AS and Zhang, X and Boye, C and Lin, YL and Kalita, CA and Barreiro, L and Lohmueller, KE and Pique-Regi, R and Luca, F}, title = {A signature of Neanderthal introgression on molecular mechanisms of environmental responses.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {17}, number = {9}, pages = {e1009493}, pmid = {34570765}, issn = {1553-7404}, support = {F30 GM131580/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM109215/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/genetics ; Alleles ; Animals ; *Environmental Exposure ; Gene Expression Regulation ; *Genome, Human ; Human Migration ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Protein Binding ; Quantitative Trait Loci ; Transcription Factors/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Ancient human migrations led to the settlement of population groups in varied environmental contexts worldwide. The extent to which adaptation to local environments has shaped human genetic diversity is a longstanding question in human evolution. Recent studies have suggested that introgression of archaic alleles in the genome of modern humans may have contributed to adaptation to environmental pressures such as pathogen exposure. Functional genomic studies have demonstrated that variation in gene expression across individuals and in response to environmental perturbations is a main mechanism underlying complex trait variation. We considered gene expression response to in vitro treatments as a molecular phenotype to identify genes and regulatory variants that may have played an important role in adaptations to local environments. We investigated if Neanderthal introgression in the human genome may contribute to the transcriptional response to environmental perturbations. To this end we used eQTLs for genes differentially expressed in a panel of 52 cellular environments, resulting from 5 cell types and 26 treatments, including hormones, vitamins, drugs, and environmental contaminants. We found that SNPs with introgressed Neanderthal alleles (N-SNPs) disrupt binding of transcription factors important for environmental responses, including ionizing radiation and hypoxia, and for glucose metabolism. We identified an enrichment for N-SNPs among eQTLs for genes differentially expressed in response to 8 treatments, including glucocorticoids, caffeine, and vitamin D. Using Massively Parallel Reporter Assays (MPRA) data, we validated the regulatory function of 21 introgressed Neanderthal variants in the human genome, corresponding to 8 eQTLs regulating 15 genes that respond to environmental perturbations. These findings expand the set of environments where archaic introgression may have contributed to adaptations to local environments in modern humans and provide experimental validation for the regulatory function of introgressed variants.}, }
@article {pmid34528508, year = {2021}, author = {Yan, SM and Sherman, RM and Taylor, DJ and Nair, DR and Bortvin, AN and Schatz, MC and McCoy, RC}, title = {Local adaptation and archaic introgression shape global diversity at human structural variant loci.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {34528508}, issn = {2050-084X}, support = {F31 HG012495/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM133747/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/*genetics ; Animals ; Asian People ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Flow ; *Genome, Human ; Genomics ; *Genotype ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Large genomic insertions and deletions are a potent source of functional variation, but are challenging to resolve with short-read sequencing, limiting knowledge of the role of such structural variants (SVs) in human evolution. Here, we used a graph-based method to genotype long-read-discovered SVs in short-read data from diverse human genomes. We then applied an admixture-aware method to identify 220 SVs exhibiting extreme patterns of frequency differentiation - a signature of local adaptation. The top two variants traced to the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus, tagging a haplotype that swept to near fixation in certain southeast Asian populations, but is rare in other global populations. Further investigation revealed evidence that the haplotype traces to gene flow from Neanderthals, corroborating the role of immune-related genes as prominent targets of adaptive introgression. Our study demonstrates how recent technical advances can help resolve signatures of key evolutionary events that remained obscured within technically challenging regions of the genome.}, }
@article {pmid34493715, year = {2021}, author = {Coll Macià, M and Skov, L and Peter, BM and Schierup, MH}, title = {Different historical generation intervals in human populations inferred from Neanderthal fragment lengths and mutation signatures.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {5317}, pmid = {34493715}, issn = {2041-1723}, mesh = {Animals ; Asia ; Crosses, Genetic ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; Europe ; Female ; *Gene Flow ; *Genome, Human ; History, 21st Century ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Male ; *Mutation ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; }, abstract = {After the main Out-of-Africa event, humans interbred with Neanderthals leaving 1-2% of Neanderthal DNA scattered in small fragments in all non-African genomes today. Here we investigate what can be learned about human demographic processes from the size distribution of these fragments. We observe differences in fragment length across Eurasia with 12% longer fragments in East Asians than West Eurasians. Comparisons between extant populations with ancient samples show that these differences are caused by different rates of decay in length by recombination since the Neanderthal admixture. In concordance, we observe a strong correlation between the average fragment length and the mutation accumulation, similar to what is expected by changing the ages at reproduction as estimated from trio studies. Altogether, our results suggest differences in the generation interval across Eurasia, by up 10-20%, over the past 40,000 years. We use sex-specific mutation signatures to infer whether these changes were driven by shifts in either male or female age at reproduction, or both. We also find that previously reported variation in the mutational spectrum may be largely explained by changes to the generation interval. We conclude that Neanderthal fragment lengths provide unique insight into differences among human populations over recent history.}, }
@article {pmid34487600, year = {2021}, author = {Gregory, MD and Eisenberg, DP and Hamborg, M and Kippenhan, JS and Kohn, P and Kolachana, B and Dickinson, D and Berman, KF}, title = {Neanderthal-derived genetic variation in living humans relates to schizophrenia diagnosis, to psychotic symptom severity, and to dopamine synthesis.}, journal = {American journal of medical genetics. Part B, Neuropsychiatric genetics : the official publication of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics}, volume = {186}, number = {5}, pages = {329-338}, pmid = {34487600}, issn = {1552-485X}, support = {ZIA MH002717/ImNIH/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ; U01 MH079469/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH067257/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH059587/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH059586/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH059566/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH060879/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH061675/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; Z99 MH999999/ImNIH/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH084098/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; U01 MH046276/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH060870/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH081800/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; ZIA MH002652/ImNIH/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH059571/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH059565/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; U01 MH079470/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; ZIA MH002942/ImNIH/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ; U01 MH046289/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; RC2 MH089964/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH059588/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; U01 MH046318/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Dopamine ; Genetic Variation ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Psychotic Disorders/diagnosis/genetics ; *Schizophrenia/diagnosis/genetics ; }, abstract = {Schizophrenia has been hypothesized to be a human-specific condition, but experimental approaches to testing this idea have been limited. Because Neanderthals, our closest evolutionary relatives, interbred with modern humans prior to their disappearance from the fossil record, leaving a residual echo that survives in our DNA today, we leveraged new discoveries about ancient hominid DNA to explore this hypothesis in living people in three converging ways. First, in four independent case-control datasets totaling 9,362 individuals, individuals with schizophrenia had less Neanderthal-derived genetic variation than controls (p = .044). Second, in 49 unmedicated inpatients with schizophrenia, having more Neanderthal admixture predicted less severe positive symptoms (p = .046). Finally, using [18] F-fluorodopa PET scanning in 172 healthy individuals, having greater Neanderthal introgression was significantly associated with lower dopamine synthesis capacity in the striatum and pons (p's < 2 × 10[-5]), which is fundamentally important in the pathophysiology and treatment of psychosis. These results may help to elucidate the evolutionary history of a devastating neuropsychiatric disease by supporting the notion of schizophrenia as a human-specific condition. Additionally, the relationship between Neanderthal admixture and dopamine function suggests a potential mechanism whereby Neanderthal admixture may have affected our gene pool to alter schizophrenia risk and/or course.}, }
@article {pmid34437543, year = {2021}, author = {Heydari-Guran, S and Benazzi, S and Talamo, S and Ghasidian, E and Hariri, N and Oxilia, G and Asiabani, S and Azizi, F and Naderi, R and Safaierad, R and Hublin, JJ and Foley, RA and Lahr, MM}, title = {The discovery of an in situ Neanderthal remain in the Bawa Yawan Rockshelter, West-Central Zagros Mountains, Kermanshah.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {8}, pages = {e0253708}, pmid = {34437543}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Body Remains/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; History, Ancient ; Iran ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal extinction has been a matter of debate for many years. New discoveries, better chronologies and genomic evidence have done much to clarify some of the issues. This evidence suggests that Neanderthals became extinct around 40,000-37,000 years before present (BP), after a period of coexistence with Homo sapiens of several millennia, involving biological and cultural interactions between the two groups. However, the bulk of this evidence relates to Western Eurasia, and recent work in Central Asia and Siberia has shown that there is considerable local variation. Southwestern Asia, despite having a number of significant Neanderthal remains, has not played a major part in the debate over extinction. Here we report a Neanderthal deciduous canine from the site of Bawa Yawan in the West-Central Zagros Mountains of Iran. The tooth is associated with Zagros Mousterian lithics, and its context is preliminary dated to between ~43,600 and ~41,500 years ago.}, }
@article {pmid34428206, year = {2021}, author = {Richards, MP and Mannino, MA and Jaouen, K and Dozio, A and Hublin, JJ and Peresani, M}, title = {Strontium isotope evidence for Neanderthal and modern human mobility at the upper and middle palaeolithic site of Fumane Cave (Italy).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {8}, pages = {e0254848}, pmid = {34428206}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Caves ; Dental Enamel/chemistry ; Geography ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Italy ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Strontium Isotopes/*analysis ; Time Factors ; Tooth/chemistry ; }, abstract = {To investigate the mobility patterns of Neanderthals and modern humans in Europe during the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition period, we applied strontium isotope analysis to Neanderthal (n = 3) and modern human (n = 2) teeth recovered from the site of Fumane Cave in the Monti Lessini region of Northern Italy. We also measured a large number of environmental samples from the region, to establish a strontium 'baseline', and also micromammals (vole teeth) from the levels associated with the hominin teeth. We found that the modern humans and Neanderthals had similar strontium isotope values, and these values match the local baseline values we obtained for the site and the surrounding region. We conclude that both groups were utilizing the local mountainous region where Fumane Cave is situated, and likely the nearby Lessini highlands and Adige plains, and therefore the strontium evidence does not show differening mobility patterns between Neanderthals and modern humans at the Fumane site.}, }
@article {pmid34403991, year = {2021}, author = {Estalrrich, A and Marín-Arroyo, AB}, title = {Evidence of habitual behavior from non-alimentary dental wear on deciduous teeth from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic Cantabrian region, Northern Spain.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {158}, number = {}, pages = {103047}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103047}, pmid = {34403991}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Paleodontology ; Spain ; *Tooth Wear ; Tooth, Deciduous/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The use of 'teeth as tools' (non-masticatory or cultural-related dental wear) has largely been employed as a proxy for studying of past human behavior, mainly in permanent dentition from adult individuals. Here we present the analysis of the non-masticatory dental wear modifications on the deciduous dentition assigned to eight Neanderthal and anatomically modern human subadult individuals from Mousterian to Magdalenian technocultural contexts in the Cantabrian region (Northern Spain). Although preliminary, we tentatively suggest that these eight subadults present activity-related dental wear, including cultural striations, chipped enamel, toothpick grooves, and subvertical grooves. We also found evidence of habitual dental hygienic practices in the form of toothpicking on a deciduous premolar. Orientation of the cultural striations indicates similar handedness development as in modern children. Taken together, these dental wear patterns support the participation of young individuals in group activities, making them potential contributors to group welfare. This study potentially adds new evidence to the importance of the use of the mouth in paramasticatory activities or as a third hand throughout the Pleistocene, which can be confirmed with a more specific reference sample.}, }
@article {pmid34386877, year = {2021}, author = {Paar, V and Vlahović, I and Rosandić, M and Glunčić, M}, title = {Global Repeat Map (GRM): Advantageous Method for Discovery of Largest Higher-Order Repeats (HORs) in Neuroblastoma Breakpoint Family (NBPF) Genes, in Hornerin Exon and in Chromosome 21 Centromere.}, journal = {Progress in molecular and subcellular biology}, volume = {60}, number = {}, pages = {203-234}, pmid = {34386877}, issn = {0079-6484}, mesh = {Animals ; Centromere ; *Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 ; DNA, Satellite ; Exons ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Humans ; *Neuroblastoma/genetics ; }, abstract = {Here we present three interesting novel human Higher-Order Repeats (HORs) discovered using the HOR-searching method with GRM algorithm: (a) The novel Neuroblastoma Breakpoint Family gene (NBPF) 3mer HOR, discovered applying GRM algorithm to human chromosome 1 (Paar et al., Mol Biol Evol 28:1877-1892, 2011). NBPF 3mer HOR is based on previously known ~1.6 kb NBPF primary repeat monomers (known as DUF1220 domain) in human chromosome 1, but the NBPF HOR was not known before its discovery by using GRM. It should be stressed that the NBPF HOR presents a unique human-specific pattern, distinguishing human from nonhuman primates. (b) The novel quartic HOR (2mer⊃2mer⊃9mer) discovered using the GRM algorithm for analysis of hornerin genes in human chromosome 1 (Paar et al., Mol Biol Evol 28:1877-1892, 2011). This quartic HOR is based on 39 bp hornerin primary repeat monomer in human chromosome 1. To our knowledge, this is the first known case of quartic HOR, with four levels of hierarchy of HOR organization. (c) The novel 33mer alpha satellite HOR in human chromosome 21, discovered using the GRM algorithm (Glunčić et al., Sci Rep 9:12629, 2019). This 33mer HOR in the smallest human chromosome is the largest alpha satellite HOR copy among all 22 somatic human chromosomes. Moreover, the same 33mer HOR is present in the hg38 human genome assembly of four human chromosomes: 21, 22, 13, and 14. We point out that the DUF1220 encoding genomic structures in NBPF genes in human chromosome 1, recently studied and related to the brain evolution and pathologies and cognitive aptitude, can be considered in the framework of the general concept of HORs, already extensively studied in genomics, especially in the centromeric region.}, }
@article {pmid34352227, year = {2021}, author = {Almarri, MA and Haber, M and Lootah, RA and Hallast, P and Al Turki, S and Martin, HC and Xue, Y and Tyler-Smith, C}, title = {The genomic history of the Middle East.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {184}, number = {18}, pages = {4612-4625.e14}, pmid = {34352227}, issn = {1097-4172}, support = {/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 098051//Wellcome/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Chromosomes, Human, Y/genetics ; Databases, Genetic ; Gene Pool ; Genetic Introgression ; Genetics, Population/*history ; *Genome, Human ; Geography ; History, Ancient ; Human Migration ; Humans ; Middle East ; Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Population Density ; Selection, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {The Middle East region is important to understand human evolution and migrations but is underrepresented in genomic studies. Here, we generated 137 high-coverage physically phased genome sequences from eight Middle Eastern populations using linked-read sequencing. We found no genetic traces of early expansions out-of-Africa in present-day populations but found Arabians have elevated Basal Eurasian ancestry that dilutes their Neanderthal ancestry. Population sizes within the region started diverging 15-20 kya, when Levantines expanded while Arabians maintained smaller populations that derived ancestry from local hunter-gatherers. Arabians suffered a population bottleneck around the aridification of Arabia 6 kya, while Levantines had a distinct bottleneck overlapping the 4.2 kya aridification event. We found an association between movement and admixture of populations in the region and the spread of Semitic languages. Finally, we identify variants that show evidence of selection, including polygenic selection. Our results provide detailed insights into the genomic and selective histories of the Middle East.}, }
@article {pmid34350666, year = {2021}, author = {Madison, P}, title = {Brutish Neanderthals: History of a merciless characterization.}, journal = {Evolutionary anthropology}, volume = {30}, number = {6}, pages = {366-374}, doi = {10.1002/evan.21918}, pmid = {34350666}, issn = {1520-6505}, support = {60669//John Templeton Foundation/ ; //School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {The idea that Neanderthals were brutish and unintelligent is often traced back to Marcellin Boule, a French paleontologist who examined the specimen known as the Old Man in the first decades of the 20th century. This article examines the work of Boule's predecessors and aggregate a variety of literature to underline an argument that this idea has much earlier origins and is rooted in the first recognized specimen discovered in the Neander Valley in 1856. Reorienting our understanding of the brutish Neanderthal to account for its 19th-century origins, allows for a reexamination of the factors in 19th-century culture, science, and society which contributed to this caricature, especially the concepts of race and species' extinction. Such a reexamination dismantles the narrative of Boule's error while providing a new vantage point to think about Neanderthals in the present.}, }
@article {pmid34340120, year = {2021}, author = {Bowland, LA and Scott, JE and Kivell, TL and Patel, BA and Tocheri, MW and Orr, CM}, title = {Homo naledi pollical metacarpal shaft morphology is distinctive and intermediate between that of australopiths and other members of the genus Homo.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {158}, number = {}, pages = {103048}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103048}, pmid = {34340120}, issn = {1095-8606}, support = {BCS-1539741//National Science Foundation/ ; BCS-1317047//National Science Foundation/ ; P40 OD012217/OD/NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Caves ; *Fossils ; Haplorhini/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Metacarpal Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Homo naledi fossils from the Rising Star cave system provide important insights into the diversity of hand morphology within the genus Homo. Notably, the pollical (thumb) metacarpal (Mc1) displays an unusual suite of characteristics including a median longitudinal crest, a narrow proximal base, and broad flaring intrinsic muscle flanges. The present study evaluates the affinities of H. naledi Mc1 morphology via 3D geometric morphometric analysis of shaft shape using a broader comparative sample (n = 337) of fossil hominins, recent humans, apes, and cercopithecoid monkeys than in prior work. Results confirm that the H. naledi Mc1 is distinctive from most other hominins in being narrow at the proximal end but surmounted by flaring muscle flanges distally. Only StW 418 (Australopithecus cf. africanus) is similar in these aspects of shape. The gracile proximal shaft is most similar to cercopithecoids, Pan, Pongo, Australopithecus afarensis, and Australopithecus sediba, suggesting that H. naledi retains the condition primitive for the genus Homo. In contrast, Neandertal Mc1s are characterized by wide proximal bases and shafts, pinched midshafts, and broad distal flanges, while those of recent humans generally have straight shafts, less robust muscle flanges, and wide proximal shafts/bases. Although uncertainties remain regarding character polarity, the morphology of the H. naledi thumb might be interpreted as a retained intermediate state in a transformation series between the overall gracility of the shaft and the robust shafts of later hominins. Such a model suggests that the addition of broad medial and lateral muscle flanges to a primitively slender shaft was the first modification in transforming the Mc1 into the overall more robust structure exhibited by other Homo taxa including Neandertals and recent Homo sapiens in whose shared lineage the bases and proximal shafts became expanded, possibly as an adaptation to the repeated recruitment of powerful intrinsic pollical muscles.}, }
@article {pmid34335974, year = {2021}, author = {Zhang, Q and Wadgaonkar, P and Xu, L and Thakur, C and Fu, Y and Bi, Z and Qiu, Y and Almutairy, B and Zhang, W and Stemmer, P and Chen, F}, title = {Environmentally-induced mdig contributes to the severity of COVID-19 through fostering expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptor NRPs and glycan metabolism.}, journal = {Theranostics}, volume = {11}, number = {16}, pages = {7970-7983}, pmid = {34335974}, issn = {1838-7640}, support = {R01 ES028263/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 ES028335/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 ES031822/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alveolar Epithelial Cells/metabolism ; Animals ; COVID-19/epidemiology/*metabolism/*virology ; Cathepsins/metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cells, Cultured ; Dioxygenases/biosynthesis/genetics/*metabolism ; Environmental Exposure ; Histone Demethylases/biosynthesis/genetics/*metabolism ; Histones/metabolism ; Humans ; Neuropilin-1/*metabolism ; Nuclear Proteins/biosynthesis/genetics/*metabolism ; Pandemics ; Polysaccharides/*metabolism ; Rats ; SARS-CoV-2/*metabolism/pathogenicity ; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/metabolism ; }, abstract = {The novel β-coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has infected more than 177 million people and resulted in 3.84 million death worldwide. Recent epidemiological studies suggested that some environmental factors, such as air pollution, might be the important contributors to the mortality of COVID-19. However, how environmental exposure enhances the severity of COVID-19 remains to be fully understood. In the present report, we provided evidence showing that mdig, a previously reported environmentally-induced oncogene that antagonizes repressive trimethylation of histone proteins, is an important regulator for SARS-CoV-2 receptors neuropilin-1 (NRP1) and NRP2, cathepsins, glycan metabolism and inflammation, key determinants for viral infection and cytokine storm of the patients. Depletion of mdig in bronchial epithelial cells by CRISPR-Cas-9 gene editing resulted in a decreased expression of NRP1, NRP2, cathepsins, and genes involved in protein glycosylation and inflammation, largely due to a substantial enrichment of lysine 9 and/or lysine 27 trimethylation of histone H3 (H3K9me3/H3K27me3) on these genes as determined by ChIP-seq. Meanwhile, we also validated that environmental factor arsenic is able to induce mdig, NRP1 and NRP2, and genetic disruption of mdig lowered expression of NRP1 and NRP2. Furthermore, mdig may coordinate with the Neanderthal variants linked to an elevated mortality of COVID-19. These data, thus, suggest that mdig is a key mediator for the severity of COVID-19 in response to environmental exposure and targeting mdig may be the one of the effective strategies in ameliorating the symptom and reducing the mortality of COVID-19.}, }
@article {pmid34320013, year = {2021}, author = {Condemi, S and Mazières, S and Faux, P and Costedoat, C and Ruiz-Linares, A and Bailly, P and Chiaroni, J}, title = {Blood groups of Neandertals and Denisova decrypted.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {16}, number = {7}, pages = {e0254175}, pmid = {34320013}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Blood Group Antigens/*genetics ; Fossils ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Hominidae/*genetics ; INDEL Mutation ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phenotype ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Blood group systems were the first phenotypic markers used in anthropology to decipher the origin of populations, their migratory movements, and their admixture. The recent emergence of new technologies based on the decoding of nucleic acids from an individual's entire genome has relegated them to their primary application, blood transfusion. Thus, despite the finer mapping of the modern human genome in relation to Neanderthal and Denisova populations, little is known about red cell blood groups in these archaic populations. Here we analyze the available high-quality sequences of three Neanderthals and one Denisovan individuals for 7 blood group systems that are used today in transfusion (ABO including H/Se, Rh (Rhesus), Kell, Duffy, Kidd, MNS, Diego). We show that Neanderthal and Denisova were polymorphic for ABO and shared blood group alleles recurrent in modern Sub-Saharan populations. Furthermore, we found ABO-related alleles currently preventing from viral gut infection and Neanderthal RHD and RHCE alleles nowadays associated with a high risk of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. Such a common blood group pattern across time and space is coherent with a Neanderthal population of low genetic diversity exposed to low reproductive success and with their inevitable demise. Lastly, we connect a Neanderthal RHD allele to two present-day Aboriginal Australian and Papuan, suggesting that a segment of archaic genome was introgressed in this gene in non-Eurasian populations. While contributing to both the origin and late evolutionary history of Neanderthal and Denisova, our results further illustrate that blood group systems are a relevant piece of the puzzle helping to decipher it.}, }
@article {pmid34294692, year = {2021}, author = {McArthur, E and Rinker, DC and Capra, JA}, title = {Quantifying the contribution of Neanderthal introgression to the heritability of complex traits.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {4481}, pmid = {34294692}, issn = {2041-1723}, support = {F30 HG011200/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM127087/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 GM007347/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 GM152284/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/genetics ; Alleles ; Animals ; Cognition ; Female ; *Genetic Introgression ; Genetic Variation ; Genome, Human ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Hair/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Male ; *Models, Genetic ; *Multifactorial Inheritance ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics/physiology ; Phenotype ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Eurasians have ~2% Neanderthal ancestry, but we lack a comprehensive understanding of the genome-wide influence of Neanderthal introgression on modern human diseases and traits. Here, we quantify the contribution of introgressed alleles to the heritability of more than 400 diverse traits. We show that genomic regions in which detectable Neanderthal ancestry remains are depleted of heritability for all traits considered, except those related to skin and hair. Introgressed variants themselves are also depleted for contributions to the heritability of most traits. However, introgressed variants shared across multiple Neanderthal populations are enriched for heritability and have consistent directions of effect on several traits with potential relevance to human adaptation to non-African environments, including hair and skin traits, autoimmunity, chronotype, bone density, lung capacity, and menopause age. Integrating our results, we propose a model in which selection against introgressed functional variation was the dominant trend (especially for cognitive traits); however, for a few traits, introgressed variants provided beneficial variation via uni-directional (e.g., lightening skin color) or bi-directional (e.g., modulating immune response) effects.}, }
@article {pmid34272242, year = {2021}, author = {Schaefer, NK and Shapiro, B and Green, RE}, title = {An ancestral recombination graph of human, Neanderthal, and Denisovan genomes.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {7}, number = {29}, pages = {}, pmid = {34272242}, issn = {2375-2548}, support = {T32 HG008345/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; T32 HG00834/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Genome, Human ; Genomics ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Recombination, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Many humans carry genes from Neanderthals, a legacy of past admixture. Existing methods detect this archaic hominin ancestry within human genomes using patterns of linkage disequilibrium or direct comparison to Neanderthal genomes. Each of these methods is limited in sensitivity and scalability. We describe a new ancestral recombination graph inference algorithm that scales to large genome-wide datasets and demonstrate its accuracy on real and simulated data. We then generate a genome-wide ancestral recombination graph including human and archaic hominin genomes. From this, we generate a map within human genomes of archaic ancestry and of genomic regions not shared with archaic hominins either by admixture or incomplete lineage sorting. We find that only 1.5 to 7% of the modern human genome is uniquely human. We also find evidence of multiple bursts of adaptive changes specific to modern humans within the past 600,000 years involving genes related to brain development and function.}, }
@article {pmid34254144, year = {2021}, author = {Iasi, LNM and Ringbauer, H and Peter, BM}, title = {An Extended Admixture Pulse Model Reveals the Limitations to Human-Neandertal Introgression Dating.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {38}, number = {11}, pages = {5156-5174}, pmid = {34254144}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {694707/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/genetics ; Gene Flow ; Genome ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {Neandertal DNA makes up 2-3% of the genomes of all non-African individuals. The patterns of Neandertal ancestry in modern humans have been used to estimate that this is the result of gene flow that occurred during the expansion of modern humans into Eurasia, but the precise dates of this event remain largely unknown. Here, we introduce an extended admixture pulse model that allows joint estimation of the timing and duration of gene flow. This model leads to simple expressions for both the admixture segment distribution and the decay curve of ancestry linkage disequilibrium, and we show that these two statistics are closely related. In simulations, we find that estimates of the mean time of admixture are largely robust to details in gene flow models, but that the duration of the gene flow can only be recovered if gene flow is very recent and the exact recombination map is known. These results imply that gene flow from Neandertals into modern humans could have happened over hundreds of generations. Ancient genomes from the time around the admixture event are thus likely required to resolve the question when, where, and for how long humans and Neandertals interacted.}, }
@article {pmid34226702, year = {2021}, author = {Leder, D and Hermann, R and Hüls, M and Russo, G and Hoelzmann, P and Nielbock, R and Böhner, U and Lehmann, J and Meier, M and Schwalb, A and Tröller-Reimer, A and Koddenberg, T and Terberger, T}, title = {A 51,000-year-old engraved bone reveals Neanderthals' capacity for symbolic behaviour.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {5}, number = {9}, pages = {1273-1282}, pmid = {34226702}, issn = {2397-334X}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones ; Caves ; *Deer ; Europe ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {While there is substantial evidence for art and symbolic behaviour in early Homo sapiens across Africa and Eurasia, similar evidence connected to Neanderthals is sparse and often contested in scientific debates. Each new discovery is thus crucial for our understanding of Neanderthals' cognitive capacity. Here we report on the discovery of an at least 51,000-year-old engraved giant deer phalanx found at the former cave entrance of Einhornhöhle, northern Germany. The find comes from an apparent Middle Palaeolithic context that is linked to Neanderthals. The engraved bone demonstrates that conceptual imagination, as a prerequisite to compose individual lines into a coherent design, was present in Neanderthals. Therefore, Neanderthal's awareness of symbolic meaning is very likely. Our findings show that Neanderthals were capable of creating symbolic expressions before H. sapiens arrived in Central Europe.}, }
@article {pmid34226701, year = {2021}, author = {Bello, SM}, title = {Boning up on Neanderthal art.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {5}, number = {9}, pages = {1201-1202}, pmid = {34226701}, issn = {2397-334X}, mesh = {Animals ; Meat/analysis ; *Neanderthals ; }, }
@article {pmid34214909, year = {2021}, author = {Bergmann, I and Hublin, JJ and Gunz, P and Freidline, SE}, title = {How did modern morphology evolve in the human mandible? The relationship between static adult allometry and mandibular variability in Homo sapiens.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {157}, number = {}, pages = {103026}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103026}, pmid = {34214909}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Female ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Key to understanding human origins are early Homo sapiens fossils from Jebel Irhoud, as well as from the early Late Pleistocene sites Tabun, Border Cave, Klasies River Mouth, Skhul, and Qafzeh. While their upper facial shape falls within the recent human range of variation, their mandibles display a mosaic morphology. Here we quantify how mandibular shape covaries with mandible size and how static allometry differs between Neanderthals, early H. sapiens, and modern humans from the Upper Paleolithic/Later Stone Age and Holocene (= later H. sapiens). We use 3D (semi)landmark geometric morphometric methods to visualize allometric trends and to explore how gracilization affects the expression of diagnostic shape features. Early H. sapiens were highly variable in mandible size, exhibiting a unique allometric trajectory that explains aspects of their 'archaic' appearance. At the same time, early H. sapiens share a suite of diagnostic features with later H. sapiens that are not related to mandibular sizes, such as an incipient chin and an anteroposteriorly decreasing corpus height. The mandibular morphology, often referred to as 'modern', can partly be explained by gracilization owing to size reduction. Despite distinct static allometric shape changes in each group studied, bicondylar and bigonial breadth represent important structural constraints for the expression of shape features in most Middle to Late Pleistocene hominin mandibles.}, }
@article {pmid34163072, year = {2021}, author = {Zavala, EI and Jacobs, Z and Vernot, B and Shunkov, MV and Kozlikin, MB and Derevianko, AP and Essel, E and de Fillipo, C and Nagel, S and Richter, J and Romagné, F and Schmidt, A and Li, B and O'Gorman, K and Slon, V and Kelso, J and Pääbo, S and Roberts, RG and Meyer, M}, title = {Pleistocene sediment DNA reveals hominin and faunal turnovers at Denisova Cave.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {595}, number = {7867}, pages = {399-403}, pmid = {34163072}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Caves ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; DNA, Mitochondrial/analysis/genetics ; Fossils ; Geologic Sediments/*chemistry ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Siberia ; }, abstract = {Denisova Cave in southern Siberia is the type locality of the Denisovans, an archaic hominin group who were related to Neanderthals[1-4]. The dozen hominin remains recovered from the deposits also include Neanderthals[5,6] and the child of a Neanderthal and a Denisovan[7], which suggests that Denisova Cave was a contact zone between these archaic hominins. However, uncertainties persist about the order in which these groups appeared at the site, the timing and environmental context of hominin occupation, and the association of particular hominin groups with archaeological assemblages[5,8-11]. Here we report the analysis of DNA from 728 sediment samples that were collected in a grid-like manner from layers dating to the Pleistocene epoch. We retrieved ancient faunal and hominin mitochondrial (mt)DNA from 685 and 175 samples, respectively. The earliest evidence for hominin mtDNA is of Denisovans, and is associated with early Middle Palaeolithic stone tools that were deposited approximately 250,000 to 170,000 years ago; Neanderthal mtDNA first appears towards the end of this period. We detect a turnover in the mtDNA of Denisovans that coincides with changes in the composition of faunal mtDNA, and evidence that Denisovans and Neanderthals occupied the site repeatedly-possibly until, or after, the onset of the Initial Upper Palaeolithic at least 45,000 years ago, when modern human mtDNA is first recorded in the sediments.}, }
@article {pmid34155119, year = {2021}, author = {Van Peer, P}, title = {The stratigraphic context of Spy Cave and the timing of Neanderthal disappearance in Northwest Europe.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {118}, number = {26}, pages = {}, pmid = {34155119}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Caves ; Europe ; *Neanderthals ; Radiometric Dating ; }, }
@article {pmid34150310, year = {2021}, author = {Amos, W}, title = {Correlated and geographically predictable Neanderthal and Denisovan legacies are difficult to reconcile with a simple model based on inter-breeding.}, journal = {Royal Society open science}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, pages = {201229}, pmid = {34150310}, issn = {2054-5703}, abstract = {Although the presence of archaic hominin legacies in humans is taken for granted, little attention has been given as to how the data fit with how humans colonized the world. Here, I show that Neanderthal and Denisovan legacies are strongly correlated and that inferred legacy size, like heterozygosity, exhibits a strong correlation with distance from Africa. Simulations confirm that, once created, legacy size is extremely stable: it may reduce through admixture with lower legacy populations but cannot increase significantly through neutral drift. Consequently, populations carrying the highest legacies are likely to be those whose ancestors inter-bred most with archaics. However, the populations with the highest legacies are globally scattered and are unified, not by having origins within the known Neanderthal range, but instead by living in locations that lie furthest from Africa. Furthermore, the Simons Genome Diversity Project data reveal two distinct correlations between Neanderthal and Denisovan legacies, one that starts in North Africa and increases west to east across Eurasia and into some parts of Oceania, and a second, much steeper trend that starts in Africa, peaking with the San and Ju/'hoansi and which, if extrapolated, predicts the large inferred legacies of both archaics found in Oceania/Australia. Similar 'double' trends are observed for the introgression statistic f 4 in a second large dataset published by Qin and Stoneking (Qin &amp; Stoneking 2015 Mol. Biol. Evol. 32, 2665-2674 (doi:10.1093/molbev/msv141)). These trends appear at odds with simple models of how introgression occurred though more complicated patterns of introgression could potentially generate better fits. Moreover, substituting archaic genomes with those of great apes yields similar but biologically impossible signals of introgression, suggesting that the signals these metrics capture arise within humans and are largely independent of the test group. Interestingly, the data do appear to fit a speculative model in which the loss of diversity that occurred when humans moved further from Africa created a gradient in heterozygosity that in turn progressively reduced mutation rate such that populations furthest from Africa have diverged less from our common ancestor and hence from the archaics. In this light, the two distinct trends could be interpreted in terms of two 'out of Africa' events, an early one ending in Oceania and Australia and a later one that colonized Eurasia and the Americas.}, }
@article {pmid34148308, year = {2021}, author = {Jeworutzki, E and Tüttelmann, F and Rothenberg, I and Pusch, M and Schreiber, JA and Kliesch, S and Wünsch, B and Strutz-Seebohm, N and Seebohm, G}, title = {Can Unlikely Neanderthal Chloride Channel CLC-2 Gene Variants Provide Insights in Modern Human Infertility?.}, journal = {Cellular physiology and biochemistry : international journal of experimental cellular physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology}, volume = {55}, number = {3}, pages = {301-310}, doi = {10.33594/000000376}, pmid = {34148308}, issn = {1421-9778}, support = {CRU326//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)/Germany ; GRK2515//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)/Germany ; #IG21558//Fondazione AIRC per la Ricerca sul Cancro/Italy ; PRIN 20174TB8KW//Italian Research Ministry/Italy ; }, mesh = {Animals ; CLC-2 Chloride Channels ; *Chloride Channels/genetics/metabolism ; *Genetic Variation ; Humans ; *Infertility, Male ; Male ; *Neanderthals/genetics/metabolism ; Oocytes/metabolism ; Xenopus laevis ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND/AIMS: Neanderthals, although well adapted to local environments, were rapidly replaced by anatomically modern humans (AMH) for unknown reasons. Genetic information on Neanderthals is limited restricting applicability of standard population genetics.<br><br>METHODS: Here, we apply a novel combination of restricted genetic analyses on preselected physiological key players (ion channels), electrophysiological analyses of gene variants of unclear significance expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes using two electrode voltage clamp and transfer of results to AMH genetics. Using genetic screening in infertile men identified a loss of CLC-2 associated with sperm deficiency.<br><br>RESULTS: Increased genetic variation caused functionally impaired Neanderthals CLC-2 channels.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Increased genetic variation could reflect an adaptation to different local salt supplies at the cost of reduced sperm density. Interestingly and consistent with this hypothesis, lack of CLC-2 protein in a patient associates with high blood K[+] concentration and azoospermia.}, }
@article {pmid34140364, year = {2021}, author = {Gibbons, A}, title = {Genomes offer rare glimpse of Neanderthal family groups.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {372}, number = {6548}, pages = {1251-1252}, doi = {10.1126/science.372.6548.1251}, pmid = {34140364}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*analysis ; Family ; Female ; *Genome ; Male ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Sociological Factors ; Y Chromosome ; }, }
@article {pmid34132815, year = {2021}, author = {Levi, G and de Lombares, C and Giuliani, C and Iannuzzi, V and Aouci, R and Garagnani, P and Franceschi, C and Grimaud-Hervé, D and Narboux-Nême, N}, title = {DLX5/6 GABAergic Expression Affects Social Vocalization: Implications for Human Evolution.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {38}, number = {11}, pages = {4748-4764}, pmid = {34132815}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Animals ; Genes, Homeobox ; Homeodomain Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Humans ; Mice ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Transcription Factors/genetics/metabolism ; *Transcription Factors, TFII/genetics ; Vocalization, Animal ; }, abstract = {DLX5 and DLX6 are two closely related transcription factors involved in brain development and in GABAergic differentiation. The DLX5/6 locus is regulated by FoxP2, a gene involved in language evolution and has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and mental retardation. Targeted inactivation of Dlx5/6 in mouse GABAergic neurons (Dlx5/6VgatCre mice) results in behavioral and metabolic phenotypes notably increasing lifespan by 33%. Here, we show that Dlx5/6VgatCre mice present a hyper-vocalization and hyper-socialization phenotype. While only 7% of control mice emitted more than 700 vocalizations/10 min, 30% and 56% of heterozygous or homozygous Dlx5/6VgatCre mice emitted more than 700 and up to 1,400 calls/10 min with a higher proportion of complex and modulated calls. Hyper-vocalizing animals were more sociable: the time spent in dynamic interactions with an unknown visitor was more than doubled compared to low-vocalizing individuals. The characters affected by Dlx5/6 in the mouse (sociability, vocalization, skull, and brain shape…) overlap those affected in the "domestication syndrome". We therefore explored the possibility that DLX5/6 played a role in human evolution and "self-domestication" comparing DLX5/6 genomic regions from Neanderthal and modern humans. We identified an introgressed Neanderthal haplotype (DLX5/6-N-Haplotype) present in 12.6% of European individuals that covers DLX5/6 coding and regulatory sequences. The DLX5/6-N-Haplotype includes the binding site for GTF2I, a gene associated with Williams-Beuren syndrome, a hyper-sociability and hyper-vocalization neurodevelopmental disorder. The DLX5/6-N-Haplotype is significantly underrepresented in semi-supercentenarians (>105 years of age), a well-established human model of healthy aging and longevity, suggesting their involvement in the coevolution of longevity, sociability, and speech.}, }
@article {pmid34117635, year = {2021}, author = {Antonio, P and Costantino, B and Silvia, C and Marina, M and Paolo, P and Alessio, V and Pasquale, R}, title = {Arothron: An R package for geometric morphometric methods and virtual anthropology applications.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {176}, number = {1}, pages = {144-151}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.24340}, pmid = {34117635}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Anthropometry/*methods ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/*methods ; Male ; Neanderthals ; *Software ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The statistical analysis of fossil remains is essential to understand the evolution of the genus Homo. Unfortunately, the human fossil record is straight away scarce and plagued with severe loss of information caused by taphonomic processes. The recently developed field of Virtual Anthropology helps to ameliorate this situation by using digital techniques to restore damaged and incomplete fossils.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present the package Arothron, an R software suite meant to process and analyze digital models of skeletal elements. Arothron includes tools to digitally extract virtual cavities such as cranial endocasts, to statistically align disarticulated or broken bony elements, and to visualize local variations between surface meshes and landmark configurations.<br><br>RESULTS: We describe the main functionalities of Arothron and illustrate their usage through reproducible case studies. We describe a tool for segmentation of skeletal cavities by showing its application on a malleus bone, a Neanderthal tooth, and a modern human cranium, reproducing their shape and calculating their volume. We illustrate how to digitally align a disarticulated model of a modern human cranium, and how to combine piecemeal shape information on individual specimens into one. In addition, we present useful visualization tools by comparing the morphological differences between the right hemisphere of the Neanderthal and the modern human brain.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The Arothron R package is designed to study digital models of fossil specimens. By using Arothron, scientists can handle digital models with ease, investigate the inner morphology of 3D skeletal models, gain a full representation of the original shapes of damaged specimens, and compare shapes across specimens.}, }
@article {pmid34117310, year = {2021}, author = {Singh, PP and Srivastava, A and Sultana, GNN and Khanam, N and Pathak, A and Suravajhala, P and Singh, R and Shrivastava, P and van Driem, G and Thangaraj, K and Chaubey, G}, title = {The major genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19 does not show any association among South Asian populations.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {12346}, pmid = {34117310}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/genetics ; Asian People/*genetics ; COVID-19/*pathology/virology ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Loci ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Risk Factors ; SARS-CoV-2/isolation &amp; purification ; }, abstract = {With the growing evidence on the variable human susceptibility against COVID-19, it is evident that some genetic loci modulate the severity of the infection. Recent studies have identified several loci associated with greater severity. More recently, a study has identified a 50 kb genomic segment introgressed from Neanderthal adding a risk for COVID-19, and this genomic segment is present among 16% and 50% people of European and South Asian descent, respectively. Our studies on ACE2 identified a haplotype present among 20% and 60% of European and South Asian populations, respectively, which appears to be responsible for the low case fatality rate among South Asian populations. This result was also consistent with the real-time infection rate and case fatality rate among various states of India. We readdressed this issue using both of the contrasting datasets and compared them with the real-time infection rates and case fatality rate in India. We found that the polymorphism present in the 50 kb introgressed genomic segment (rs10490770) did not show any significant correlation with the infection and case fatality rate in India.}, }
@article {pmid34095864, year = {2021}, author = {Zhou, Y and Browning, SR}, title = {Protocol for detecting introgressed archaic variants with SPrime.}, journal = {STAR protocols}, volume = {2}, number = {2}, pages = {100550}, pmid = {34095864}, issn = {2666-1667}, support = {R01 HG010869/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Ancient/analysis ; Genetic Introgression/*genetics ; Genomics/*methods ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The SPrime program detects the variants in current-day populations that were introgressed from an archaic source in the past. It is optimized for detecting introgression from Neanderthals and Denisovans in modern humans. We provide a protocol for detecting Neanderthal and Denisovan introgression in 1000 Genomes Project data, specifically focusing on the CHB (Han Chinese in Beijing) population. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Browning et al. (2018).}, }
@article {pmid34073168, year = {2021}, author = {Folgerø, PO and Johansson, C and Stokkedal, LH}, title = {The Superior Visual Perception Hypothesis: Neuroaesthetics of Cave Art.}, journal = {Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)}, volume = {11}, number = {6}, pages = {}, pmid = {34073168}, issn = {2076-328X}, abstract = {Cave Art in the Upper Paleolithic presents a boost of creativity and visual thinking. What can explain these savant-like paintings? The normal brain function in modern man rarely supports the creation of highly detailed paintings, particularly the convincing representation of animal movement, without extensive training and access to modern technology. Differences in neuro-signaling and brain anatomy between modern and archaic Homo sapiens could also cause differences in perception. The brain of archaic Homo sapiens could perceive raw detailed information without using pre-established top-down concepts, as opposed to the common understanding of the normal modern non-savant brain driven by top-down control. Some ancient genes preserved in modern humans may be expressed in rare disorders. Researchers have compared Cave Art with art made by people with autism spectrum disorder. We propose that archaic primary consciousness, as opposed to modern secondary consciousness, included a savant-like perception with a superior richness of details compared to modern man. Modern people with high frequencies of Neanderthal genes, have notable anatomical features such as increased skull width in the occipital and parietal visual areas. We hypothesize that the anatomical differences are functional and may allow a different path to visual perception.}, }
@article {pmid34051612, year = {2021}, author = {Salazar-García, DC and Power, RC and Rudaya, N and Kolobova, K and Markin, S and Krivoshapkin, A and Henry, AG and Richards, MP and Viola, B}, title = {Dietary evidence from Central Asian Neanderthals: A combined isotope and plant microremains approach at Chagyrskaya Cave (Altai, Russia).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {156}, number = {}, pages = {102985}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102985}, pmid = {34051612}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; *Caves ; Diet/*history ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Isotopes/analysis ; *Neanderthals ; *Plants ; Russia ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals are known primarily from their habitation of Western Eurasia, but they also populated large expanses of Northern Asia for thousands of years. Owing to a sparse archaeological record, relatively little is known about these eastern Neanderthal populations. Unlike in their western range, there are limited zooarchaeological and paleobotanical studies that inform us about the nature of their subsistence. Here, we perform a combined analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes on bone collagen and microbotanical remains in dental calculus to reconstruct the diet of eastern Neanderthals at Chagyrskaya Cave in the Altai Mountains of Southern Siberia, Russia. Stable isotopes identify one individual as possessing a high trophic level due to the hunting of large- and medium-sized ungulates, while the analysis of dental calculus also indicates the presence of plants in the diet of this individual and others from the site. These findings indicate eastern Neanderthals may have had broadly similar subsistence patterns to those elsewhere in their range.}, }
@article {pmid34028527, year = {2021}, author = {Ahlquist, KD and Bañuelos, MM and Funk, A and Lai, J and Rong, S and Villanea, FA and Witt, KE}, title = {Our Tangled Family Tree: New Genomic Methods Offer Insight into the Legacy of Archaic Admixture.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {13}, number = {7}, pages = {}, pmid = {34028527}, issn = {1759-6653}, support = {T32 GM007601/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM139628/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 GM128596/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM128946/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM127472/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM118652/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Genome, Human ; Genomics ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Pedigree ; }, abstract = {The archaic ancestry present in the human genome has captured the imagination of both scientists and the wider public in recent years. This excitement is the result of new studies pushing the envelope of what we can learn from the archaic genetic information that has survived for over 50,000 years in the human genome. Here, we review the most recent ten years of literature on the topic of archaic introgression, including the current state of knowledge on Neanderthal and Denisovan introgression, as well as introgression from other as-yet unidentified archaic populations. We focus this review on four topics: 1) a reimagining of human demographic history, including evidence for multiple admixture events between modern humans, Neanderthals, Denisovans, and other archaic populations; 2) state-of-the-art methods for detecting archaic ancestry in population-level genomic data; 3) how these novel methods can detect archaic introgression in modern African populations; and 4) the functional consequences of archaic gene variants, including how those variants were co-opted into novel function in modern human populations. The goal of this review is to provide a simple-to-access reference for the relevant methods and novel data, which has changed our understanding of the relationship between our species and its siblings. This body of literature reveals the large degree to which the genetic legacy of these extinct hominins has been integrated into the human populations of today.}, }
@article {pmid34010592, year = {2021}, author = {Svensson, E and Günther, T and Hoischen, A and Hervella, M and Munters, AR and Ioana, M and Ridiche, F and Edlund, H and van Deuren, RC and Soficaru, A and de-la-Rua, C and Netea, MG and Jakobsson, M}, title = {Genome of Peştera Muierii skull shows high diversity and low mutational load in pre-glacial Europe.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {31}, number = {14}, pages = {2973-2983.e9}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.045}, pmid = {34010592}, issn = {1879-0445}, mesh = {Animals ; Emigration and Immigration ; Europe ; Female ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Skull ; }, abstract = {Few complete human genomes from the European Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP) have been sequenced. Using novel sampling and DNA extraction approaches, we sequenced the genome of a woman from "Peştera Muierii," Romania who lived ∼34,000 years ago to 13.5× coverage. The genome shows similarities to modern-day Europeans, but she is not a direct ancestor. Although her cranium exhibits both modern human and Neanderthal features, the genome shows similar levels of Neanderthal admixture (∼3.1%) to most EUP humans but only half compared to the ∼40,000-year-old Peştera Oase 1. All EUP European hunter-gatherers display high genetic diversity, demonstrating that the severe loss of diversity occurred during and after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) rather than just during the out-of-Africa migration. The prevalence of genetic diseases is expected to increase with low diversity; however, pathogenic variant load was relatively constant from EUP to modern times, despite post-LGM hunter-gatherers having the lowest diversity ever observed among Europeans.}, }
@article {pmid33992907, year = {2021}, author = {Kerner, G and Patin, E and Quintana-Murci, L}, title = {New insights into human immunity from ancient genomics.}, journal = {Current opinion in immunology}, volume = {72}, number = {}, pages = {116-125}, pmid = {33992907}, issn = {1879-0372}, mesh = {Animals ; COVID-19/epidemiology/genetics/*immunology ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genetics, Population ; Genomics ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Immunity/*genetics ; SARS-CoV-2/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Population genetic studies have clearly indicated that immunity and host defense are among the functions most frequently subject to natural selection, and increased our understanding of the biological relevance of the corresponding genes and their contribution to variable immune traits and diseases. Herein, we will focus on some recently studied forms of human adaptation to infectious agents, including hybridization with now-extinct hominins, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, and admixture between modern human populations. These studies, which are partly enabled by the technological advances in the sequencing of DNA from ancient remains, provide new insight into the sources of immune response variation in contemporary humans, such as the recently reported link between Neanderthal heritage and susceptibility to severe COVID-19 disease. Furthermore, ancient DNA analyses, in both humans and pathogens, allow to measure the action of natural selection on immune genes across time and to reconstruct the impact of past epidemics on the evolution of human immunity.}, }
@article {pmid33974862, year = {2021}, author = {Harvati, K}, title = {Katerina Harvati.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {31}, number = {9}, pages = {R418-R419}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.003}, pmid = {33974862}, issn = {1879-0445}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Interdisciplinary Communication ; Mentors ; *Neanderthals ; *Paleontology/education ; }, abstract = {Interview with paleoanthropologist Katerina Harvati, who studies Neanderthal evolution and modern human origins at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.}, }
@article {pmid33972424, year = {2021}, author = {Fellows Yates, JA and Velsko, IM and Aron, F and Posth, C and Hofman, CA and Austin, RM and Parker, CE and Mann, AE and Nägele, K and Arthur, KW and Arthur, JW and Bauer, CC and Crevecoeur, I and Cupillard, C and Curtis, MC and Dalén, L and Díaz-Zorita Bonilla, M and Díez Fernández-Lomana, JC and Drucker, DG and Escribano Escrivá, E and Francken, M and Gibbon, VE and González Morales, MR and Grande Mateu, A and Harvati, K and Henry, AG and Humphrey, L and Menéndez, M and Mihailović, D and Peresani, M and Rodríguez Moroder, S and Roksandic, M and Rougier, H and Sázelová, S and Stock, JT and Straus, LG and Svoboda, J and Teßmann, B and Walker, MJ and Power, RC and Lewis, CM and Sankaranarayanan, K and Guschanski, K and Wrangham, RW and Dewhirst, FE and Salazar-García, DC and Krause, J and Herbig, A and Warinner, C}, title = {The evolution and changing ecology of the African hominid oral microbiome.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {118}, number = {20}, pages = {}, pmid = {33972424}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {R01 DE016937/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; R01 DE024468/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM089886/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R37 DE016937/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Bacteria/classification/genetics ; Biofilms ; *Biological Evolution ; Dental Plaque/microbiology ; Ecology/*methods ; Geography ; Gorilla gorilla/microbiology ; Hominidae/classification/*microbiology ; Humans ; Metagenome/*genetics ; Microbiota/*genetics ; Mouth/*microbiology ; Pan troglodytes/microbiology ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {The oral microbiome plays key roles in human biology, health, and disease, but little is known about the global diversity, variation, or evolution of this microbial community. To better understand the evolution and changing ecology of the human oral microbiome, we analyzed 124 dental biofilm metagenomes from humans, including Neanderthals and Late Pleistocene to present-day modern humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas, as well as New World howler monkeys for comparison. We find that a core microbiome of primarily biofilm structural taxa has been maintained throughout African hominid evolution, and these microbial groups are also shared with howler monkeys, suggesting that they have been important oral members since before the catarrhine-platyrrhine split ca. 40 Mya. However, community structure and individual microbial phylogenies do not closely reflect host relationships, and the dental biofilms of Homo and chimpanzees are distinguished by major taxonomic and functional differences. Reconstructing oral metagenomes from up to 100 thousand years ago, we show that the microbial profiles of both Neanderthals and modern humans are highly similar, sharing functional adaptations in nutrient metabolism. These include an apparent Homo-specific acquisition of salivary amylase-binding capability by oral streptococci, suggesting microbial coadaptation with host diet. We additionally find evidence of shared genetic diversity in the oral bacteria of Neanderthal and Upper Paleolithic modern humans that is not observed in later modern human populations. Differences in the oral microbiomes of African hominids provide insights into human evolution, the ancestral state of the human microbiome, and a temporal framework for understanding microbial health and disease.}, }
@article {pmid33951239, year = {2021}, author = {Gopalan, S and Atkinson, EG and Buck, LT and Weaver, TD and Henn, BM}, title = {Inferring archaic introgression from hominin genetic data.}, journal = {Evolutionary anthropology}, volume = {30}, number = {3}, pages = {199-220}, pmid = {33951239}, issn = {1520-6505}, support = {R35 GM133531/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; K12-GM102778/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; K01-MH121659/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; R35-GM133531/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; K01 MH121659/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; K12 GM102778/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Genetic Introgression/*genetics ; Hominidae/classification/genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/classification/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Questions surrounding the timing, extent, and evolutionary consequences of archaic admixture into human populations have a long history in evolutionary anthropology. More recently, advances in human genetics, particularly in the field of ancient DNA, have shed new light on the question of whether or not Homo sapiens interbred with other hominin groups. By the late 1990s, published genetic work had largely concluded that archaic groups made no lasting genetic contribution to modern humans; less than a decade later, this conclusion was reversed following the successful DNA sequencing of an ancient Neanderthal. This reversal of consensus is noteworthy, but the reasoning behind it is not widely understood across all academic communities. There remains a communication gap between population geneticists and paleoanthropologists. In this review, we endeavor to bridge this gap by outlining how technological advancements, new statistical methods, and notable controversies ultimately led to the current consensus.}, }
@article {pmid33942714, year = {2021}, author = {Stepanova, V and Moczulska, KE and Vacano, GN and Kurochkin, I and Ju, X and Riesenberg, S and Macak, D and Maricic, T and Dombrowski, L and Schörnig, M and Anastassiadis, K and Baker, O and Naumann, R and Khrameeva, E and Vanushkina, A and Stekolshchikova, E and Egorova, A and Tkachev, A and Mazzarino, R and Duval, N and Zubkov, D and Giavalisco, P and Wilkinson, TG and Patterson, D and Khaitovich, P and Pääbo, S}, title = {Reduced purine biosynthesis in humans after their divergence from Neandertals.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {33942714}, issn = {2050-084X}, mesh = {Animals ; Biosynthetic Pathways/*genetics ; Female ; Gene Editing ; Humans ; Macaca/metabolism ; Male ; Metabolome/*genetics ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Mutation, Missense ; Neanderthals/*metabolism ; Pan troglodytes/metabolism ; Purines/*biosynthesis/*metabolism ; }, abstract = {We analyze the metabolomes of humans, chimpanzees, and macaques in muscle, kidney and three different regions of the brain. Although several compounds in amino acid metabolism occur at either higher or lower concentrations in humans than in the other primates, metabolites downstream of adenylosuccinate lyase, which catalyzes two reactions in purine synthesis, occur at lower concentrations in humans. This enzyme carries an amino acid substitution that is present in all humans today but absent in Neandertals. By introducing the modern human substitution into the genomes of mice, as well as the ancestral, Neandertal-like substitution into the genomes of human cells, we show that this amino acid substitution contributes to much or all of the reduction of de novo synthesis of purines in humans.}, }
@article {pmid33892510, year = {2021}, author = {Villanea, FA and Huerta-Sanchez, E and Fox, K}, title = {ABO Genetic Variation in Neanderthals and Denisovans.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {38}, number = {8}, pages = {3373-3382}, pmid = {33892510}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {R35 GM128946/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {ABO Blood-Group System/*genetics ; Animals ; Genetic Variation ; Genome, Human ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Variation at the ABO locus was one of the earliest sources of data in the study of human population identity and history, and to this day remains widely genotyped due to its importance in blood and tissue transfusions. Here, we look at ABO blood type variants in our archaic relatives: Neanderthals and Denisovans. Our goal is to understand the genetic landscape of the ABO gene in archaic humans, and how it relates to modern human ABO variation. We found two Neanderthal variants of the O allele in the Siberian Neanderthals (O1 and O2), one of these variants is shared with an European Neanderthal, who is a heterozygote for this O1 variant and a rare cis-AB variant. The Denisovan individual is heterozygous for two variants of the O1 allele, functionally similar to variants found widely in modern humans. Perhaps more surprisingly, the O2 allele variant found in Siberian Neanderthals can be found at low frequencies in modern Europeans and Southeast Asians, and the O1 allele variant found in Siberian and European Neanderthal is also found at very low frequency in modern East Asians. Our genetic distance analyses suggest both alleles survive in modern humans due to inbreeding with Neanderthals. We find that the sequence backgrounds of the surviving Neanderthal-like O alleles in modern humans retain a higher sequence divergence than other surviving Neanderthal genome fragments, supporting a view of balancing selection operating in the Neanderthal ABO alleles by retaining highly diverse haplotypes compared with portions of the genome evolving neutrally.}, }
@article {pmid33885362, year = {2021}, author = {Weiss, CV and Harshman, L and Inoue, F and Fraser, HB and Petrov, DA and Ahituv, N and Gokhman, D}, title = {The cis-regulatory effects of modern human-specific variants.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {33885362}, issn = {2050-084X}, support = {U01 MH116438/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; 1U01MH116438/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; UM1 HG009408/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; P01 HD084387/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH109907/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; 1R01MH109907/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH116438/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM118165/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; 1UM1HG009408/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; F31 HG011568/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Embryonic Stem Cells/*metabolism ; *Gene Expression Regulation ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; Osteoblasts/*metabolism ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Stem Cells/*metabolism ; Transcription Factors/*metabolism ; }, abstract = {The Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes enabled the discovery of sequences that differ between modern and archaic humans, the majority of which are noncoding. However, our understanding of the regulatory consequences of these differences remains limited, in part due to the decay of regulatory marks in ancient samples. Here, we used a massively parallel reporter assay in embryonic stem cells, neural progenitor cells, and bone osteoblasts to investigate the regulatory effects of the 14,042 single-nucleotide modern human-specific variants. Overall, 1791 (13%) of sequences containing these variants showed active regulatory activity, and 407 (23%) of these drove differential expression between human groups. Differentially active sequences were associated with divergent transcription factor binding motifs, and with genes enriched for vocal tract and brain anatomy and function. This work provides insight into the regulatory function of variants that emerged along the modern human lineage and the recent evolution of human gene expression.}, }
@article {pmid33860534, year = {2021}, author = {Yi, Z and Zanolli, C and Liao, W and Wang, W}, title = {A deep-learning-based workflow to assess taxonomic affinity of hominid teeth with a test on discriminating Pongo and Homo upper molars.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {175}, number = {4}, pages = {931-942}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.24286}, pmid = {33860534}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; *Deep Learning ; Dentin ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Pongo ; Workflow ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Convolutional neural network (CNN) is a state-of-art deep learning (DL) method with superior performance in image classification. Here, a CNN-based workflow is proposed to discriminate hominid teeth. Our hope is that this method could help confirm otherwise questionable records of Homo from Pleistocene deposits where there is a standing risk of mis-attributing molars of Pongo to Homo.<br><br>METHODS AND MATERIALS: A two-step workflow was designed. The first step is converting the enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) into EDJ card, that is, a two-dimensional image conversion of the three-dimensional EDJ surface. In this step, researchers must carefully orient the teeth according to the cervical plane. The second step is training the CNN learner with labeled EDJ cards. A sample consisting of 53 fossil Pongo and 53 Homo (modern human and Neanderthal) was adopted to generate EDJ cards, which were then separated into training set (n&#xa0;=&#x2009;84) and validation set (n&#xa0;=&#x2009;22). To assess the feasibility of this workflow, a Pongo-Homo classifier was trained from the aforementioned EDJ card set, and then the classifier was used to predict the taxonomic affinities of six samples (test set) from von Koenigswald's Chinese Apothecary collection.<br><br>RESULTS: Results show that EDJ cards in validation set are classified accurately by the CNN learner. More importantly, taxonomic predictions for six specimens in test set match well with the diagnosis results deduced from multiple lines of evidence, implying the great potential of CNN method.<br><br>DISCUSSION: This workflow paves a way for future studies using CNN to address taxonomic complexity (e.g., distinguishing Pongo and Homo teeth from the Pleistocene of Asia). Further improvements include visual interpretation and extending the applicability to moderately worn teeth.}, }
@article {pmid33859012, year = {2021}, author = {Gibbons, A}, title = {DNA from cave dirt traces Neanderthal upheaval.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {372}, number = {6539}, pages = {222-223}, doi = {10.1126/science.372.6539.222}, pmid = {33859012}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Caves ; DNA ; *Hominidae/genetics ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid33858989, year = {2021}, author = {Vernot, B and Zavala, EI and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Jacobs, Z and Slon, V and Mafessoni, F and Romagné, F and Pearson, A and Petr, M and Sala, N and Pablos, A and Aranburu, A and de Castro, JMB and Carbonell, E and Li, B and Krajcarz, MT and Krivoshapkin, AI and Kolobova, KA and Kozlikin, MB and Shunkov, MV and Derevianko, AP and Viola, B and Grote, S and Essel, E and Herráez, DL and Nagel, S and Nickel, B and Richter, J and Schmidt, A and Peter, B and Kelso, J and Roberts, RG and Arsuaga, JL and Meyer, M}, title = {Unearthing Neanderthal population history using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from cave sediments.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {372}, number = {6542}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1126/science.abf1667}, pmid = {33858989}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {694707/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Caves/chemistry ; Cell Nucleus/*genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/analysis/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Geologic Sediments/chemistry ; Neanderthals/*classification/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Population/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Siberia ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Bones and teeth are important sources of Pleistocene hominin DNA, but are rarely recovered at archaeological sites. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been retrieved from cave sediments but provides limited value for studying population relationships. We therefore developed methods for the enrichment and analysis of nuclear DNA from sediments and applied them to cave deposits in western Europe and southern Siberia dated to between 200,000 and 50,000 years ago. We detected a population replacement in northern Spain about 100,000 years ago, which was accompanied by a turnover of mtDNA. We also identified two radiation events in Neanderthal history during the early part of the Late Pleistocene. Our work lays the ground for studying the population history of ancient hominins from trace amounts of nuclear DNA in sediments.}, }
@article {pmid33854233, year = {2021}, author = {Choin, J and Mendoza-Revilla, J and Arauna, LR and Cuadros-Espinoza, S and Cassar, O and Larena, M and Ko, AM and Harmant, C and Laurent, R and Verdu, P and Laval, G and Boland, A and Olaso, R and Deleuze, JF and Valentin, F and Ko, YC and Jakobsson, M and Gessain, A and Excoffier, L and Stoneking, M and Patin, E and Quintana-Murci, L}, title = {Genomic insights into population history and biological adaptation in Oceania.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {592}, number = {7855}, pages = {583-589}, pmid = {33854233}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological/*genetics ; Animals ; Australia ; *Biological Evolution ; Datasets as Topic ; Asia, Eastern ; Genetic Introgression ; *Genetics, Population ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; *Genomics ; History, Ancient ; Human Migration/*history ; Humans ; *Islands ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Oceania ; Pacific Ocean ; Taiwan ; }, abstract = {The Pacific region is of major importance for addressing questions regarding human dispersals, interactions with archaic hominins and natural selection processes[1]. However, the demographic and adaptive history of Oceanian populations remains largely uncharacterized. Here we report high-coverage genomes of 317 individuals from 20 populations from the Pacific region. We find that the ancestors of Papuan-related ('Near Oceanian') groups underwent a strong bottleneck before the settlement of the region, and separated around 20,000-40,000 years ago. We infer that the East Asian ancestors of Pacific populations may have diverged from Taiwanese Indigenous peoples before the Neolithic expansion, which is thought to have started from Taiwan around 5,000 years ago[2-4]. Additionally, this dispersal was not followed by an immediate, single admixture event with Near Oceanian populations, but involved recurrent episodes of genetic interactions. Our analyses reveal marked differences in the proportion and nature of Denisovan heritage among Pacific groups, suggesting that independent interbreeding with highly structured archaic populations occurred. Furthermore, whereas introgression of Neanderthal genetic information facilitated the adaptation of modern humans related to multiple phenotypes (for example, metabolism, pigmentation and neuronal development), Denisovan introgression was primarily beneficial for immune-related functions. Finally, we report evidence of selective sweeps and polygenic adaptation associated with pathogen exposure and lipid metabolism in the Pacific region, increasing our understanding of the mechanisms of biological adaptation to island environments.}, }
@article {pmid33828320, year = {2021}, author = {Hajdinjak, M and Mafessoni, F and Skov, L and Vernot, B and Hübner, A and Fu, Q and Essel, E and Nagel, S and Nickel, B and Richter, J and Moldovan, OT and Constantin, S and Endarova, E and Zahariev, N and Spasov, R and Welker, F and Smith, GM and Sinet-Mathiot, V and Paskulin, L and Fewlass, H and Talamo, S and Rezek, Z and Sirakova, S and Sirakov, N and McPherron, SP and Tsanova, T and Hublin, JJ and Peter, BM and Meyer, M and Skoglund, P and Kelso, J and Pääbo, S}, title = {Initial Upper Palaeolithic humans in Europe had recent Neanderthal ancestry.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {592}, number = {7853}, pages = {253-257}, pmid = {33828320}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {852558/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; FC001595/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; FC001595/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; /WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 694707/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; FC001595/ARC_/Arthritis Research UK/United Kingdom ; FC001595/CRUK_/Cancer Research UK/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Americas/ethnology ; Animals ; Archaeology ; Bulgaria/ethnology ; Caves ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; Asia, Eastern/ethnology ; Female ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Modern humans appeared in Europe by at least 45,000 years ago[1-5], but the extent of their interactions with Neanderthals, who disappeared by about 40,000 years ago[6], and their relationship to the broader expansion of modern humans outside Africa are poorly understood. Here we present genome-wide data from three individuals dated to between 45,930 and 42,580 years ago from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria[1,2]. They are the earliest Late Pleistocene modern humans known to have been recovered in Europe so far, and were found in association with an Initial Upper Palaeolithic artefact assemblage. Unlike two previously studied individuals of similar ages from Romania[7] and Siberia[8] who did not contribute detectably to later populations, these individuals are more closely related to present-day and ancient populations in East Asia and the Americas than to later west Eurasian populations. This indicates that they belonged to a modern human migration into Europe that was not previously known from the genetic record, and provides evidence that there was at least some continuity between the earliest modern humans in Europe and later people in Eurasia. Moreover, we find that all three individuals had Neanderthal ancestors a few generations back in their family history, confirming that the first European modern humans mixed with Neanderthals and suggesting that such mixing could have been common.}, }
@article {pmid33828282, year = {2021}, author = {Callaway, E}, title = {Oldest DNA from a Homo sapiens reveals surprisingly recent Neanderthal ancestry.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {592}, number = {7854}, pages = {339}, pmid = {33828282}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/genetics ; Fossils ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid33828250, year = {2021}, author = {Lalueza-Fox, C}, title = {Neanderthal assimilation?.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {5}, number = {6}, pages = {711-712}, pmid = {33828250}, issn = {2397-334X}, mesh = {Animals ; Czech Republic ; Genome ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Skull ; }, }
@article {pmid33828249, year = {2021}, author = {Prüfer, K and Posth, C and Yu, H and Stoessel, A and Spyrou, MA and Deviese, T and Mattonai, M and Ribechini, E and Higham, T and Velemínský, P and Brůžek, J and Krause, J}, title = {A genome sequence from a modern human skull over 45,000 years old from Zlatý kůň in Czechia.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {5}, number = {6}, pages = {820-825}, pmid = {33828249}, issn = {2397-334X}, mesh = {Africa ; Czech Republic ; Europe ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Middle East ; Siberia ; *Skull ; }, abstract = {Modern humans expanded into Eurasia more than 40,000 years ago following their dispersal out of Africa. These Eurasians carried ~2-3% Neanderthal ancestry in their genomes, originating from admixture with Neanderthals that took place sometime between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago, probably in the Middle East. In Europe, the modern human expansion preceded the disappearance of Neanderthals from the fossil record by 3,000-5,000 years. The genetic makeup of the first Europeans who colonized the continent more than 40,000 years ago remains poorly understood since few specimens have been studied. Here, we analyse a genome generated from the skull of a female individual from Zlatý kůň, Czechia. We found that she belonged to a population that appears to have contributed genetically neither to later Europeans nor to Asians. Her genome carries ~3% Neanderthal ancestry, similar to those of other Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers. However, the lengths of the Neanderthal segments are longer than those observed in the currently oldest modern human genome of the ~45,000-year-old Ust'-Ishim individual from Siberia, suggesting that this individual from Zlatý kůň is one of the earliest Eurasian inhabitants following the expansion out of Africa.}, }
@article {pmid33798098, year = {2021}, author = {Devièse, T and Abrams, G and Hajdinjak, M and Pirson, S and De Groote, I and Di Modica, K and Toussaint, M and Fischer, V and Comeskey, D and Spindler, L and Meyer, M and Semal, P and Higham, T}, title = {Reevaluating the timing of Neanderthal disappearance in Northwest Europe.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {118}, number = {12}, pages = {}, pmid = {33798098}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology ; Archaeology ; Europe ; *Extinction, Biological ; Fossils ; Genomics/methods ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Radiometric Dating ; }, abstract = {Elucidating when Neanderthal populations disappeared from Eurasia is a key question in paleoanthropology, and Belgium is one of the key regions for studying the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition. Previous radiocarbon dating placed the Spy Neanderthals among the latest surviving Neanderthals in Northwest Europe with reported dates as young as 23,880 ± 240 B.P. (OxA-8912). Questions were raised, however, regarding the reliability of these dates. Soil contamination and carbon-based conservation products are known to cause problems during the radiocarbon dating of bulk collagen samples. Employing a compound-specific approach that is today the most efficient in removing contamination and ancient genomic analysis, we demonstrate here that previous dates produced on Neanderthal specimens from Spy were inaccurately young by up to 10,000 y due to the presence of unremoved contamination. Our compound-specific radiocarbon dates on the Neanderthals from Spy and those from Engis and Fonds-de-Forêt demonstrate that they disappeared from Northwest Europe at 44,200 to 40,600 cal B.P. (at 95.4% probability), much earlier than previously suggested. Our data contribute significantly to refining models for Neanderthal disappearance in Europe and, more broadly, show that chronometric models regarding the appearance or disappearance of animal or hominin groups should be based only on radiocarbon dates obtained using robust pretreatment methods.}, }
@article {pmid33797824, year = {2021}, author = {Ocobock, C and Lacy, S and Niclou, A}, title = {Between a rock and a cold place: Neanderthal biocultural cold adaptations.}, journal = {Evolutionary anthropology}, volume = {30}, number = {4}, pages = {262-279}, doi = {10.1002/evan.21894}, pmid = {33797824}, issn = {1520-6505}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/*physiology ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Body Temperature Regulation/physiology ; *Cold Temperature ; Energy Metabolism/physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; }, abstract = {A large body of work focuses on the unique aspects of Neanderthal anatomy, inferred physiology, and behavior to test the assumption that Neanderthals were hyper-adapted to living in cold environments. This research has expanded over the years to include previously unexplored and potentially adaptive features such as brown adipose tissue and fire-usage. Here we review the current state of knowledge of Neanderthal cold adaptations along morphological, physiological, and behavioral lines. While highlighting foundational as well as recent work, we also emphasize key areas for future research. Despite thriving in a variety of climates, it is well-accepted that Neanderthals appear to be the most cold-adapted of known fossil hominin groups; however, there are still many unknowns. There is a great deal yet to be uncovered about the nature and manifestation of Neanderthal adaptation and how the synergy of biology and culture helped buffer them against extreme and variable environments.}, }
@article {pmid33791713, year = {2021}, author = {Huffman, J and Butler-Laporte, G and Khan, A and Drivas, TG and Peloso, GM and Nakanishi, T and Verma, A and Kiryluk, K and Richards, JB and Zeberg, H}, title = {Alternative splicing of OAS1 alters the risk for severe COVID-19.}, journal = {medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {33791713}, support = {UL1 TR001873/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States ; UL1 TR001878/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {A locus containing OAS1/2/3 has been identified as a risk locus for severe COVID-19 among Europeans ancestry individuals, with a protective haplotype of ∼75 kilobases derived from Neanderthals. Here, we show that among several potentially causal variants at this locus, a splice variant of OAS1 occurs in people of African ancestry independently of the Neanderthal haplotype and confers protection against COVID-19 of a magnitude similar to that seen in individuals without African ancestry.}, }
@article {pmid33787889, year = {2021}, author = {Yair, S and Lee, KM and Coop, G}, title = {The timing of human adaptation from Neanderthal introgression.}, journal = {Genetics}, volume = {218}, number = {1}, pages = {}, pmid = {33787889}, issn = {1943-2631}, support = {R01 GM108779/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM121372/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM136290/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological/genetics/physiology ; Adaptation, Physiological/genetics ; Alleles ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Frequency/genetics ; Genetic Introgression/*genetics ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; Selection, Genetic/genetics ; }, abstract = {Admixture has the potential to facilitate adaptation by providing alleles that are immediately adaptive in a new environment or by simply increasing the long-term reservoir of genetic diversity for future adaptation. A growing number of cases of adaptive introgression are being identified in species across the tree of life, however the timing of selection, and therefore the importance of the different evolutionary roles of admixture, is typically unknown. Here, we investigate the spatio-temporal history of selection favoring Neanderthal-introgressed alleles in modern human populations. Using both ancient and present-day samples of modern humans, we integrate the known demographic history of populations, namely population divergence and migration, with tests for selection. We model how a sweep placed along different branches of an admixture graph acts to modify the variance and covariance in neutral allele frequencies among populations at linked loci. Using a method based on this model of allele frequencies, we study previously identified cases of adaptive Neanderthal introgression. From these, we identify cases in which Neanderthal-introgressed alleles were quickly beneficial and other cases in which they persisted at low frequency for some time. For some of the alleles that persisted at low frequency, we show that selection likely independently favored them later on in geographically separated populations. Our work highlights how admixture with ancient hominins has contributed to modern human adaptation and contextualizes observed levels of Neanderthal ancestry in present-day and ancient samples.}, }
@article {pmid33774376, year = {2021}, author = {Chevalier, T and Colard, T and Colombo, A and Golovanova, L and Doronichev, V and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Early ontogeny of humeral trabecular bone in Neandertals and recent modern humans.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {154}, number = {}, pages = {102968}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102968}, pmid = {33774376}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Animals ; Cancellous Bone/*growth &amp; development ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; *Fossils ; Humans ; *Humerus/growth &amp; development ; Infant ; Male ; *Neanderthals ; Pan troglodytes ; }, abstract = {Trabecular bone ontogeny is well known in modern humans and unknown in Neandertals. Yet the bone developmental pattern is useful for interpreting fossils from evolutionary and functional perspectives. Interestingly, microstructure in early ontogeny is supposedly not influenced by high and specific mechanical loading related to the lifestyle of a human group and consequently does not directly depend on the activities of hunter-gatherers. Here, we specifically explored the early growth trajectories of the trabecular bone structure of the humerus and emphasized in particular how bone fraction (bone volume/total volume [BV/TV]) was built up in Neandertals, given the specific modern human bone loss after birth and the use of BV/TV in functional studies. Six Neandertals and 26 recent modern humans ranging from perinates to adolescents were included in this study. Six trabecular parameters were measured within a cubic region of interest extracted from the proximal metaphysis of the humerus. We found that the microstructural changes in Neandertals during early ontogeny (<1 year) fit with modern human growth trajectories for each parameter. The specific bone loss occurring immediately after birth in modern humans also occurred in Neandertals (but not in chimpanzees). However, the early childhood fossil Ferrassie 6 presented unexpectedly high BV/TV, whereas the high BV/TV in the Crouzade I adolescent was predictable. These results suggest that Neandertals and modern humans shared predetermined early growth trajectories and developmental mechanisms. We assume that the close relationship between skeletal characteristics in early ontogeny and adults in modern humans also existed in Neandertals. However, it was difficult to ensure that the high BV/TV in Neandertal early childhood, represented by only one individual, was at the origin of the high BV/TV observed in adults. Consequently, our study does not challenge the mechanical hypothesis that explains the trabecular gracilization of the humerus during the Holocene.}, }
@article {pmid33707474, year = {2021}, author = {Mayoral, E and Díaz-Martínez, I and Duveau, J and Santos, A and Ramírez, AR and Morales, JA and Morales, LA and Díaz-Delgado, R}, title = {Tracking late Pleistocene Neandertals on the Iberian coast.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {4103}, pmid = {33707474}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {Here, we report the recent discovery of 87 Neandertal footprints on the Southwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Doñana shoreline, Spain) located on an upper Pleistocene aeolian littoral setting (about 106 ± 19 kyr). Morphometric comparisons, high resolution digital photogrammetric 3D models and detailed sedimentary analysis have been provided to characterized the footprints and the palaeoenvironment. The footprints were impressed in the shoreline of a hypersaline swamped area related to benthic microbial mats, close to the coastline. They have a rounded heel, a longitudinal arch, relatively short toes, and adducted hallux, and represent the oldest upper Pleistocene record of Neandertal footprints in the world. Among these 87 footprints, 31 are longitudinally complete and measure from 14 to 29 cm. The calculated statures range from 104 to 188 cm, with half of the data between 130 and 150 cm. The wide range of sizes of the footprints suggests the existence of a social group integrated by individuals of different age classes but dominated, however, by non-adult individuals. The footprints, which are outside the flooded area are oriented perpendicular to the shoreline. These 87 footprints reinforce the ecological scenario of Neandertal groups established in coastal areas.}, }
@article {pmid33707343, year = {2021}, author = {García-Campos, C and Martinén-Torres, M and Modesto-Mata, M and Martín-Francés, L and Martínez de Pinillos, M and Bermúdez de Castro, JM}, title = {Indicators of sexual dimorphism in Homo antecessor permanent canines.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {99}, number = {}, pages = {1-18}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.99001}, pmid = {33707343}, issn = {2037-0644}, abstract = {One of the main concerns of paleoanthropologists is to make a correct interpretation of the variability observed in the fossil record. However, the current knowledge about sexual dimorphism in the human lineage comes mainly from the study of modern human, Neanderthal and pre-Neanderthal populations, whereas information available about the intrapopulation variability of the groups that preceded these taxa is still ambiguous. In this preliminary study, Homo antecessor dental sample was assessed with the aim of trying to evaluate the degree of variability of their permanent canines` dental tissue proportions. Microtomographic techniques were here employed in order to measure and compare the crown volumes and surface areas of their enamel caps and dentine-pulp complexes. Then, the Pearson`s Coefficient of Variation and the Euclidean Distance were assessed to evaluate of intrapopulation variability of Gran Dolina TD6.2 dental sample. The values obtained were also compared with those of the dental samples from Sima de los Huesos site (Spain), the Neanderthal site of Krapina (Croatia), as well as from a broad forensic collection of known sex. Our results showed a marked intrapopulation variability in the dental tissues measurements of the canines of the individuals H1 and H3 from this site. This variability may be interpreted as an indicator of sexual dimorphism. If this is the case, H1 may be considered as a male individual, whereas H3 would be a female. Future discoveries of new fossils in the level TD6.2 of Gran Dolina site might help to confirm or refute this hypothesis.}, }
@article {pmid33674720, year = {2021}, author = {Banks, WE and Moncel, MH and Raynal, JP and Cobos, ME and Romero-Alvarez, D and Woillez, MN and Faivre, JP and Gravina, B and d'Errico, F and Locht, JL and Santos, F}, title = {An ecological niche shift for Neanderthal populations in Western Europe 70,000 years ago.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {5346}, pmid = {33674720}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal populations occupied Eurasia for at least 250,000 years prior to the arrival of anatomically modern humans. While a considerable body of archaeological research has focused on Neanderthal material culture and subsistence strategies, little attention has been paid to the relationship between regionally specific cultural trajectories and their associated existing fundamental ecological niches, nor to how the latter varied across periods of climatic variability. We examine the Middle Paleolithic archaeological record of a naturally constrained region of Western Europe between 82,000 and 60,000 years ago using ecological niche modeling methods. Evaluations of ecological niche estimations, in both geographic and environmental dimensions, indicate that 70,000 years ago the range of suitable habitats exploited by these Neanderthal populations contracted and shifted. These ecological niche dynamics are the result of groups continuing to occupy habitual territories that were characterized by new environmental conditions during Marine Isotope Stage 4. The development of original cultural adaptations permitted this territorial stability.}, }
@article {pmid33649483, year = {2021}, author = {Vaesen, K and Dusseldorp, GL and Brandt, MJ}, title = {An emerging consensus in palaeoanthropology: demography was the main factor responsible for the disappearance of Neanderthals.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {4925}, pmid = {33649483}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {The causes of Neanderthal disappearance about 40,000 years ago remain highly contested. Over a dozen serious hypotheses are currently endorsed to explain this enigmatic event. Given the relatively large number of contending explanations and the relatively large number of participants in the debate, it is unclear how strongly each contender is supported by the research community. What does the community actually believe about the demise of Neanderthals? To address this question, we conducted a survey among practicing palaeo-anthropologists (total number of respondents = 216). It appears that received wisdom is that demography was the principal cause of the demise of Neanderthals. In contrast, there is no received wisdom about the role that environmental factors and competition with modern humans played in the extinction process; the research community is deeply divided about these issues. Finally, we tested the hypothesis that palaeo-anthropologists' stand in the debate co-varies with their socio-political views and attitudes. We found no evidence for such a correlation.}, }
@article {pmid33644865, year = {2021}, author = {Richards, GD and Guipert, G and Jabbour, RS and Defleur, AR}, title = {Neanderthal cranial remains from Baume Moula-Guercy (Soyons, Ardèche, France).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {175}, number = {1}, pages = {201-226}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.24256}, pmid = {33644865}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Female ; France ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: We provide the first comparative description of the Guercy 1 cranium and isolated cranial fragments from Baume Moula-Guercy and examine their affinities to European Preneanderthals, Neanderthals, and Homo sapiens.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Moula-Guercy hominins derive from deposits chronostratigraphically and biostratigraphically dated to the Eemian Interglacial (MIS 5e). For comparisons we compiled a sample of European and Southwest Asian subadult-adult Middle-to-Late Pleistocene hominins (&#x2248;MIS 14-MIS 2; N = 184). This sample represents a Preneanderthal-Neanderthal group and a H. sapiens group, both of which were further divided into three time-successive subgroups defined by associated marine isotope stages (MIS). Metric and morphological observations were made on the original fossils and a virtual reconstruction of Guercy 1. Developmental age and sex and the minimum-maximum number of individuals were assessed.<br><br>RESULTS: Guercy 1 represents the remains of a late stage adolescent (&#x2248;15-16.0&#x2009;years) female. Morphological and metric data combine to associate the total morphological pattern expressed in Guercy 1 with our MIS 7-MIS 5e ("Early Neanderthal") subgroup. Some features, especially those related to the frontal, suggest linkage to a paleodeme comprising the Moula-Guercy, Artenac, La Chaise Abri Suard and, possibly, the Biache-Saint-Vaast samples.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Remains of MIS 7-MIS 5e Neanderthals are rare and fragmentary, especially those dated to the Last Interglacial. The Baume Moula-Guercy sample provides new insights into the total morphological pattern expressed in MIS 5e Neanderthals. Further, our results support earlier suggestions that MIS 7-MIS 5e European hominins represent a morphotype that is distinct from both earlier and later members of the Preneanderthal-Neanderthal group.}, }
@article {pmid33633408, year = {2021}, author = {Zhou, S and Butler-Laporte, G and Nakanishi, T and Morrison, DR and Afilalo, J and Afilalo, M and Laurent, L and Pietzner, M and Kerrison, N and Zhao, K and Brunet-Ratnasingham, E and Henry, D and Kimchi, N and Afrasiabi, Z and Rezk, N and Bouab, M and Petitjean, L and Guzman, C and Xue, X and Tselios, C and Vulesevic, B and Adeleye, O and Abdullah, T and Almamlouk, N and Chen, Y and Chassé, M and Durand, M and Paterson, C and Normark, J and Frithiof, R and Lipcsey, M and Hultström, M and Greenwood, CMT and Zeberg, H and Langenberg, C and Thysell, E and Pollak, M and Mooser, V and Forgetta, V and Kaufmann, DE and Richards, JB}, title = {A Neanderthal OAS1 isoform protects individuals of European ancestry against COVID-19 susceptibility and severity.}, journal = {Nature medicine}, volume = {27}, number = {4}, pages = {659-667}, pmid = {33633408}, issn = {1546-170X}, support = {MC_UU_00006/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/genetics/*physiology ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; COVID-19/*etiology/genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; *Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 Receptor beta Subunit/genetics ; Male ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Middle Aged ; Neanderthals ; Protein Isoforms/physiology ; Quantitative Trait Loci ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; Severity of Illness Index ; White People ; }, abstract = {To identify circulating proteins influencing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) susceptibility and severity, we undertook a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study, rapidly scanning hundreds of circulating proteins while reducing bias due to reverse causation and confounding. In up to 14,134 cases and 1.2 million controls, we found that an s.d. increase in OAS1 levels was associated with reduced COVID-19 death or ventilation (odds ratio (OR) = 0.54, P = 7 × 10[-8]), hospitalization (OR = 0.61, P = 8 × 10[-8]) and susceptibility (OR = 0.78, P = 8 × 10[-6]). Measuring OAS1 levels in 504 individuals, we found that higher plasma OAS1 levels in a non-infectious state were associated with reduced COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. Further analyses suggested that a Neanderthal isoform of OAS1 in individuals of European ancestry affords this protection. Thus, evidence from MR and a case-control study support a protective role for OAS1 in COVID-19 adverse outcomes. Available pharmacological agents that increase OAS1 levels could be prioritized for drug development.}, }
@article {pmid33620372, year = {2021}, author = {Baldoni, M and Al-Hashmi, M and Bianchi, AE and Sakal, F and Al-Naimi, F and Leisten, T and Martínez-Labarga, C and Tomei, S}, title = {Bioarchaeology-related studies in the Arabian Gulf: potentialities and shortcomings.}, journal = {Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen}, volume = {72}, number = {1}, pages = {17-32}, doi = {10.1127/homo/2021/1282}, pmid = {33620372}, issn = {1618-1301}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Human Migration ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {Archaeological studies provide a powerful tool to understand the prehistoric societies, especially when combined to cutting-edge morphological and molecular anthropological analyses, allowing reconstructing past population dynamics, admixture events, and socio-cultural changes. Despite the advances achieved in the last decades by archaeological studies worldwide, several regions of the World have been spared from this scientific improvement due to various reasons. The Arabian Gulf represents a unique ground to investigate, being the passageway for human migrations and one of the hypothesized areas in which Neanderthal introgression occurred. A number of archaeological sites are currently present in the Arabian Gulf and have witnessed the antiquity and the intensiveness of the human settlements in the region. Nevertheless, the archaeological and anthropological investigation in the Gulf is still in its infancy. Data collected through archaeological studies in the area have the potential to help answering adamant questions of human history from the beginning of the structuring of genetic diversity in human species to the Neolithisation process. This review aims at providing an overview of the archaeological studies in the Arabian Gulf with special focus to Qatar, highlighting potentialities and shortcomings.}, }
@article {pmid33619340, year = {2021}, author = {Zilio, L and Hammond, H and Karampaglidis, T and Sánchez-Romero, L and Blasco, R and Rivals, F and Rufà, A and Picin, A and Chacón, MG and Demuro, M and Arnold, LJ and Rosell, J}, title = {Examining Neanderthal and carnivore occupations of Teixoneres Cave (Moià, Barcelona, Spain) using archaeostratigraphic and intra-site spatial analysis.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {4339}, pmid = {33619340}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {Teixoneres Cave (Moià, Barcelona, Spain) is a reference site for Middle Palaeolithic studies of the Iberian Peninsula. The cave preserves an extensive stratigraphic sequence made up of eight units, which is presented in depth in this work. The main goal of this study is to undertake an initial spatial examination of Unit III, formed during Marine Isotope Stage 3, with the aim of understanding spatial organization and past activities developed by Neanderthals and carnivores (bears, hyenas and smaller carnivores). The total sample analysed includes 38,244 archaeological items and 5888 limestone blocks. The application of GIS tools allows us to clearly distinguish three geologically-defined stratigraphic subunits. Unit III has been previously interpreted as a palimpsest resulting from alternating occupation of the cave by human groups and carnivores. The distribution study shows that faunal specimens, lithic artefacts, hearths and charcoal fragments are significantly concentrated at the entrance of the cave where, it is inferred, hominins carried out different activities, while carnivores preferred the sheltered zones in the inner areas of the cave. The results obtained reveal a spatial pattern characterized by fire use related zones, and show that the site was occupied by Neanderthals in a similar and consistent way throughout the ˃ 7000 years range covered by the analysed subunits. This spatial pattern is interpreted as resulting from repeated short-term human occupations.}, }
@article {pmid33593941, year = {2021}, author = {Zeberg, H and Pääbo, S}, title = {A genomic region associated with protection against severe COVID-19 is inherited from Neandertals.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {118}, number = {9}, pages = {}, pmid = {33593941}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; COVID-19/*genetics/immunology ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Quantitative Trait Loci ; }, abstract = {It was recently shown that the major genetic risk factor associated with becoming severely ill with COVID-19 when infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is inherited from Neandertals. New, larger genetic association studies now allow additional genetic risk factors to be discovered. Using data from the Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care (GenOMICC) consortium, we show that a haplotype at a region on chromosome 12 associated with requiring intensive care when infected with the virus is inherited from Neandertals. This region encodes proteins that activate enzymes that are important during infections with RNA viruses. In contrast to the previously described Neandertal haplotype that increases the risk for severe COVID-19, this Neandertal haplotype is protective against severe disease. It also differs from the risk haplotype in that it has a more moderate effect and occurs at substantial frequencies in all regions of the world outside Africa. Among ancient human genomes in western Eurasia, the frequency of the protective Neandertal haplotype may have increased between 20,000 and 10,000 y ago and again during the past 1,000 y.}, }
@article {pmid33589653, year = {2021}, author = {Blinkhorn, J and Zanolli, C and Compton, T and Groucutt, HS and Scerri, EML and Crété, L and Stringer, C and Petraglia, MD and Blockley, S}, title = {Nubian Levallois technology associated with southernmost Neanderthals.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {2869}, pmid = {33589653}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {Neanderthals occurred widely across north Eurasian landscapes, but between ~ 70 and 50 thousand years ago (ka) they expanded southwards into the Levant, which had previously been inhabited by Homo sapiens. Palaeoanthropological research in the first half of the twentieth century demonstrated alternate occupations of the Levant by Neanderthal and Homo sapiens populations, yet key early findings have largely been overlooked in later studies. Here, we present the results of new examinations of both the fossil and archaeological collections from Shukbah Cave, located in the Palestinian West Bank, presenting new quantitative analyses of a hominin lower first molar and associated stone tool assemblage. The hominin tooth shows clear Neanderthal affinities, making it the southernmost known fossil specimen of this population/species. The associated Middle Palaeolithic stone tool assemblage is dominated by Levallois reduction methods, including the presence of Nubian Levallois points and cores. This is the first direct association between Neanderthals and Nubian Levallois technology, demonstrating that this stone tool technology should not be considered an exclusive marker of Homo sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid33574596, year = {2021}, author = {Remmel, A}, title = {Neanderthal-like 'mini-brains' created in lab with CRISPR.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {590}, number = {7846}, pages = {376-377}, pmid = {33574596}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Brain ; Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats ; DNA ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Stem Cells ; }, }
@article {pmid33574182, year = {2021}, author = {Trujillo, CA and Rice, ES and Schaefer, NK and Chaim, IA and Wheeler, EC and Madrigal, AA and Buchanan, J and Preissl, S and Wang, A and Negraes, PD and Szeto, RA and Herai, RH and Huseynov, A and Ferraz, MSA and Borges, FS and Kihara, AH and Byrne, A and Marin, M and Vollmers, C and Brooks, AN and Lautz, JD and Semendeferi, K and Shapiro, B and Yeo, GW and Smith, SEP and Green, RE and Muotri, AR}, title = {Reintroduction of the archaic variant of NOVA1 in cortical organoids alters neurodevelopment.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {371}, number = {6530}, pages = {}, pmid = {33574182}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {R01 HL137223/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; K12 GM068524/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH121487/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; U24 HG009889/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; S10 OD026929/OD/NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HG004659/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH113545/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; K01 AA026911/AA/NIAAA NIH HHS/United States ; U19 MH107367/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; T32 HG008345/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U41 HG009889/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Alternative Splicing ; Amino Acid Substitution ; Animals ; Binding Sites ; Biological Evolution ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Cell Proliferation ; Cerebral Cortex/cytology/*growth &amp; development/*physiology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Genetic Variation ; Genome ; Genome, Human ; Haplotypes ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Nerve Net/physiology ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Neuro-Oncological Ventral Antigen ; Neurons/*physiology ; Organoids ; RNA-Binding Proteins/*genetics/*metabolism ; Synapses/physiology ; }, abstract = {The evolutionarily conserved splicing regulator neuro-oncological ventral antigen 1 (NOVA1) plays a key role in neural development and function. NOVA1 also includes a protein-coding difference between the modern human genome and Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes. To investigate the functional importance of an amino acid change in humans, we reintroduced the archaic allele into human induced pluripotent cells using genome editing and then followed their neural development through cortical organoids. This modification promoted slower development and higher surface complexity in cortical organoids with the archaic version of NOVA1 Moreover, levels of synaptic markers and synaptic protein coassociations correlated with altered electrophysiological properties in organoids expressing the archaic variant. Our results suggest that the human-specific substitution in NOVA1, which is exclusive to modern humans since divergence from Neanderthals, may have had functional consequences for our species' evolution.}, }
@article {pmid33564646, year = {2021}, author = {Mortazavi, SAR and Kaveh-Ahangar, K and Mortazavi, SMJ and Firoozi, D and Haghani, M}, title = {How Our Neanderthal Genes Affect the COVID-19 Mortality: Iran and Mongolia, Two Countries with the Same SARS-CoV-2 Mutation Cluster but Different Mortality Rates.}, journal = {Journal of biomedical physics &amp; engineering}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {109-114}, pmid = {33564646}, issn = {2251-7200}, abstract = {Neanderthal genes possibly gave modern human protection against viruses. However, a recent study revealed that that a long sequence of DNA that is inherited from our Neanderthal ancestors can be linked to severe COVID-19 infection and hospitalization. Substantial evidence now indicates that our genetic background may be involved in the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 and the rapid progress of COVID-19 in some infected individuals. Although both morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 strongly depends on key factors such as age and co-existing health conditions, potential classes of human genomic variants possibly affect the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its progress. Despite Iran and Mongolia seem to share the same SARS-CoV-2 mutation cluster, the COVID-19 mortality rates in these two countries are drastically different. While the population in Iran is 25.8 times higher than that of Mongolia, the number of confirmed cases is 1170 times higher. Moreover, the death rate shows a drastic difference. Since Neanderthals interbred with modern humans in Middle East between 47,000 and 65,000 years ago before going extinct 40,000 years ago, some Iranians have much more Neanderthal DNA than other people. Although neither genetic background nor environmental factors alone can determine our risk of developing severe COVID-19, our genes clearly affect both the development and progression of infectious diseases including COVID-19. Given these considerations, we believe that these great differences, at least to some extent, can be due to the proportion of Neanderthal genes among the people of these two countries.}, }
@article {pmid33556445, year = {2021}, author = {Reinscheid, RK and Mafessoni, F and Lüttjohann, A and Jüngling, K and Pape, HC and Schulz, S}, title = {Neandertal introgression and accumulation of hypomorphic mutations in the neuropeptide S (NPS) system promote attenuated functionality.}, journal = {Peptides}, volume = {138}, number = {}, pages = {170506}, doi = {10.1016/j.peptides.2021.170506}, pmid = {33556445}, issn = {1873-5169}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Genetic Introgression/*genetics ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Mutation/genetics ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Neuropeptides/genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/*genetics ; *Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {The neuropeptide S (NPS) system plays an important role in fear and fear memory processing but has also been associated with allergic and inflammatory diseases. Genes for NPS and its receptor NPSR1 are found in all tetrapods. Compared to non-human primates, several non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) occur in both human genes that collectively result in functional attenuation, suggesting adaptive mechanisms in a human context. To investigate historic and geographic origins of these hypomorphic mutations and explore genetic signs of selection, we analyzed ancient genomes and worldwide genotype frequencies of four prototypic SNPs in the NPS system. Neandertal and Denisovan genomes contain exclusively ancestral alleles for NPSR1 while all derived alleles occur in ancient genomes of anatomically modern humans, indicating that they arose in modern Homo sapiens. Worldwide genotype frequencies for three hypomorphic NPSR1 SNPs show significant regional homogeneity but follow a gradient towards increasing derived allele frequencies that supports an out-of-Africa scenario. Increased density of high-frequency polymorphisms around the three NPSR1 loci suggests weak or possibly balancing selection. A hypomorphic mutation in the NPS precursor, however, was detected at high frequency in Eurasian Neandertal genomes and shows genetic signatures indicating that it was introgressed into the human gene pool, particularly in Southern Europe, by interbreeding with Neandertals. We discuss potential evolutionary scenarios including behavior and immune-based natural selection.}, }
@article {pmid33547403, year = {2021}, author = {Rampelli, S and Turroni, S and Mallol, C and Hernandez, C and Galván, B and Sistiaga, A and Biagi, E and Astolfi, A and Brigidi, P and Benazzi, S and Lewis, CM and Warinner, C and Hofman, CA and Schnorr, SL and Candela, M}, title = {Components of a Neanderthal gut microbiome recovered from fecal sediments from El Salt.}, journal = {Communications biology}, volume = {4}, number = {1}, pages = {169}, pmid = {33547403}, issn = {2399-3642}, support = {R01 GM089886/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; DNA, Ancient/isolation &amp; purification ; Ecosystem ; Feces/*microbiology ; Fossils/microbiology ; *Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Geologic Sediments/analysis/microbiology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Metagenomics ; Neanderthals/*microbiology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spain ; }, abstract = {A comprehensive view of our evolutionary history cannot ignore the ancestral features of our gut microbiota. To provide some glimpse into the past, we searched for human gut microbiome components in ancient DNA from 14 archeological sediments spanning four stratigraphic units of El Salt Middle Paleolithic site (Spain), including layers of unit X, which has yielded well-preserved Neanderthal occupation deposits dating around 50 kya. According to our findings, bacterial genera belonging to families known to be part of the modern human gut microbiome are abundantly represented only across unit X samples, showing that well-known beneficial gut commensals, such as Blautia, Dorea, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, Faecalibacterium and Bifidobacterium already populated the intestinal microbiome of Homo since as far back as the last common ancestor between humans and Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid33524842, year = {2021}, author = {Lacy, SA}, title = {Evidence of dental agenesis in late pleistocene Homo.}, journal = {International journal of paleopathology}, volume = {32}, number = {}, pages = {103-110}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.01.001}, pmid = {33524842}, issn = {1879-9825}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anodontia ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Molar, Third/diagnostic imaging ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Differential diagnosis and tabulation of cases of dental agenesis in Middle and Upper Paleolithic Western Eurasian humans to synthesize this data and to test previous hypotheses about when recent human patterns of third molar agenesis were established.<br><br>MATERIALS: 139 Late Pleistocene human remains and 149 individuals from three Epi-Paleolithic/ Holocene non-agricultural comparative collections.<br><br>METHODS: All remains were visually and radiographically recorded by the author.<br><br>RESULTS: In addition to establishing that third molar agenesis was common during the Late Upper Paleolithic (22,500-10,000 years BP), this study suggests a pattern of increasing prevalence through time.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: An increase in the prevalence of third molar agenesis in the Late Upper Paleolithic could indicate selection for dental size reduction and orthognathy, but also bio-cultural changes from more intensive food preparation techniques.<br><br>SIGNIFICANCE: Third molar agenesis, a well-known developmental defect, is often reported for recent human skeletal collections, but the prevalence of the condition for Pleistocene hominins had not been previously quantified in order to consider patterns through time. Hypotheses posited for the high prevalence of third molar agenesis, or hypodontia in general, in some recent human groups require an understanding of the prevalence of these traits in the past.<br><br>LIMITATIONS: Paleolithic skeletal remains are incomplete, so these values are under-estimations. Individuals are also separated diachronically and geographically and should not be assumed to represent a single population sample.<br><br>Hypotheses on some of the potential selective forces acting on dental size reduction and subsequent agenesis could be tested in recent humans.}, }
@article {pmid33517134, year = {2021}, author = {Compton, T and Skinner, MM and Humphrey, L and Pope, M and Bates, M and Davies, TW and Parfitt, SA and Plummer, WP and Scott, B and Shaw, A and Stringer, C}, title = {The morphology of the Late Pleistocene hominin remains from the site of La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey (Channel Islands).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {152}, number = {}, pages = {102939}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102939}, pmid = {33517134}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Channel Islands ; Female ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Thirteen permanent fully erupted teeth were excavated at the Paleolithic site of La Cotte de St Brelade in Jersey in 1910 and 1911. These were all found in the same location, on a ledge behind a hearth in a Mousterian occupation level. They were originally identified as being Neanderthal. A fragment of occipital bone was found in a separate locality in a later season. Recent dating of adjacent sediments gives a probable age of <48 ka. The purpose of this article is to provide an updated description of the morphology of this material and consider its likely taxonomic assignment from comparison with Neanderthal and Homo sapiens samples. One of the original teeth has been lost, and we identify one as nonhominin. At least two adult individuals are represented. Cervix shape and the absence of common Neanderthal traits in several teeth suggest affinities with H. sapiens in both individuals, while crown and root dimensions and root morphology of all the teeth are entirely consistent with a Neanderthal attribution, pointing toward a possible shared Neanderthal and H. sapiens ancestry (the likely date of this material corresponds with the time in which both Neanderthals and H. sapiens were present in Europe). The occipital fragment is stratigraphically more recent and does not exhibit any diagnostic Neanderthal features.}, }
@article {pmid33459351, year = {2020}, author = {VanSickle, C and Cofran, Z and Hunt, D}, title = {Did Neandertals have large brains? Factors affecting endocranial volume comparisons.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {173}, number = {4}, pages = {768-775}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.24124}, pmid = {33459351}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Brain/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Cephalometry ; Female ; Fossils ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Sex Characteristics ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Common wisdom in paleoanthropology is that Neandertals had bigger brains than recent humans. Here we tested the hypothesis that there is no difference in brain size between Neandertals and recent humans while accounting for methodological variation and the makeup of both the Neandertal and recent human samples.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined endocranial volume (ECV) derived from virtually reconstructed endocasts of 11 Neandertals, six of which had associated femoral head diameters (FHD). Our recent human comparative dataset consisted of virtually measured ECV and associated FHD from 94 recent humans from the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection (63 male, 31 female). ECV of Neandertals and recent humans was compared using bootstrap resampling, repeating the analysis for two groupings of Neandertals (all and classic) and for three groupings of recent humans (all, males, and females). To examine brain size scaling, we completed an ordinary least squares regression of log (ECV) against log (FHD) for Neandertals and recent humans.<br><br>RESULTS: The results of the bootstrap resampling analyses indicated that Neandertals only had significantly larger ECV when compared with recent human females. The regression between ECV and FHD suggested that Neandertals fall within the range of variation for larger humans.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Our results demonstrate that Neandertals do not have uniquely large brains when compared with recent humans. Their brain size falls in the large end of the recent human range of variation, but does not exceed it. These results have implications for future research on Neandertal encephalization.}, }
@article {pmid33446842, year = {2021}, author = {Pederzani, S and Aldeias, V and Dibble, HL and Goldberg, P and Hublin, JJ and Madelaine, S and McPherron, SP and Sandgathe, D and Steele, TE and Turq, A and Britton, K}, title = {Reconstructing Late Pleistocene paleoclimate at the scale of human behavior: an example from the Neandertal occupation of La Ferrassie (France).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {1419}, pmid = {33446842}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; *Behavior, Animal ; *Fossils ; France ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {Exploring the role of changing climates in human evolution is currently impeded by a scarcity of climatic information at the same temporal scale as the human behaviors documented in archaeological sites. This is mainly caused by high uncertainties in the chronometric dates used to correlate long-term climatic records with archaeological deposits. One solution is to generate climatic data directly from archaeological materials representing human behavior. Here we use oxygen isotope measurements of Bos/Bison tooth enamel to reconstruct summer and winter temperatures in the Late Pleistocene when Neandertals were using the site of La Ferrassie. Our results indicate that, despite the generally cold conditions of the broader period and despite direct evidence for cold features in certain sediments at the site, Neandertals used the site predominantly when climatic conditions were mild, similar to conditions in modern day France. We suggest that due to millennial scale climate variability, the periods of human activity and their climatic characteristics may not be representative of average conditions inferred from chronological correlations with long-term climatic records. These results highlight the importance of using direct routes, such as the high-resolution archives in tooth enamel from anthropogenically accumulated faunal assemblages, to establish climatic conditions at a human scale.}, }
@article {pmid33436796, year = {2021}, author = {McGrath, K and Limmer, LS and Lockey, AL and Guatelli-Steinberg, D and Reid, DJ and Witzel, C and Bocaege, E and McFarlin, SC and El Zaatari, S}, title = {3D enamel profilometry reveals faster growth but similar stress severity in Neanderthal versus Homo sapiens teeth.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {522}, pmid = {33436796}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {*Adverse Childhood Experiences ; Animals ; Child ; Dental Enamel/diagnostic imaging/*growth &amp; development/*pathology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/*methods ; Moire Topography/*methods ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Species Specificity ; Tooth/diagnostic imaging/*growth &amp; development/pathology ; }, abstract = {Early life stress disrupts growth and creates horizontal grooves on the tooth surface in humans and other mammals, yet there is no consensus for their quantitative analysis. Linear defects are considered to be nonspecific stress indicators, but evidence suggests that intermittent, severe stressors create deeper defects than chronic, low-level stressors. However, species-specific growth patterns also influence defect morphology, with faster-growing teeth having shallower defects at the population level. Here we describe a method to measure the depth of linear enamel defects and normal growth increments (i.e., perikymata) from high-resolution 3D topographies using confocal profilometry and apply it to a diverse sample of Homo neanderthalensis and H. sapiens anterior teeth. Debate surrounds whether Neanderthals exhibited modern human-like growth patterns in their teeth and other systems, with some researchers suggesting that they experienced more severe childhood stress. Our results suggest that Neanderthals have shallower features than H. sapiens from the Upper Paleolithic, Neolithic, and medieval eras, mirroring the faster growth rates in Neanderthal anterior teeth. However, when defect depth is scaled by perikymata depth to assess their severity, Neolithic humans have less severe defects, while Neanderthals and the other H. sapiens groups show evidence of more severe early life growth disruptions.}, }
@article {pmid33418451, year = {2021}, author = {Nowaczewska, W and Binkowski, M and Benazzi, S and Vazzana, A and Nadachowski, A and Stefaniak, K and Żarski, M and Talamo, S and Compton, T and Stringer, CB and Hajdinjak, M and Hublin, JJ}, title = {New hominin teeth from Stajnia Cave, Poland.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {151}, number = {}, pages = {102929}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102929}, pmid = {33418451}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Caves ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Poland ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, }
@article {pmid33417716, year = {2021}, author = {Greer, C and Bhakta, H and Ghanem, L and Refai, F and Linn, E and Avella, M}, title = {Deleterious variants in genes regulating mammalian reproduction in Neanderthals, Denisovans and extant humans.}, journal = {Human reproduction (Oxford, England)}, volume = {36}, number = {3}, pages = {734-755}, doi = {10.1093/humrep/deaa347}, pmid = {33417716}, issn = {1460-2350}, mesh = {Animals ; Europe ; Genome, Human ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Male ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Nuclear Proteins ; Reproduction/genetics ; Trans-Activators ; }, abstract = {STUDY QUESTION: Were Neanderthals and Denisovans (referred here also as extinct hominidae) carrying deleterious variants in genes regulating reproduction?<br><br>SUMMARY ANSWER: The majority of extinct hominidae analyzed here, presented a considerable number of deleterious variants per individual in proteins regulating different aspects of reproduction, including gonad and uterine function, and gametogenesis.<br><br>WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Neanderthals, Denisovans and extant humans were interfertile and hybridized while occupying geographically overlapping areas in Europe and Asia. This is evidenced by the small archaic genome component (average &#x223c;2%) present in non-African extant humans.<br><br>STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: The genome of eight extinct hominidae, together with five human genome databases, plus 44 mothers and 48 fathers (fertile controls), were screened to look for deleterious variants in 1734 protein-coding genes regulating reproduction.<br><br>Ancient DNA from six Neanderthals and two Denisovans dated between &#x223c;82&#xa0;000 and 43&#xa0;000 calibrated years was retrieved from the public European Nucleotide Archive. The hominins analyzed include Altai, Vindija 33.15, 33.19, 33.25 and 33.26, El Sidron 1253, Denisova 3 and 11. Their DNA was analyzed using the CLC Genomics Workbench 12, by mapping overlapping paired-end reads (Illumina, FASTQ files) to the human genome assembly GRCh37 (hg19) (Vindija 33.19, 33.25, 33.26, Denisova 3 and Denisova 11) or by analyzing BAM files (Altai, El Sidron 1253 and Vindija 33.15) (human genome reference, GRCh37 (hg19)). Non-synonymous reproductive variants were classified as deleterious or tolerated (PolyPhen-2 and SIFT analyses) and were compared to deleterious variants obtained from extant human genome databases (Genome Aggregation Database (GnomAD), 1000 Genomes, the Haplotype Map (HapMap), Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Database (dbSNPs)) across different populations. A genetic intersection between extant or extinct DNA variants and other genetic disorders was evaluated by annotating the obtained variants with the Clinical Variant (ClinVar) database.<br><br>Among the eight extinct hominidae analyzed, a total of 9650 non-synonymous variants (only coverage &#x2265;20 reads included; frameshift mutations were excluded) in 1734 reproductive protein-coding genes were found, 24% of which were classified as deleterious. The majority (73%) of the deleterious alleles present in extant humans that are shared between extant humans and extinct hominidae were found to be rare (<1%) in extant human populations. A set of 8044 variants were found uniquely in extinct hominidae. At the single-gene level, no extinct individual was found to be homozygous for deleterious variants in genes necessary for gamete recognition and fusion, and no higher chance of embryo-lethality (calculated by Mendelian Genetics) was found upon simulated mating between extant human and extinct hominidae compared to extant human-extant human. However, three of the eight extinct hominidae were found to be homozygous for 48-69 deleterious variants in 55 genes controlling ovarian and uterine functions, or oogenesis (AKAP1, BUB1B, CCDC141, CDC73, DUSP6, ESR1, ESR2, PATL2, PSMC3IP, SEMA3A, WT1 and WNT4). Moreover, we report the distribution of nine Neanderthal variants in genes associated with a human fertility phenotype found in extant human populations, one of which has been associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome and primary congenital glaucoma.<br><br>While analyzing archaic DNA, stringent filtering criteria were adopted to screen for deleterious variants in Neanderthals and Denisovans, which could result in missing a number of variants. Such restraints preserve the potential for detection of additional deleterious variants in reproductive proteins in extinct hominidae.<br><br>This study provides a comprehensive overview of putatively deleterious variants in extant human populations and extinct individuals occurring in 1734 protein-coding genes controlling reproduction and provides the fundaments for future functional studies of extinct variants in human reproduction.<br><br>This study was supported by the Department of Biological Science and by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at the University of Tulsa (Faculty Research Grant and Faculty Research Summer Fellowship) to M.A. and the University of Tulsa, Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge (TURC) program to E.L.; no conflict of interest to declare.<br><br>TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.}, }
@article {pmid33412453, year = {2021}, author = {Dodat, PJ and Tacail, T and Albalat, E and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Couture-Veschambre, C and Holliday, T and Madelaine, S and Martin, JE and Rmoutilova, R and Maureille, B and Balter, V}, title = {Isotopic calcium biogeochemistry of MIS 5 fossil vertebrate bones: application to the study of the dietary reconstruction of Regourdou 1 Neandertal fossil.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {151}, number = {}, pages = {102925}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102925}, pmid = {33412453}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones/*chemistry ; Calcium Isotopes/*analysis ; *Diet ; *Fossils ; France ; *Neanderthals ; *Vertebrates ; }, abstract = {The calcium isotopic composition (δ[44/42]Ca) of bone and tooth enamel can be used for dietary reconstructions of extant and extinct mammals. In natural conditions, the δ[44/42]Ca value of bone and teeth varies according to dietary intake with a constant isotopic offset of about -0.6‰. Owing to the poor conservation of collagen, carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) isotopic compositions of the Regourdou Mousterian site (MIS 5, Dordogne, France) previously failed to provide any paleodietary information. Therefore, to reconstruct the trophic chain, we have measured calcium (Ca) isotopes from fossil bone samples of the fauna from the Regourdou site, as well as from three bone samples of the Regourdou 1 Neandertal specimen. The results show a taxon-dependent patterning of the Ca isotopic compositions: herbivores generally have higher δ[44/42]Ca values than carnivores. All the δ[44/42]Ca values of Regourdou 1 are low (<-1.6‰), placing this specimen amid carnivores. Using a bone-muscle Ca isotopic offset determined on extant animals, we further show that the δ[44/42]Ca value of the Regourdou 1 diet, and that of most carnivores, cannot be accounted for by the consumption of meat only, as plants and meat have indistinguishable δ[44/42]Ca values. Mass balance calculations indicate that the low δ[44/42]Ca values of the Neandertal's carnivorous diet are explained by the ingestion of bone marrow containing as little as 1% trabecular bone. Our results show that the Regourdou 1 Neanderthal consumed a mixture of various herbivorous prey, as well as trabecular bone, which probably occurred when marrow was ingested, by accident or intentionally.}, }
@article {pmid33360685, year = {2021}, author = {Adegboyega, MT and Stamos, PA and Hublin, JJ and Weaver, TD}, title = {Virtual reconstruction of the Kebara 2 Neanderthal pelvis.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {151}, number = {}, pages = {102922}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102922}, pmid = {33360685}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Observer Variation ; Pelvis/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {The paucity of well-preserved pelvises in the hominin fossil record has hindered robust analyses of shifts in critical biological processes throughout human evolution. The Kebara 2 pelvis remains one of the best preserved hominin pelvises, providing a rare opportunity to assess Neanderthal pelvic morphology and function. Here, we present two new reconstructions of the Kebara 2 pelvis created from CT scans of the right hip bone and sacrum. For both reconstructions, we proceeded as follows. First, we virtually reconstructed the right hip bone and the sacrum by repositioning the fragments of the hip bone and sacrum. Then, we created a mirrored copy of the right hip bone to act as the left hip bone. Next, we 3D printed the three bones and physically articulated them. Finally, we used fiducial points collected from the physically articulated models to articulate the hip bones and sacrum in virtual space. Our objectives were to (1) reposition misaligned fragments, particularly the ischiopubic ramus; (2) create a 3D model of a complete pelvis; and (3) assess interobserver reconstruction variation. These new reconstructions show that, in comparison with previous measurements, Kebara 2 possessed a higher shape index (maximum anteroposterior length/maximum mediolateral width) for the pelvic inlet and perhaps the outlet and a more anteriorly positioned sacral promontory and pubic symphysis relative to the acetabula. The latter differences result in a lower ratio between the distances anterior and posterior to the anterior margins of the acetabula. Generally, the new reconstructions tend to accentuate features of the Kebara 2 pelvis--the long superior pubic ramus and anteriorly positioned pelvic inlet--that have already been discussed for Kebara 2 and other Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid33356949, year = {2021}, author = {Higgitt, R}, title = {Neanderthal and the fossilization of the Third World.}, journal = {Social studies of science}, volume = {51}, number = {3}, pages = {439-462}, doi = {10.1177/0306312720983460}, pmid = {33356949}, issn = {1460-3659}, mesh = {Animals ; Europe ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; White People ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal is the quintessential scientific Other. In the late nineteenth century gentlemen-scientists, including business magnates, investment bankers and lawmakers with interest in questions of human and human societal development, framed Europe's Neanderthal and South Asia's indigenous Negritos as close evolutionary kin. Simultaneously, they explained Neanderthal's extinction as the consequence of an inherent backwardness in the face of fair-skinned, steadily-progressing newcomers to ancient Europe who behaved in ways associated with capitalism. This racialization and economization of Neanderthal helped bring meaning and actual legal reality to Negritos via the British Raj's official 'schedules of backward castes and tribes'. It also helped justify the Raj's initiation of market-oriented reforms in order to break a developmental equilibrium deemed created when fair-skinned newcomers to ancient South Asia enslaved Negritos in an enduring caste system. Neanderthal was integral to the scientism behind the British construction of caste, and contributed to India's becoming a principal 'Third World' target of Western structural adjustment policies as continuation of South Asia's 'evolution assistance'.}, }
@article {pmid33299013, year = {2020}, author = {Balzeau, A and Turq, A and Talamo, S and Daujeard, C and Guérin, G and Welker, F and Crevecoeur, I and Fewlass, H and Hublin, JJ and Lahaye, C and Maureille, B and Meyer, M and Schwab, C and Gómez-Olivencia, A}, title = {Pluridisciplinary evidence for burial for the La Ferrassie 8 Neandertal child.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {21230}, pmid = {33299013}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Bone and Bones/metabolism ; Burial/*history/*methods ; Child, Preschool ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Fossils ; France ; Geology ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry/methods ; Neanderthals/*psychology ; Paleontology ; }, abstract = {The origin of funerary practices has important implications for the emergence of so-called modern cognitive capacities and behaviour. We provide new multidisciplinary information on the archaeological context of the La Ferrassie 8 Neandertal skeleton (grand abri of La Ferrassie, Dordogne, France), including geochronological data -[14]C and OSL-, ZooMS and ancient DNA data, geological and stratigraphic information from the surrounding context, complete taphonomic study of the skeleton and associated remains, spatial information from the 1968-1973 excavations, and new (2014) fieldwork data. Our results show that a pit was dug in a sterile sediment layer and the corpse of a two-year-old child was laid there. A hominin bone from this context, identified through Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) and associated with Neandertal based on its mitochondrial DNA, yielded a direct [14]C age of 41.7-40.8 ka cal BP (95%), younger than the [14]C dates of the overlying archaeopaleontological layers and the OSL age of the surrounding sediment. This age makes the bone one of the most recent directly dated Neandertals. It is consistent with the age range for the Châtelperronian in the site and in this region and represents the third association of Neandertal taxa to Initial Upper Palaeolithic lithic technocomplex in Western Europe. A detailed multidisciplinary approach, as presented here, is essential to advance understanding of Neandertal behavior, including funerary practices.}, }
@article {pmid33296644, year = {2020}, author = {Jordan, B}, title = {[A poisoned gift].}, journal = {Medecine sciences : M/S}, volume = {36}, number = {12}, pages = {1233-1236}, doi = {10.1051/medsci/2020240}, pmid = {33296644}, issn = {1958-5381}, mesh = {Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics/metabolism ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/metabolism ; Animals ; COVID-19/epidemiology/*genetics/pathology/therapy ; Case-Control Studies ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3/*genetics ; Europe/epidemiology ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Genetic Loci ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Membrane Glycoproteins/genetics/metabolism ; Membrane Transport Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Pandemics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Protein Binding ; Receptors, CCR/genetics ; Receptors, CXCR6/genetics ; SARS-CoV-2/metabolism/*pathogenicity ; Severity of Illness Index ; }, abstract = {GWAS analysis of severe Covid patients implicates a major locus on chromosome 3. The corresponding 50 kb segment appears to originate from Neanderthal/Sapiens crossings, raising interesting evolutionary questions.}, }
@article {pmid33278486, year = {2021}, author = {Wendt, FR and Pathak, GA and Overstreet, C and Tylee, DS and Gelernter, J and Atkinson, EG and Polimanti, R}, title = {Characterizing the effect of background selection on the polygenicity of brain-related traits.}, journal = {Genomics}, volume = {113}, number = {1 Pt 1}, pages = {111-119}, pmid = {33278486}, issn = {1089-8646}, support = {F32 MH122058/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R21 DA047527/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; R21 DC018098/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/United States ; UL1 TR001863/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Brain/*metabolism ; *Genetic Background ; *Genetic Heterogeneity ; Humans ; Mental Disorders/diagnosis/*genetics ; *Multifactorial Inheritance ; Phenotype ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; *Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have demonstrated that psychopathology phenotypes are affected by many risk alleles with small effect (polygenicity). It is unclear how ubiquitously evolutionary pressures influence the genetic architecture of these traits.<br><br>METHODS: We partitioned SNP heritability to assess the contribution of background (BGS) and positive selection, Neanderthal local ancestry, functional significance, and genotype networks in 75 brain-related traits (8411&#xa0;&#x2264;&#xa0;N&#xa0;&#x2264;&#xa0;1,131,181, mean N&#xa0;=&#xa0;205,289). We applied binary annotations by dichotomizing each measure based on top 2%, 1%, and 0.5% of all scores genome-wide. Effect size distribution features were calculated using GENESIS. We tested the relationship between effect size distribution descriptive statistics and natural selection. In a subset of traits, we explore the inclusion of diagnostic heterogeneity (e.g., number of diagnostic combinations and total symptoms) in the tested relationship.<br><br>RESULTS: SNP-heritability was enriched (false discovery rate q&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.05) for loci with elevated BGS (7 phenotypes) and in genic (34 phenotypes) and loss-of-function (LoF)-intolerant regions (67 phenotypes). These effects were strongest in GWAS of schizophrenia (1.90-fold BGS, 1.16-fold genic, and 1.92-fold LoF), educational attainment (1.86-fold BGS, 1.12-fold genic, and 1.79-fold LoF), and cognitive performance (2.29-fold BGS, 1.12-fold genic, and 1.79-fold LoF). BGS (top 2%) significantly predicted effect size variance for trait-associated loci (&#x3c3;[2] parameter) in 75 brain-related traits (&#x3b2;&#xa0;=&#xa0;4.39&#xa0;&#xd7;&#xa0;10[-5], p&#xa0;=&#xa0;1.43&#xa0;&#xd7;&#xa0;10[-5], model r[2]&#xa0;=&#xa0;0.548). Considering the number of DSM-5 diagnostic combinations per psychiatric disorder improved model fit (&#x3c3;[2]&#xa0;~&#xa0;BTop2%&#xa0;&#xd7;&#xa0;Genic &#xd7; diagnostic combinations; model r[2]&#xa0;=&#xa0;0.661).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Brain-related phenotypes with larger variance in risk locus effect sizes are associated with loci under BGS. We show exploratory results suggesting that diagnostic complexity may also contribute to the increased polygenicity of psychiatric disorders.}, }
@article {pmid33264306, year = {2020}, author = {Riga, A and Boggioni, M and Papini, A and Buzi, C and Profico, A and Di Vincenzo, F and Marchi, D and Moggi-Cecchi, J and Manzi, G}, title = {In situ observations on the dentition and oral cavity of the Neanderthal skeleton from Altamura (Italy).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {15}, number = {12}, pages = {e0241713}, pmid = {33264306}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Caves ; *Dentition ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Italy ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Maxilla/anatomy &amp; histology ; Mouth/physiology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The Neanderthal specimen from Lamalunga Cave, near Altamura (Apulia, Italy), was discovered during a speleological survey in 1993. The specimen is one of the most complete fossil hominins in Europe and its state of preservation is exceptional, although it is stuck in calcareous concretions and the bones are mostly covered by calcite depositions. Nevertheless, it is possible to carry out some observations on craniodental features that have not previously been described. In this work, we present an account of the oral cavity, made possible by the use of a videoscope, which allowed us to reach some hidden parts of the mandible and palate. This is the first detailed overview of the teeth and maxillary bones of the Neanderthal skeleton from Altamura. The dentition is almost complete. However, two teeth (upper right P3 and upper left M1) were lost ante mortem and four teeth (lower right I1 and P3 and lower left I1 and I2) were lost most probably post mortem. Dental wear is marked. The erupted M3s and the inversion of the compensating curve of Wilson in the M1s and M2s but not in the M3s suggest that the individual is fully adult, but not old. Although most of the teeth have their roots exposed for several millimeters, the periodontal bone appears to be in good condition overall, except in correspondence of the two ante-mortem tooth losses. X-rays of the anterior teeth show a periapical lesion, probably linked to the advanced dental wear. We also observed a weak expression of taurodontism in the posterior dentition and the presence of a retromolar space, features consistent with an attribution to the Neanderthal hypodigm; this attribution is also supported by aspects of the cranial morphology, the morphometric analysis of the scapula and preliminary mtDNA data. There is also a well-developed palatine torus, to the best of our knowledge a feature not previously described in Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid33247712, year = {2021}, author = {Dannemann, M}, title = {The Population-Specific Impact of Neandertal Introgression on Human Disease.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {}, pmid = {33247712}, issn = {1759-6653}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/genetics ; Disease/*genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Female ; Fossils ; Genetic Variation ; *Genome, Human ; *Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Japan ; Male ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phenotype ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Since the discovery of admixture between modern humans and Neandertals, multiple studies investigated the effect of Neandertal-derived DNA on human disease and nondisease phenotypes. These studies have linked Neandertal ancestry to skin- and hair-related phenotypes, immunity, neurological, and behavioral traits. However, these inferences have so far been limited to cohorts with participants of European ancestry. Here, I analyze summary statistics from 40 disease GWAS (genome-wide association study) cohorts of ∼212,000 individuals provided by the Biobank Japan Project for phenotypic effects of Neandertal DNA. I show that Neandertal DNA is associated with autoimmune diseases, prostate cancer and type 2 diabetes. Many of these disease associations are linked to population-specific Neandertal DNA, highlighting the importance of studying a wider range of ancestries to characterize the phenotypic legacy of Neandertals in people today.}, }
@article {pmid33245148, year = {2021}, author = {Mineta, K and Goto, K and Gojobori, T and Alkuraya, FS}, title = {Indigenous Arabs have an intermediate frequency of a Neanderthal-derived COVID-19 risk haplotype compared with other world populations.}, journal = {Clinical genetics}, volume = {99}, number = {3}, pages = {484-485}, pmid = {33245148}, issn = {1399-0004}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Arabs/*genetics ; COVID-19/*genetics/virology ; *Gene Frequency ; *Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Haplotypes/*genetics ; Heterozygote ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; Population Groups/*genetics ; Risk Factors ; SARS-CoV-2/physiology ; Saudi Arabia ; }, }
@article {pmid33244047, year = {2020}, author = {Bardo, A and Moncel, MH and Dunmore, CJ and Kivell, TL and Pouydebat, E and Cornette, R}, title = {The implications of thumb movements for Neanderthal and modern human manipulation.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {19323}, pmid = {33244047}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {819960/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; Female ; Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hand Strength/physiology ; History, 21st Century ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Male ; Metacarpal Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Models, Biological ; Movement ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Species Specificity ; Thumb/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Trapezium Bone/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Much research has debated the technological abilities of Neanderthals relative to those of early modern humans, with a particular focus on subtle differences in thumb morphology and how this may reflect differences in manipulative behaviors in these two species. Here, we provide a novel perspective on this debate through a 3D geometric morphometric analysis of shape covariation between the trapezial and proximal first metacarpal articular surfaces of Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) in comparison to early and recent humans (Homo sapiens). Results show a distinct pattern of shape covariation in Neanderthals, consistent with more extended and adducted thumb postures that may reflect habitual use of grips commonly used for hafted tools. Both Neanderthals and recent humans demonstrate high intraspecific variation in shape covariation. This intraspecific variation is likely the result of genetic and/or developmental differences, but may also reflect, in part, differing functional requirements imposed by the use of varied tool-kits. These results underscore the importance of holistic joint shape analysis for understanding the functional capabilities and evolution of the modern human thumb.}, }
@article {pmid33230523, year = {2021}, author = {Aarts, JMMJG and Alink, GM and Franssen, HJ and Roebroeks, W}, title = {Evolution of Hominin Detoxification: Neanderthal and Modern Human Ah Receptor Respond Similarly to TCDD.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {38}, number = {4}, pages = {1292-1305}, pmid = {33230523}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Animals ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1/*metabolism ; Environmental Pollutants/*metabolism ; *Evolution, Molecular ; HeLa Cells ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Inactivation, Metabolic/genetics ; Neanderthals/*genetics/metabolism ; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins/*metabolism ; Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/chemistry/*genetics/metabolism ; }, abstract = {In studies of hominin adaptations to fire use, the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) in the evolution of detoxification has been highlighted, including statements that the modern human AHR confers a significantly better capacity to deal with toxic smoke components than the Neanderthal AHR. To evaluate this, we compared the AHR-controlled induction of cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1) mRNA in HeLa human cervix epithelial adenocarcinoma cells transfected with an Altai-Neanderthal or a modern human reference AHR expression construct, and exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). We compared the complete AHR mRNA sequences including the untranslated regions (UTRs), maintaining the original codon usage. We observe no significant difference in CYP1A1 induction by TCDD between Neanderthal and modern human AHR, whereas a 150-1,000 times difference was previously reported in a study of the AHR coding region optimized for mammalian codon usage and expressed in rat cells. Our study exemplifies that expression in a homologous cellular background is of major importance to determine (ancient) protein activity. The Neanderthal and modern human dose-response curves almost coincide, except for a slightly higher extrapolated maximum for the Neanderthal AHR, possibly caused by a 5'-UTR G-variant known from modern humans (rs7796976). Our results are strongly at odds with a major role of the modern human AHR in the evolution of hominin detoxification of smoke components and consistent with our previous study based on 18 relevant genes in addition to AHR, which concluded that efficient detoxification alleles are more dominant in ancient hominins, chimpanzees, and gorillas than in modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid33226710, year = {2021}, author = {Weyrich, LS}, title = {The evolutionary history of the human oral microbiota and its implications for modern health.}, journal = {Periodontology 2000}, volume = {85}, number = {1}, pages = {90-100}, doi = {10.1111/prd.12353}, pmid = {33226710}, issn = {1600-0757}, mesh = {Diet ; Humans ; *Microbiota/genetics ; *Mouth Diseases ; Oral Health ; }, abstract = {Numerous biological and cultural factors influence the microbial communities (microbiota) that inhabit the human mouth, including diet, environment, hygiene, physiology, health status, genetics, and lifestyle. As oral microbiota can underpin oral and systemic diseases, tracing the evolutionary history of oral microbiota and the factors that shape its origins will unlock information to mitigate disease today. Despite this, the origins of many oral microbes remain unknown, and the key factors in the past that shaped our oral microbiota are only now emerging. High throughput DNA sequencing of oral microbiota using ancient DNA and comparative anthropological methodologies has been employed to investigate oral microbiota origins, revealing a complex, rich history. Here, I review the current literature on the factors that shaped and guided oral microbiota evolution, both in Europe and globally. In Europe, oral microbiota evolution was shaped by interactions with Neandertals, the adaptation of farming, widespread integration of industrialization, and postindustrial lifestyles that emerged after World War II. Globally, evidence for a multitude of different oral microbiota histories is emerging, likely supporting dissimilarities in modern oral health across discrete human populations. I highlight how these evolutionary changes are linked to the development of modern oral diseases and discuss the remaining factors that need to be addressed to improve this embryonic field of research. I argue that understanding the evolutionary history of our oral microbiota is necessary to identify new treatment and prevention options to improve oral and systemic health in the future.}, }
@article {pmid33218283, year = {2021}, author = {Gregory, MD and Kippenhan, JS and Kohn, P and Eisenberg, DP and Callicott, JH and Kolachana, B and Berman, KF}, title = {Neanderthal-Derived Genetic Variation is Associated with Functional Connectivity in the Brains of Living Humans.}, journal = {Brain connectivity}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {38-44}, pmid = {33218283}, issn = {2158-0022}, support = {ZIA MH002942/ImNIH/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Brain ; Genetic Variation/genetics ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {Aim: To determine whether Neanderthal-derived genetic variation relates to functional connectivity patterns in the brains of living modern humans. Introduction: Nearly 50,000 years ago, Neanderthals interbred with ancestors of modern humans, imparting a genetic legacy that lives on today. The vestiges of this Neanderthal-derived genetic variation have been previously shown to be enriched in genes coding for neurogenesis and myelination and to alter skull shape and brain structure in living people. Materials and Methods: Using two independent cohorts totaling 553 healthy individuals, we employed multivariate distance matrix regression (MDMR) to determine whether any brain areas exhibited whole-brain functional connectivity patterns that significantly related to the degree of Neanderthal introgression. Identified clusters were then used as regions of interest in follow-up seed-based functional connectivity analyses to determine the connectivity patterns driving the relationships. Results: The MDMR analysis revealed that the percentage of Neanderthal-originating polymorphisms was significantly associated with the functional connectivity patterns of an area of the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) that was nearly identical in both cohorts. Using these IPS clusters as regions of interest in seed-based connectivity analyses, we found, again in both cohorts, that individuals with a higher proportion of Neanderthal-derived genetic variation showed increased IPS functional connectivity with visual processing regions, but decreased IPS connectivity with regions underlying social cognition. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the remnants of Neanderthal admixture continue to influence human brain function today, in ways that are consistent with anthropological conceptualizations of Neanderthal phenotypes, including the possibility that Neanderthals may have depended upon visual processing capabilities at the expense of social cognition, and this may have contributed to the extinction of this species through reduced cultural maintenance and inability to cope with fluctuating resources. This and other studies capitalizing on the emerging science surrounding ancient DNA provide a window through which to view an ancient lineage long past.}, }
@article {pmid33170414, year = {2020}, author = {Madison, P}, title = {Characterized by Darkness: Reconsidering the Origins of the Brutish Neanderthal.}, journal = {Journal of the history of biology}, volume = {53}, number = {4}, pages = {493-519}, pmid = {33170414}, issn = {1573-0387}, support = {60669//John Templeton Foundation/International ; Center for Biology//School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University/International ; Society//School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University/International ; }, abstract = {The extinct human relatives known as Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) have long been described as brutish and dumb. This conception is often traced to paleontologist Marcellin Boule (1861-1942), who published a detailed analysis on a Neanderthal skeleton in the early twentieth century. The conventional historical narrative claims that Boule made an error in his analysis, causing the Neanderthals to be considered brutish. This essay challenges the narrative of "Boule's error," arguing instead that the brutish Neanderthal concept originated much earlier in the history of Neanderthal research and was, in fact, an invention of the earliest analyses of the first specimen recognized as a Neanderthal in the mid-nineteenth century. I argue that temporally relocating this conception of Neanderthals allows for a better understanding of the interconnected nature of the study of fossil humans and the science of living human races during the nineteenth century. This new view of the brutish Neanderthal sheds light on the earliest phases of the science that became paleoanthropology, while examining the racial, cultural, and political attitudes about race and extinction that accompanied the science at that time. By inspecting the ways in which the Neanderthals' image was a product of a particular time and place, we gain a perspective that provides a new basis for thinking about the conceptions of hominin fossil species.}, }
@article {pmid33139541, year = {2020}, author = {Nava, A and Lugli, F and Romandini, M and Badino, F and Evans, D and Helbling, AH and Oxilia, G and Arrighi, S and Bortolini, E and Delpiano, D and Duches, R and Figus, C and Livraghi, A and Marciani, G and Silvestrini, S and Cipriani, A and Giovanardi, T and Pini, R and Tuniz, C and Bernardini, F and Dori, I and Coppa, A and Cristiani, E and Dean, C and Bondioli, L and Peresani, M and Müller, W and Benazzi, S}, title = {Early life of Neanderthals.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {117}, number = {46}, pages = {28719-28726}, pmid = {33139541}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Enamel/chemistry/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Neanderthals/*growth &amp; development ; *Weaning ; }, abstract = {The early onset of weaning in modern humans has been linked to the high nutritional demand of brain development that is intimately connected with infant physiology and growth rate. In Neanderthals, ontogenetic patterns in early life are still debated, with some studies suggesting an accelerated development and others indicating only subtle differences vs. modern humans. Here we report the onset of weaning and rates of enamel growth using an unprecedented sample set of three late (∼70 to 50 ka) Neanderthals and one Upper Paleolithic modern human from northeastern Italy via spatially resolved chemical/isotopic analyses and histomorphometry of deciduous teeth. Our results reveal that the modern human nursing strategy, with onset of weaning at 5 to 6 mo, was present among these Neanderthals. This evidence, combined with dental development akin to modern humans, highlights their similar metabolic constraints during early life and excludes late weaning as a factor contributing to Neanderthals' demise.}, }
@article {pmid33137550, year = {2020}, author = {Palancar, CA and Torres-Tamayo, N and García-Martínez, D and García-Tabernero, A and Rosas, A and Bastir, M}, title = {Comparative anatomy and 3D geometric morphometrics of the El Sidrón atlases (C1).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {149}, number = {}, pages = {102897}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102897}, pmid = {33137550}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Cervical Atlas/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The first cervical vertebra (atlas, C1) is an important element of the vertebral column because it connects the cranial base with the cervical column, thus helping to maintain head posture and contributing to neck mobility. However, few atlases are preserved in the fossil record because of the fragility of this vertebra. Consequently, only eight well-preserved atlases from adult Neandertals have been recovered and described. Here, we present nine new atlas remains from the El Sidrón Neandertal site (Asturias, Spain), two of which (SD-1643 and SD-1605/1595) are sufficiently well preserved to allow for a detailed comparative and three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis. We compared standard linear measurements of SD-1643 and SD-1605/1595 with those of other Neandertal atlases and carried out three-dimensional geometric morphometric analyses to compare size and shape of SD-1643 and SD-1605/1595 with those of 28 Pan (Pan troglodytes and Pan paniscus), a broad comparative sample of 55 anatomically modern humans from African and European populations, and other fossil hominins (Neandertals, Homo antecessor, Paranthropus boisei). The El Sidrón atlas fossils show typical features of the Neandertal atlas morphology, such as caudal projection of the anterior tubercle, gracility of both the posterior tubercle and the tuberosity for the insertion of the transverse ligament, and an anteroposteriorly elongated neural canal. Furthermore, when compared with atlases from the other taxa, Neandertals exhibit species-specific features of atlas morphology including a relatively lower lateral mass height, relatively narrower transverse foramina, and flatter and more horizontally oriented articular facets. Some of these features fit with previous suggestions of shorter overall length of the cervical spine and potential differences in craniocervical posture and mobility. Our results may support a different spinopelvic alignment in this species, as the atlas morphology suggests reduced cervical lordosis.}, }
@article {pmid33111974, year = {2021}, author = {Cofran, Z and Boone, M and Petticord, M}, title = {Virtually estimated endocranial volumes of the Krapina Neandertals.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {174}, number = {1}, pages = {117-128}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.24165}, pmid = {33111974}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Cephalometry/*methods ; Female ; Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology/*diagnostic imaging ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The Krapina rock shelter has yielded a large assemblage of early Neandertals. Although endocranial volume (ECV) has been estimated for four individuals from the site, several published values that appear in the literature warrant revisiting.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used virtual methods, including high-resolution surface models of fossils and 3D geometric morphometrics, to reconstruct endocasts and estimate ECV for five Krapina crania. We generated 10 reconstructions of each endocast to quantify missing data uncertainty. To assess the method and our ECV estimates, we applied these techniques to the Spy II Neandertal, and estimated ECV of a human reference endocast simulating the missing data of the Krapina fossils.<br><br>RESULTS: We obtained an average ECV estimate of 1,526&#x2009;cm[3] for Spy II, consistent with previous research. Estimated ECV of juveniles Krapina 1 and 2 average 1,419 and 1,286&#x2009;cm[3] , respectively. Estimates for the relatively complete adults Krapina 3 and 6 range from 1,247 to 1,310&#x2009;cm[3] and 1,135 to 1,207&#x2009;cm[3] , respectively, while the more fragmentary Krapina 5 averaged 1,397&#x2009;cm[3] . The missing data simulation suggests more fragmentary crania yield more uncertain and possibly overestimated ECVs.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We have provided new estimates of brain size of the Krapina Neandertals, including the first estimates for Krapina 2. Brain size at Krapina was similar to other pre-W&#xfc;rm Neandertals, within the range of but lower than the average of later Neandertals. Although the virtual approach overcomes many challenges of fossil preservation, our results are nevertheless subject to future revision.}, }
@article {pmid37588361, year = {2020}, author = {Sánchez Goñi, MF}, title = {Regional impacts of climate change and its relevance to human evolution.}, journal = {Evolutionary human sciences}, volume = {2}, number = {}, pages = {e55}, pmid = {37588361}, issn = {2513-843X}, abstract = {The traditional concept of long and gradual, glacial-interglacial climate changes during the Quaternary has been challenged since the 1980s. High temporal resolution analysis of marine, terrestrial and ice geological archives has identified rapid, millennial- to centennial-scale, and large-amplitude climatic cycles throughout the last few million years. These changes were global but have had contrasting regional impacts on the terrestrial and marine ecosystems, with in some cases strong changes in the high latitudes of both hemispheres but muted changes elsewhere. Such a regionalization has produced environmental barriers and corridors that have probably triggered niche contractions/expansions of hominin populations living in Eurasia and Africa. This article reviews the long- and short-timescale ecosystem changes that have punctuated the last few million years, paying particular attention to the environments of the last 650,000 years, which have witnessed key events in the evolution of our lineage in Africa and Eurasia. This review highlights, for the first time, a contemporaneity between the split between Denisovan and Neanderthals, at ~650-400 ka, and the strong Eurasian ice-sheet expansion down to the Black Sea. This ice expansion could form an ice barrier between Europe and Asia that may have triggered the genetic drift between these two populations.}, }
@article {pmid33106620, year = {2020}, author = {Luo, Y}, title = {Neanderthal DNA highlights complexity of COVID risk factors.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {587}, number = {7835}, pages = {552-553}, pmid = {33106620}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Betacoronavirus ; COVID-19 ; *Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology ; DNA ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; *Pandemics ; *Pneumonia, Viral ; Risk Factors ; SARS-CoV-2 ; }, }
@article {pmid33028520, year = {2020}, author = {García-Martínez, D and Bastir, M and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Maureille, B and Golovanova, L and Doronichev, V and Akazawa, T and Kondo, O and Ishida, H and Gascho, D and Zollikofer, CPE and de León, MP and Heuzé, Y}, title = {Early development of the Neanderthal ribcage reveals a different body shape at birth compared to modern humans.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {6}, number = {41}, pages = {}, pmid = {33028520}, issn = {2375-2548}, abstract = {Ontogenetic studies provide clues for understanding important paleobiological aspects of extinct species. When compared to that of modern humans, the adult Neanderthal thorax was shorter, deeper, and wider. This is related to the wide Neanderthal body and is consistent with their hypothetical large requirements for energy and oxygen. Whether these differences were already established at birth or appeared later during development is unknown. To delve into this question, we use virtual reconstruction tools and geometric morphometrics to recover the 3D morphology of the ribcages of four Neanderthal individuals from birth to around 3 years old: Mezmaiskaya 1, Le Moustier 2, Dederiyeh 1, and Roc de Marsal. Our results indicate that the comparatively deep and short ribcage of the Neanderthals was already present at birth, as were other skeletal species-specific traits. This morphology possibly represents the plesiomorphic condition shared with Homo erectus, and it is likely linked to large energetic requirements.}, }
@article {pmid32989161, year = {2020}, author = {Haws, JA and Benedetti, MM and Talamo, S and Bicho, N and Cascalheira, J and Ellis, MG and Carvalho, MM and Friedl, L and Pereira, T and Zinsious, BK}, title = {The early Aurignacian dispersal of modern humans into westernmost Eurasia.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {117}, number = {41}, pages = {25414-25422}, pmid = {32989161}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {*Archaeology ; *Demography ; Emigration and Immigration/history ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Portugal ; Radiometric Dating ; }, abstract = {Documenting the first appearance of modern humans in a given region is key to understanding the dispersal process and the replacement or assimilation of indigenous human populations such as the Neanderthals. The Iberian Peninsula was the last refuge of Neanderthal populations as modern humans advanced across Eurasia. Here we present evidence of an early Aurignacian occupation at Lapa do Picareiro in central Portugal. Diagnostic artifacts were found in a sealed stratigraphic layer dated 41.1 to 38.1 ka cal BP, documenting a modern human presence on the western margin of Iberia ∼5,000 years earlier than previously known. The data indicate a rapid modern human dispersal across southern Europe, reaching the westernmost edge where Neanderthals were thought to persist. The results support the notion of a mosaic process of modern human dispersal and replacement of indigenous Neanderthal populations.}, }
@article {pmid32973032, year = {2020}, author = {Petr, M and Hajdinjak, M and Fu, Q and Essel, E and Rougier, H and Crevecoeur, I and Semal, P and Golovanova, LV and Doronichev, VB and Lalueza-Fox, C and de la Rasilla, M and Rosas, A and Shunkov, MV and Kozlikin, MB and Derevianko, AP and Vernot, B and Meyer, M and Kelso, J}, title = {The evolutionary history of Neanderthal and Denisovan Y chromosomes.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {369}, number = {6511}, pages = {1653-1656}, doi = {10.1126/science.abb6460}, pmid = {32973032}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {694707/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Chromosomes, Human, Y/genetics ; DNA, Ancient ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Humans ; *Life History Traits ; Male ; Neanderthals/classification/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Y Chromosome/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Ancient DNA has provided new insights into many aspects of human history. However, we lack comprehensive studies of the Y chromosomes of Denisovans and Neanderthals because the majority of specimens that have been sequenced to sufficient coverage are female. Sequencing Y chromosomes from two Denisovans and three Neanderthals shows that the Y chromosomes of Denisovans split around 700 thousand years ago from a lineage shared by Neanderthals and modern human Y chromosomes, which diverged from each other around 370 thousand years ago. The phylogenetic relationships of archaic and modern human Y chromosomes differ from the population relationships inferred from the autosomal genomes and mirror mitochondrial DNA phylogenies, indicating replacement of both the mitochondrial and Y chromosomal gene pools in late Neanderthals. This replacement is plausible if the low effective population size of Neanderthals resulted in an increased genetic load in Neanderthals relative to modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid32963029, year = {2020}, author = {Bokelmann, L and Glocke, I and Meyer, M}, title = {Reconstructing double-stranded DNA fragments on a single-molecule level reveals patterns of degradation in ancient samples.}, journal = {Genome research}, volume = {30}, number = {10}, pages = {1449-1457}, pmid = {32963029}, issn = {1549-5469}, mesh = {Animals ; Cell-Free Nucleic Acids/blood ; Cytosine/metabolism ; DNA/blood ; DNA, Ancient/*chemistry ; Deamination ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {Extensive manipulations involved in the preparation of DNA samples for sequencing have hitherto made it impossible to determine the precise structure of double-stranded DNA fragments being sequenced, such as the presence of blunt ends, single-stranded overhangs, or single-strand breaks. We here describe MatchSeq, a method that combines single-stranded DNA library preparation from diluted DNA samples with computational sequence matching, allowing the reconstruction of double-stranded DNA fragments on a single-molecule level. The application of MatchSeq to Neanderthal DNA, a particularly complex source of degraded DNA, reveals that 1- or 2-nt overhangs and blunt ends dominate the ends of ancient DNA molecules and that short gaps exist, which are predominantly caused by the loss of individual purines. We further show that deamination of cytosine to uracil occurs in both single- and double-stranded contexts close to the ends of molecules, and that single-stranded parts of DNA fragments are enriched in pyrimidines. MatchSeq provides unprecedented resolution for interrogating the structures of fragmented double-stranded DNA and can be applied to fragmented double-stranded DNA isolated from any biological source. The method relies on well-established laboratory techniques and can easily be integrated into routine data generation. This possibility is shown by the successful reconstruction of double-stranded DNA fragments from previously published single-stranded sequence data, allowing a more comprehensive characterization of the biochemical properties not only of ancient DNA but also of cell-free DNA from human blood plasma, a clinically relevant marker for the diagnosis and monitoring of disease.}, }
@article {pmid32918796, year = {2021}, author = {Breyl, M}, title = {Triangulating Neanderthal cognition: A tale of not seeing the forest for the trees.}, journal = {Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science}, volume = {12}, number = {2}, pages = {e1545}, doi = {10.1002/wcs.1545}, pmid = {32918796}, issn = {1939-5086}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; *Cognition ; Humans ; *Language ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {The inference of Neanderthal cognition, including their cultural and linguistic capabilities, has persisted as a fiercely debated research topic for decades. This lack of consensus is substantially based on inherent uncertainties in reconstructing prehistory out of indirect evidence as well as other methodological limitations. Further factors include systemic difficulties within interdisciplinary discourse, data artifacts, historic research biases, and the sheer scope of the relevant research. Given the degrees of freedom in interpretation ensuing from these complications, any attempt to find approximate answers to the yet unsettled pertinent discourse may not rest on single studies, but instead a careful and comprehensive interdisciplinary synthesis of findings. Triangulating Neanderthals' cognition by considering the plethora of data, diverse perspectives and aforementioned complexities present within the literature constitutes the currently most reliable pathway to tentative conclusions. While some uncertainties remain, such an approach paints the picture of an extensive shared humanity between anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals. This article is categorized under: Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of Cognition Linguistics > Evolution of Language.}, }
@article {pmid32901061, year = {2020}, author = {Picin, A and Hajdinjak, M and Nowaczewska, W and Benazzi, S and Urbanowski, M and Marciszak, A and Fewlass, H and Bosch, MD and Socha, P and Stefaniak, K and Żarski, M and Wiśniewski, A and Hublin, JJ and Nadachowski, A and Talamo, S}, title = {New perspectives on Neanderthal dispersal and turnover from Stajnia Cave (Poland).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {14778}, pmid = {32901061}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Caves ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*analysis/genetics ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals/classification/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Poland ; Radiometric Dating ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; }, abstract = {The Micoquian is the broadest and longest enduring cultural facies of the Late Middle Palaeolithic that spread across the periglacial and boreal environments of Europe between Eastern France, Poland, and Northern Caucasus. Here, we present new data from the archaeological record of Stajnia Cave (Poland) and the paleogenetic analysis of a Neanderthal molar S5000, found in a Micoquian context. Our results demonstrate that the mtDNA genome of Stajnia S5000 dates to MIS 5a making the tooth the oldest Neanderthal specimen from Central-Eastern Europe. Furthermore, S5000 mtDNA has the fewest number of differences to mtDNA of Mezmaiskaya 1 Neanderthal from Northern Caucasus, and is more distant from almost contemporaneous Neanderthals of Scladina and Hohlenstein-Stadel. This observation and the technological affinity between Poland and the Northern Caucasus could be the result of increased mobility of Neanderthals that changed their subsistence strategy for coping with the new low biomass environments and the increased foraging radius of gregarious animals. The Prut and Dniester rivers were probably used as the main corridors of dispersal. The persistence of the Micoquian techno-complex in South-Eastern Europe infers that this axis of mobility was also used at the beginning of MIS 3 when a Neanderthal population turnover occurred in the Northern Caucasus.}, }
@article {pmid32889336, year = {2020}, author = {Romandini, M and Oxilia, G and Bortolini, E and Peyrégne, S and Delpiano, D and Nava, A and Panetta, D and Di Domenico, G and Martini, P and Arrighi, S and Badino, F and Figus, C and Lugli, F and Marciani, G and Silvestrini, S and Menghi Sartorio, JC and Terlato, G and Hublin, JJ and Meyer, M and Bondioli, L and Higham, T and Slon, V and Peresani, M and Benazzi, S}, title = {A late Neanderthal tooth from northeastern Italy.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {147}, number = {}, pages = {102867}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102867}, pmid = {32889336}, issn = {1095-8606}, support = {694707/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Cuspid/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Italy ; Maxilla ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Tooth, Deciduous/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The site of Riparo Broion (Vicenza, northeastern Italy) preserves a stratigraphic sequence documenting the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition, in particular the final Mousterian and the Uluzzian cultures. In 2018, a human tooth was retrieved from a late Mousterian level, representing the first human remain ever found from this rock shelter (Riparo Broion 1). Here, we provide the morphological description and taxonomic assessment of Riparo Broion 1 with the support of classic and virtual morphology, 2D and 3D analysis of the topography of enamel thickness, and DNA analysis. The tooth is an exfoliated right upper deciduous canine, and its general morphology and enamel thickness distribution support attribution to a Neanderthal child. Correspondingly, the mitochondrial DNA sequence from Riparo Broion 1 falls within the known genetic variation of Late Pleistocene Neanderthals, in accordance with newly obtained radiocarbon dates that point to approximately 48 ka cal BP as the most likely minimum age for this specimen. The present work describes novel and direct evidence of the late Neanderthal occupation in northern Italy that preceded the marked cultural and technological shift documented by the Uluzzian layers in the archaeological sequence at Riparo Broion. Here, we provide a new full morphological, morphometric, and taxonomic analysis of Riparo Broion 1, in addition to generating the wider reference sample of Neanderthal and modern human upper deciduous canines. This research contributes to increasing the sample of fossil remains from Italy, as well as the number of currently available upper deciduous canines, which are presently poorly documented in the scientific literature.}, }
@article {pmid32874601, year = {2020}, author = {Amos, W}, title = {Signals interpreted as archaic introgression appear to be driven primarily by faster evolution in Africa.}, journal = {Royal Society open science}, volume = {7}, number = {7}, pages = {191900}, pmid = {32874601}, issn = {2054-5703}, abstract = {Non-African humans appear to carry a few per cent archaic DNA due to ancient inter-breeding. This modest legacy and its likely recent timing imply that most introgressed fragments will be rare and hence will occur mainly in the heterozygous state. I tested this prediction by calculating D statistics, a measure of legacy size, for pairs of humans where one of the pair was conditioned always to be either homozygous or heterozygous. Using coalescent simulations, I confirmed that conditioning the non-African to be heterozygous increased D, while conditioning the non-African to be homozygous reduced D to zero. Repeating with real data reveals the exact opposite pattern. In African-non-African comparisons, D is near-zero if the African individual is held homozygous. Conditioning one of two Africans to be either homozygous or heterozygous invariably generates large values of D, even when both individuals are drawn from the same population. Invariably, the African with more heterozygous sites (conditioned heterozygous > unconditioned > conditioned homozygous) appears less related to the archaic. By contrast, the same analysis applied to pairs of non-Africans always yields near-zero D, showing that conditioning does not create large D without an underlying signal to expose. Large D values in humans are therefore driven almost entirely by heterozygous sites in Africans acting to increase divergence from related taxa such as Neanderthals. In comparison with heterozygous Africans, individuals that lack African heterozygous sites, whether non-African or conditioned homozygous African, always appear more similar to archaic outgroups, a signal previously interpreted as evidence for introgression. I hope these analyses will encourage others to consider increased divergence as well as increased similarity to archaics as mechanisms capable of driving asymmetrical base-sharing.}, }
@article {pmid32853200, year = {2020}, author = {Mughal, MR and Koch, H and Huang, J and Chiaromonte, F and DeGiorgio, M}, title = {Learning the properties of adaptive regions with functional data analysis.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {16}, number = {8}, pages = {e1008896}, pmid = {32853200}, issn = {1553-7404}, support = {F31 HG010574/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM128590/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 GM102057/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Membrane Transport Proteins ; *Models, Genetic ; *Mutation Rate ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; Software ; White People/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Identifying regions of positive selection in genomic data remains a challenge in population genetics. Most current approaches rely on comparing values of summary statistics calculated in windows. We present an approach termed SURFDAWave, which translates measures of genetic diversity calculated in genomic windows to functional data. By transforming our discrete data points to be outputs of continuous functions defined over genomic space, we are able to learn the features of these functions that signify selection. This enables us to confidently identify complex modes of natural selection, including adaptive introgression. We are also able to predict important selection parameters that are responsible for shaping the inferred selection events. By applying our model to human population-genomic data, we recapitulate previously identified regions of selective sweeps, such as OCA2 in Europeans, and predict that its beneficial mutation reached a frequency of 0.02 before it swept 1,802 generations ago, a time when humans were relatively new to Europe. In addition, we identify BNC2 in Europeans as a target of adaptive introgression, and predict that it harbors a beneficial mutation that arose in an archaic human population that split from modern humans within the hypothesized modern human-Neanderthal divergence range.}, }
@article {pmid32839541, year = {2020}, author = {Telis, N and Aguilar, R and Harris, K}, title = {Selection against archaic hominin genetic variation in regulatory regions.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {4}, number = {11}, pages = {1558-1566}, pmid = {32839541}, issn = {2397-334X}, support = {R35 GM133428/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Traces of Neandertal and Denisovan DNA persist in the modern human gene pool, but have been systematically purged by natural selection from genes and other functionally important regions. This implies that many archaic alleles harmed the fitness of hybrid individuals, but the nature of this harm is poorly understood. Here, we show that enhancers contain less Neandertal and Denisovan variation than expected given the background selection they experience, suggesting that selection acted to purge these regions of archaic alleles that disrupted their gene regulatory functions. We infer that selection acted mainly on young archaic variation that arose in Neandertals or Denisovans shortly before their contact with humans; enhancers are not depleted of older variants found in both archaic species. Some types of enhancer appear to have tolerated introgression better than others; compared with tissue-specific enhancers, pleiotropic enhancers show stronger depletion of archaic single-nucleotide polymorphisms. To some extent, evolutionary constraint is predictive of introgression depletion, but certain tissues' enhancers are more depleted of Neandertal and Denisovan alleles than expected given their comparative tolerance to new mutations. Foetal brain and muscle are the tissues whose enhancers show the strongest depletion of archaic alleles, but only brain enhancers show evidence of unusually stringent purifying selection. We conclude that epistatic incompatibilities between human and archaic alleles are needed to explain the degree of archaic variant depletion from foetal muscle enhancers, perhaps due to divergent selection for higher muscle mass in archaic hominins compared with humans.}, }
@article {pmid32817536, year = {2020}, author = {Bard, E and Heaton, TJ and Talamo, S and Kromer, B and Reimer, RW and Reimer, PJ}, title = {Extended dilation of the radiocarbon time scale between 40,000 and 48,000 y BP and the overlap between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {117}, number = {35}, pages = {21005-21007}, pmid = {32817536}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Calibration/standards ; Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Paleontology/*methods ; Radiometric Dating/*methods ; }, abstract = {The new radiocarbon calibration curve (IntCal20) allows us to calculate the gradient of the relationship between [14]C age and calendar age over the past 55 millennia before the present (55 ka BP). The new gradient curve exhibits a prolonged and prominent maximum between 48 and 40 ka BP during which the radiocarbon clock runs almost twice as fast as it should. This radiocarbon time dilation is due to the increase in the atmospheric [14]C/[12]C ratio caused by the [14]C production rise linked to the transition into the Laschamp geomagnetic excursion centered around 41 ka BP. The major maximum in the gradient from 48 to 40 ka BP is a new feature of the IntCal20 calibration curve, with far-reaching impacts for scientific communities, such as prehistory and paleoclimatology, relying on accurate ages in this time range. To illustrate, we consider the duration of the overlap between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens in Eurasia.}, }
@article {pmid32813722, year = {2020}, author = {Delpiano, D and Uthmeier, T}, title = {Techno-functional and 3D shape analysis applied for investigating the variability of backed tools in the Late Middle Paleolithic of Central Europe.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {15}, number = {8}, pages = {e0236548}, pmid = {32813722}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology/*instrumentation ; Artifacts ; Behavior Rating Scale ; Fossils/*diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Paleontology/*instrumentation ; Technology/*instrumentation ; Tool Use Behavior/classification ; }, abstract = {In the Late Middle Paleolithic of Central Europe, two main cultural complexes have been distinguished: the Micoquian or Keilmessergruppe (KMG), and the Mousterian. Their differences mainly consist in the frequence of some retouched tools and the presence of bifacial technology. When these industries coexist, one element of discussion is the application of different concepts to manufacture tools with the same techno-functionality. This is particularly true for backed artifacts, such as Keilmesser (backed, asymmetrical bifacially-shaped knives) opposed to flake-tools equipped with a natural or knapped back. We conducted a techno-functional analysis of the backed tools from the G-Layer-Complex of Sesselfelsgrotte, one of the main Late Middle Paleolithic sequences in Central Europe, characterized by a combination of KMG and Mousterian aspects. In order to better understand the morpho-metrical data, 3D scans were used for recording technical features and performing semi-automatic geometric morphometrics. Results indicate that the techno-functional schemes of Keilmesser show a moderate variability and often overlap with the schemes of other typological groups. Within bifacial backed knives, a process of imitation of unifacial flake tools' functionaly was recognized particularly in the cutting edge manufacturing. Keilmesser proved to be the long-life, versatile version of backed flake-tools, also due to the recurrent valence as both tool and core. This is why Keilmesser represent an ideal strategic blank when a mobile and multi-functional tool is needed. Based on these data, it is assumed that the relationship between Mousterian and KMG is deeply rooted and the emergence of KMG aspects could be related to constrained situations characterizing the long cold stages of the Early Weichselian. A higher regional mobility caused by the comparably low predictability of resources characterized the subsistence tactics of Neanderthal groups especially at the borders of their overall distribution. For this reason, Keilmesser could have represented an ecological answer before possibly becoming a marker of cultural identity.}, }
@article {pmid32805525, year = {2020}, author = {Torres-Tamayo, N and Schlager, S and García-Martínez, D and Sanchis-Gimeno, JA and Nalla, S and Ogihara, N and Oishi, M and Martelli, S and Bastir, M}, title = {Three-dimensional geometric morphometrics of thorax-pelvis covariation and its potential for predicting the thorax morphology: A case study on Kebara 2 Neandertal.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {147}, number = {}, pages = {102854}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102854}, pmid = {32805525}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Israel ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Pelvis/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Thorax/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {The skeletal torso is a complex structure of outstanding importance in understanding human body shape evolution, but reconstruction usually entails an element of subjectivity as researchers apply their own anatomical expertise to the process. Among different fossil reconstruction methods, 3D geometric morphometric techniques have been increasingly used in the last decades. Two-block partial least squares analysis has shown great potential for predicting missing elements by exploiting the covariation between two structures (blocks) in a reference sample: one block can be predicted from the other one based on the strength of covariation between blocks. The first aim of this study is to test whether this predictive approach can be used for predicting thorax morphologies from pelvis morphologies within adult Homo sapiens reference samples with known covariation between the thorax and the pelvis. The second aim is to apply this method to Kebara 2 Neandertal (Israel, ∼60 ka) to predict its thorax morphology using two different pelvis reconstructions as predictors. We measured 134 true landmarks, 720 curve semilandmarks, and 160 surface semilandmarks on 60 3D virtual torso models segmented from CT scans. We conducted three two-block partial least squares analyses between the thorax (block 1) and the pelvis (block 2) based on the H. sapiens reference samples after performing generalized Procrustes superimposition on each block separately. Comparisons of these predictions in full shape space by means of Procrustes distances show that the male-only predictive model yields the most reliable predictions within modern humans. In addition, Kebara 2 thorax predictions based on this model concur with the thorax morphology proposed for Neandertals. The method presented here does not aim to replace other techniques, but to rather complement them through quantitative prediction of a virtual 'scaffold' to articulate the thoracic fossil elements, thus extending the potential of missing data estimation beyond the methods proposed in previous works.}, }
@article {pmid32760067, year = {2020}, author = {Hubisz, MJ and Williams, AL and Siepel, A}, title = {Mapping gene flow between ancient hominins through demography-aware inference of the ancestral recombination graph.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {16}, number = {8}, pages = {e1008895}, pmid = {32760067}, issn = {1553-7404}, support = {R35 GM127070/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Gene Flow ; Human Migration ; Humans ; *Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Population/*genetics ; *Recombination, Genetic ; }, abstract = {The sequencing of Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes has yielded many new insights about interbreeding events between extinct hominins and the ancestors of modern humans. While much attention has been paid to the relatively recent gene flow from Neanderthals and Denisovans into modern humans, other instances of introgression leave more subtle genomic evidence and have received less attention. Here, we present a major extension of the ARGweaver algorithm, called ARGweaver-D, which can infer local genetic relationships under a user-defined demographic model that includes population splits and migration events. This Bayesian algorithm probabilistically samples ancestral recombination graphs (ARGs) that specify not only tree topologies and branch lengths along the genome, but also indicate migrant lineages. The sampled ARGs can therefore be parsed to produce probabilities of introgression along the genome. We show that this method is well powered to detect the archaic migration into modern humans, even with only a few samples. We then show that the method can also detect introgressed regions stemming from older migration events, or from unsampled populations. We apply it to human, Neanderthal, and Denisovan genomes, looking for signatures of older proposed migration events, including ancient humans into Neanderthal, and unknown archaic hominins into Denisovans. We identify 3% of the Neanderthal genome that is putatively introgressed from ancient humans, and estimate that the gene flow occurred between 200-300kya. We find no convincing evidence that negative selection acted against these regions. Finally, we predict that 1% of the Denisovan genome was introgressed from an unsequenced, but highly diverged, archaic hominin ancestor. About 15% of these "super-archaic" regions-comprising at least about 4Mb-were, in turn, introgressed into modern humans and continue to exist in the genomes of people alive today.}, }
@article {pmid32750315, year = {2020}, author = {Course, MM and Gudsnuk, K and Smukowski, SN and Winston, K and Desai, N and Ross, JP and Sulovari, A and Bourassa, CV and Spiegelman, D and Couthouis, J and Yu, CE and Tsuang, DW and Jayadev, S and Kay, MA and Gitler, AD and Dupre, N and Eichler, EE and Dion, PA and Rouleau, GA and Valdmanis, PN}, title = {Evolution of a Human-Specific Tandem Repeat Associated with ALS.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {107}, number = {3}, pages = {445-460}, pmid = {32750315}, issn = {1537-6605}, support = {T32 GM007454/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U24 AG041689/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; R01 DK078424/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; P30 AG066509/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; P50 AG005136/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HG010169/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/*genetics ; Aged ; Alzheimer Disease/genetics/pathology ; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/*genetics/pathology ; DNA Repeat Expansion/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation/genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Minisatellite Repeats/genetics ; Phenotype ; Species Specificity ; Tandem Repeat Sequences/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Tandem repeats are proposed to contribute to human-specific traits, and more than 40 tandem repeat expansions are known to cause neurological disease. Here, we characterize a human-specific 69 bp variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) in the last intron of WDR7, which exhibits striking variability in both copy number and nucleotide composition, as revealed by long-read sequencing. In addition, greater repeat copy number is significantly enriched in three independent cohorts of individuals with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Each unit of the repeat forms a stem-loop structure with the potential to produce microRNAs, and the repeat RNA can aggregate when expressed in cells. We leveraged its remarkable sequence variability to align the repeat in 288 samples and uncover its mechanism of expansion. We found that the repeat expands in the 3'-5' direction, in groups of repeat units divisible by two. The expansion patterns we observed were consistent with duplication events, and a replication error called template switching. We also observed that the VNTR is expanded in both Denisovan and Neanderthal genomes but is fixed at one copy or fewer in non-human primates. Evaluating the repeat in 1000 Genomes Project samples reveals that some repeat segments are solely present or absent in certain geographic populations. The large size of the repeat unit in this VNTR, along with our multiplexed sequencing strategy, provides an unprecedented opportunity to study mechanisms of repeat expansion, and a framework for evaluating the roles of VNTRs in human evolution and disease.}, }
@article {pmid32745133, year = {2020}, author = {Örd, T and Puurand, T and Örd, D and Annilo, T and Möls, M and Remm, M and Örd, T}, title = {A human-specific VNTR in the TRIB3 promoter causes gene expression variation between individuals.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {16}, number = {8}, pages = {e1008981}, pmid = {32745133}, issn = {1553-7404}, support = {HHSN268201000029C/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; HHSN261200800001E/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Cell Cycle Proteins/*genetics ; Estonia/epidemiology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation/genetics ; *Genetic Heterogeneity ; *Genetics, Population ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Minisatellite Repeats/*genetics ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/*antagonists &amp; inhibitors/genetics ; RNA-Seq ; Repressor Proteins/*genetics ; Whole Genome Sequencing ; }, abstract = {Tribbles homolog 3 (TRIB3) is pseudokinase involved in intracellular regulatory processes and has been implicated in several diseases. In this article, we report that human TRIB3 promoter contains a 33-bp variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) and characterize the heterogeneity and function of this genetic element. Analysis of human populations around the world uncovered the existence of alleles ranging from 1 to 5 copies of the repeat, with 2-, 3- and 5-copy alleles being the most common but displaying considerable geographical differences in frequency. The repeated sequence overlaps a C/EBP-ATF transcriptional regulatory element and is highly conserved, but not repeated, in various mammalian species, including great apes. The repeat is however evident in Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes. Reporter plasmid experiments in human cell culture reveal that an increased copy number of the TRIB3 promoter 33-bp repeat results in increased transcriptional activity. In line with this, analysis of whole genome sequencing and RNA-Seq data from human cohorts demonstrates that the copy number of TRIB3 promoter 33-bp repeats is positively correlated with TRIB3 mRNA expression level in many tissues throughout the body. Moreover, the copy number of the TRIB3 33-bp repeat appears to be linked to known TRIB3 eQTL SNPs as well as TRIB3 SNPs reported in genetic association studies. Taken together, the results indicate that the promoter 33-bp VNTR constitutes a causal variant for TRIB3 expression variation between individuals and could underlie the results of SNP-based genetic studies.}, }
@article {pmid32735718, year = {2020}, author = {Ríos, L and Cardoso, HFV}, title = {Comment on 'Krapina atlases suggest a high prevalence of anatomical variations in the first cervical vertebra of Neanderthals'.}, journal = {Journal of anatomy}, volume = {237}, number = {6}, pages = {1185-1188}, pmid = {32735718}, issn = {1469-7580}, mesh = {*Neanderthals ; Prevalence ; Spine ; }, abstract = {A review of the observation of an anterior cleft on the atlas of a Neanderthal from Krapina.}, }
@article {pmid32721654, year = {2020}, author = {Grine, FE and Mongle, CS and Smith, SL and Black, W and du Plessis, A and Braga, J}, title = {Human manual distal phalanges from the Middle Stone Age deposits of Klasies River Main Site, Western Cape Province, South Africa.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {146}, number = {}, pages = {102849}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102849}, pmid = {32721654}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Caves ; Finger Phalanges/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; South Africa ; }, abstract = {Two new distal manual phalanges from the Middle Stone Age deposits of Klasies River Main Site are described. One (SAM-AP 6387) likely derives from ray II or ray III, whereas the other (SAM-AP 6388) is from the thumb. Both derive from a late adolescent or fully adult individual. They were recovered by H. Deacon from the same stratigraphic unit (submember W or possibly submember R) of the Shell and Sand Member of Cave 1, which places them between 100 and 90 ka. Both are comparatively small elements, and the possibility that they came from the same hand cannot be discounted at this time. These bones add to the meager and all too fragmentary postcranial human fossil sample from the Late Pleistocene of South Africa. These two specimens provide some additional evidence pertaining to the morphological attributes of the distal phalanges of the Middle Stone Age inhabitants of South Africa. Together with the distal pollical phalanx from Die Kelders (SAM-AP 6402), they are relatively small in comparison with homologs from recent human samples as well as Late Pleistocene specimens from Eurasia. Given their small sizes, the distal pollical phalanges from Klasies and Die Kelders are not dissimilar to Holocene Khoesan homologs. As expected, the Klasies elements differ noticeably from Neandertal homologs, especially in the narrowness of their shafts and distal tuberosities.}, }
@article {pmid32719451, year = {2020}, author = {Rinker, DC and Simonti, CN and McArthur, E and Shaw, D and Hodges, E and Capra, JA}, title = {Neanderthal introgression reintroduced functional ancestral alleles lost in Eurasian populations.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {4}, number = {10}, pages = {1332-1341}, pmid = {32719451}, issn = {2397-334X}, support = {K22 CA184308/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; T32 GM080178/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 EY021453/EY/NEI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM115836/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 GM007347/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 GM152284/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; F30 HG011200/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM127087/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Haplotypes ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Population ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal ancestry remains across modern Eurasian genomes and introgressed sequences influence diverse phenotypes. Here, we demonstrate that introgressed sequences reintroduced thousands of ancestral alleles that were lost in Eurasian populations before introgression. Our simulations and variant effect predictions argue that these reintroduced alleles (RAs) are more likely to be tolerated by modern humans than are introgressed Neanderthal-derived alleles (NDAs) due to their distinct evolutionary histories. Consistent with this, we show enrichment for RAs and depletion for NDAs on introgressed haplotypes with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and phenotype associations. Analysis of available cross-population eQTLs and massively parallel reporter assay data show that RAs commonly influence gene expression independent of linked NDAs. We further validate these independent effects for one RA in vitro. Finally, we demonstrate that NDAs are depleted for regulatory activity compared to RAs, while RAs have activity levels similar to non-introgressed variants. In summary, our study reveals that Neanderthal introgression reintroduced thousands of lost ancestral variants with gene regulatory activity and that these RAs were more tolerated than NDAs. Thus, RAs and their distinct evolutionary histories must be considered when evaluating the effects of introgression.}, }
@article {pmid32707058, year = {2020}, author = {Zeberg, H and Dannemann, M and Sahlholm, K and Tsuo, K and Maricic, T and Wiebe, V and Hevers, W and Robinson, HPC and Kelso, J and Pääbo, S}, title = {A Neanderthal Sodium Channel Increases Pain Sensitivity in Present-Day Humans.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {30}, number = {17}, pages = {3465-3469.e4}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.045}, pmid = {32707058}, issn = {1879-0445}, mesh = {Adult ; Aged ; Amino Acid Substitution ; Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Mutation ; NAV1.7 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel/genetics/*metabolism ; Neanderthals ; Pain/genetics/metabolism/*pathology ; Xenopus laevis ; }, abstract = {The sodium channel Nav1.7 is crucial for impulse generation and conduction in peripheral pain pathways [1]. In Neanderthals, the Nav1.7 protein carried three amino acid substitutions (M932L, V991L, and D1908G) relative to modern humans. We expressed Nav1.7 proteins carrying all combinations of these substitutions and studied their electrophysiological effects. Whereas the single amino acid substitutions do not affect the function of the ion channel, the full Neanderthal variant carrying all three substitutions, as well as the combination of V991L with D1908G, shows reduced inactivation, suggesting that peripheral nerves were more sensitive to painful stimuli in Neanderthals than in modern humans. We show that, due to gene flow from Neanderthals, the three Neanderthal substitutions are found in ∼0.4% of present-day Britons, where they are associated with heightened pain sensitivity.}, }
@article {pmid32704108, year = {2020}, author = {Callaway, E}, title = {Neanderthal gene linked to increased pain sensitivity.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {32704108}, issn = {1476-4687}, }
@article {pmid32699254, year = {2020}, author = {Sánchez-Romero, L and Benito-Calvo, A and Marín-Arroyo, AB and Agudo-Pérez, L and Karampaglidis, T and Rios-Garaizar, J}, title = {Author Correction: New insights for understanding spatial patterning and formation processes of the Neanderthal occupation in the Amalda I cave (Gipuzkoa, Spain).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {12456}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-68761-1}, pmid = {32699254}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.}, }
@article {pmid32696095, year = {2020}, author = {Peeters, S and Zwart, H}, title = {Neanderthals as familiar strangers and the human spark: How the 'golden years' of Neanderthal research reopen the question of human uniqueness.}, journal = {History and philosophy of the life sciences}, volume = {42}, number = {3}, pages = {33}, pmid = {32696095}, issn = {1742-6316}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*psychology ; }, abstract = {During the past decades, our image of Homo neanderthalensis has changed dramatically. Initially, Neanderthals were seen as primitive brutes. Increasingly, however, Neanderthals are regarded as basically human. New discoveries and technologies have led to an avalanche of data, and as a result of that it becomes increasingly difficult to pinpoint what the difference between modern humans and Neanderthals really is. And yet, the persistent quest for a minimal difference which separates them from us is still noticeable in Neanderthal research. Neanderthal discourse is a vantage point from which the logic of 'us' versus 'other' is critically reconsidered. Studying contemporary academic literature and science autobiographies from an oblique perspective, focusing not on Neanderthals as objects, but on the dynamics of interaction between Neanderthal researchers and their finds, basic convictions at work in this type of research are retrieved. What is at issue is not the actual distinction between modern humans and Neanderthals (which is continuously being redefined), but rather the dualistic construction of human and nonhuman. Neanderthal understanding is affected by the desire to safeguard human uniqueness. The overall trend is to identify the human mark or spark, which defines us as favoured 'winners'. The paradoxes emerging in contemporary Neanderthal discourse are symptomatic of the fact that a dualistic style of thinking is no longer tenable.}, }
@article {pmid32681013, year = {2020}, author = {Marra, F and Rolfo, MF and Gaeta, M and Florindo, F}, title = {Anomalous Last Interglacial Tyrrhenian sea levels and Neanderthal settling at Guattari and Moscerini caves (central Italy).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {11929}, pmid = {32681013}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {We present a geological-stratigraphical study aimed to provide chronologic constraints to the sea-level markers occurring at two coastal caves of central Italy (Grotta Guattari and Grotta dei Moscerini) and to the Neanderthal frequentation of these caves, in the light of recent archaeological and geomorphological-geochronological studies suggesting similar sea levels during MIS 5.5 and MIS 5.3, and only few m below the Present during MIS 5.1 in this region. Based on the review of previous literature data, combined with new stratigraphic observations at Grotta Guattari and re-analysis of archive material including unpublished field notes from Grotta dei Moscerini, we reconstruct a plausible sea-level history accounting for the lithological and paleoenvironmental features of their sedimentary fillings. In particular, we outline the abundant occurrence of well-rounded pumice clasts within the sedimentary deposits of Moscerini Cave, attesting for the proximity to the beach where this pumice was gathered by wave action. Through the petrographic and geochemical analysis of this pumice we evidence provenance from Phlegraean Fields and Ischia Island volcanic districts, framing their chronology in the time span 118-40 ka, consistent with literature ESR-U/Th dates providing ages ranging 101 ± 5-74 ± 7 ka for the sedimentary filling of both Moscerini and Guattari caves.}, }
@article {pmid32661407, year = {2020}, author = {Columbu, A and Chiarini, V and Spötl, C and Benazzi, S and Hellstrom, J and Cheng, H and De Waele, J}, title = {Author Correction: Speleothem record attests to stable environmental conditions during Neanderthal-modern human turnover in southern Italy.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {4}, number = {9}, pages = {1279}, doi = {10.1038/s41559-020-1267-6}, pmid = {32661407}, issn = {2397-334X}, abstract = {An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.}, }
@article {pmid32652819, year = {2020}, author = {Pomeroy, E and Hunt, CO and Reynolds, T and Abdulmutalb, D and Asouti, E and Bennett, P and Bosch, M and Burke, A and Farr, L and Foley, R and French, C and Frumkin, A and Goldberg, P and Hill, E and Kabukcu, C and Lahr, MM and Lane, R and Marean, C and Maureille, B and Mutri, G and Miller, CE and Mustafa, KA and Nymark, A and Pettitt, P and Sala, N and Sandgathe, D and Stringer, C and Tilby, E and Barker, G}, title = {Issues of theory and method in the analysis of Paleolithic mortuary behavior: A view from Shanidar Cave.}, journal = {Evolutionary anthropology}, volume = {29}, number = {5}, pages = {263-279}, doi = {10.1002/evan.21854}, pmid = {32652819}, issn = {1520-6505}, support = {//British Academy/ ; //Calleva Foundation/ ; //Human Origins Research Fund/ ; ECF-2017-284//Leverhulme Trust/ ; RPG-2013-105//Leverhulme Trust/ ; //McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research/ ; NE/L002507/1//Natural Environment Research Council/ ; NF/2016/2/14//Natural Environment Research Council/ ; //Rust Family Foundation/ ; //Society of Antiquaries of London/ ; CONF-788//Wenner-Gren Foundation/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Burial/*history ; Caves ; Fossils ; Fractures, Bone/pathology ; Geologic Sediments/chemistry ; History, Ancient ; Iraq ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; *Paleontology ; }, abstract = {Mortuary behavior (activities concerning dead conspecifics) is one of many traits that were previously widely considered to have been uniquely human, but on which perspectives have changed markedly in recent years. Theoretical approaches to hominin mortuary activity and its evolution have undergone major revision, and advances in diverse archeological and paleoanthropological methods have brought new ways of identifying behaviors such as intentional burial. Despite these advances, debates concerning the nature of hominin mortuary activity, particularly among the Neanderthals, rely heavily on the rereading of old excavations as new finds are relatively rare, limiting the extent to which such debates can benefit from advances in the field. The recent discovery of in situ articulated Neanderthal remains at Shanidar Cave offers a rare opportunity to take full advantage of these methodological and theoretical developments to understand Neanderthal mortuary activity, making a review of these advances relevant and timely.}, }
@article {pmid32632262, year = {2020}, author = {Columbu, A and Chiarini, V and Spötl, C and Benazzi, S and Hellstrom, J and Cheng, H and De Waele, J}, title = {Speleothem record attests to stable environmental conditions during Neanderthal-modern human turnover in southern Italy.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {4}, number = {9}, pages = {1188-1195}, pmid = {32632262}, issn = {2397-334X}, mesh = {Europe ; Humans ; Italy ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {The causes of Neanderthal-modern human (MH) turnover are ambiguous. While potential biocultural interactions between the two groups are still little known, it is clear that Neanderthals in southern Europe disappeared about 42 thousand years ago (ka) after cohabitation for ~3,000 years with MH. Among a plethora of hypotheses on Neanderthal extinction, rapid climate changes during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (MUPT) are regarded as a primary factor. Here we show evidence for stable climatic and environmental conditions during the MUPT in a region (Apulia) where Neanderthals and MH coexisted. We base our findings on a rare glacial stalagmite deposited between ~106 and ~27 ka, providing the first continuous western Mediterranean speleothem palaeoclimate archive for this period. The uninterrupted growth of the stalagmite attests to the constant availability of rainfall and vegetated soils, while its δ[13]C-δ[18]O palaeoclimate proxies demonstrate that Apulia was not affected by dramatic climate oscillations during the MUPT. Our results imply that, because climate did not play a key role in the disappearance of Neanderthals in this area, Neanderthal-MH turnover must be approached from a perspective that takes into account climatic and environmental conditions favourable for both species.}, }
@article {pmid32632258, year = {2020}, author = {Bastir, M and García-Martínez, D and Torres-Tamayo, N and Palancar, CA and Beyer, B and Barash, A and Villa, C and Sanchis-Gimeno, JA and Riesco-López, A and Nalla, S and Torres-Sánchez, I and García-Río, F and Been, E and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Haeusler, M and Williams, SA and Spoor, F}, title = {Rib cage anatomy in Homo erectus suggests a recent evolutionary origin of modern human body shape.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {4}, number = {9}, pages = {1178-1187}, pmid = {32632258}, issn = {2397-334X}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Hominidae ; Human Body ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Rib Cage ; }, abstract = {The tall and narrow body shape of anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) evolved via changes in the thorax, pelvis and limbs. It is debated, however, whether these modifications first evolved together in African Homo erectus, or whether H. erectus had a more primitive body shape that was distinct from both the more ape-like Australopithecus species and H. sapiens. Here we present the first quantitative three-dimensional reconstruction of the thorax of the juvenile H. erectus skeleton, KNM-WT 15000, from Nariokotome, Kenya, along with its estimated adult rib cage, for comparison with H. sapiens and the Kebara 2 Neanderthal. Our three-dimensional reconstruction demonstrates a short, mediolaterally wide and anteroposteriorly deep thorax in KNM-WT 15000 that differs considerably from the much shallower thorax of H. sapiens, pointing to a recent evolutionary origin of fully modern human body shape. The large respiratory capacity of KNM-WT 15000 is compatible with the relatively stocky, more primitive, body shape of H. erectus.}, }
@article {pmid32612423, year = {2020}, author = {Senturk, N and Ergoren, MC}, title = {Developing an Online Portal for Determining the Genomic Signature of Archaic DNA that are Associated to Modern Human Genetic Diseases: A Meta-Analysis Study.}, journal = {The Eurasian journal of medicine}, volume = {52}, number = {2}, pages = {153-160}, pmid = {32612423}, issn = {1308-8734}, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Mutations or introgression can cause and rise adaptive alleles of which some can be beneficial. Archaic humans lived more than 200,000 years ago in Europe and Western Asia. They were adapted to the environment and pathogens that prevailed in these locations. It can therefore be thought that modern humans obtained significant immune advantage from the archaic alleles.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, data were collected by meta-analysis from previously identified genetic diseases caused by alleles that were introgressed from archaics. Second, the in silico model portal (http://www.archaics2phenotype.xxx.edu.tr) was designed to trace the history of the Neanderthal allele. The portal also shows the current distribution of the genotypes of the selected alleles within different populations and correlates with the individuals phenotype.<br><br>RESULTS: Our developed model provides a better understanding for the origin of genetic diseases or traits that are associated with the Neanderthal genome.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The developed medicine model will help individuals and their populations to receive the best treatment. It also clarifies why there are differences in disease phenotypes in modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid32594872, year = {2020}, author = {Nielsen, M and Langley, MC and Shipton, C and Kapitány, R}, title = {Homo neanderthalensis and the evolutionary origins of ritual in Homo sapiens.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {375}, number = {1805}, pages = {20190424}, pmid = {32594872}, issn = {1471-2970}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Ceremonial Behavior ; *Cultural Evolution ; Neanderthals/*psychology ; }, abstract = {There is a large, if disparate, body of archaeological literature discussing specific instantiations of symbolic material culture and the possibility of ritual practices in Neanderthal populations. Despite this attention, however, no single synthesis exists that draws upon cognitive, psychological and cultural evolutionary theories of ritual. Here, we review the evidence for ritual-practice among now-extinct Homo neanderthalensis, as well as the necessary cognitive pre-conditions for such behaviour, in order to explore the evolution of ritual in Homo sapiens. We suggest that the currently available archaeological evidence indicates that Neanderthals may have used 'ritualization' to increase the successful transmission of technical knowledge across generations-providing an explanation for the technological stability of the Middle Palaeolithic and attesting to a survival strategy differing from near-contemporary H. sapiens. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ritual renaissance: new insights into the most human of behaviours'.}, }
@article {pmid32593870, year = {2020}, author = {Martínez de Pinillos, M and Martín-Francés, L and de Castro, JMB and García-Campos, C and Modesto-Mata, M and Martinón-Torres, M and Vialet, A}, title = {Inner morphological and metric characterization of the molar remains from the Montmaurin-La Niche mandible: The Neanderthal signal.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {145}, number = {}, pages = {102739}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102739}, pmid = {32593870}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {*Animal Migration ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Dentin/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Europe ; Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {Here, we present a metric and morphological study of the molar remains from the Montmaurin-La Niche mandible by means of microcomputed tomography. According to the last analysis, based on the combination of geomorphological and paleontological data, the level bearing this human mandible probably corresponds to the marine isotope stages (MIS) 7. These data place the Montmaurin-La Niche in a chronologically intermediate position between the Neanderthals and the Middle Pleistocene fossils (e.g., Sima de los Huesos, la Caune de l'Arago). A recent study has revealed that while the mandible is more closely related to the Early and Middle Pleistocene African and Eurasian populations, the morphology of the outer enamel surfaces of its molars is typical of the Neanderthal linage. The data presented here are in line with this finding because the morphology of the enamel-dentine junction of the molars is similar to that of Neanderthals, whereas the absolute and relative enamel thickness values (2D and 3D) are closer to those exhibited by some Early Pleistocene hominins. Moreover, the pulp cavity morphology and proportions are in concordance with the Neanderthal populations. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that the settlement of Europe could be the result of several migrations, at different times, originated from a common source population. Thus, the variability in the European Middle Pleistocene populations (e.g., Montmaurin, Sima de los Huesos, Arago, Mala Balanica) could indicate different migrations at different times and/or population fragmentation, without excluding the possible hybridization between residents and new settlers.}, }
@article {pmid32586278, year = {2020}, author = {Weiß, CL and Gansauge, MT and Aximu-Petri, A and Meyer, M and Burbano, HA}, title = {Mining ancient microbiomes using selective enrichment of damaged DNA molecules.}, journal = {BMC genomics}, volume = {21}, number = {1}, pages = {432}, pmid = {32586278}, issn = {1471-2164}, support = {Presidential Innovation Fund//Max-Planck-Gesellschaft/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteria/*classification/genetics ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis/chemistry ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; Data Mining ; Fossils/*microbiology ; Gene Library ; Metagenomics ; Microbiota ; Neanderthals/microbiology ; Plants/microbiology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; Uracil/*chemistry ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The identification of bona fide microbial taxa in microbiomes derived from ancient and historical samples is complicated by the unavoidable mixture between DNA from ante- and post-mortem microbial colonizers. One possibility to distinguish between these sources of microbial DNA is querying for the presence of age-associated degradation patterns typical of ancient DNA (aDNA). The presence of uracils, resulting from cytosine deamination, has been detected ubiquitously in aDNA retrieved from diverse sources, and used as an authentication criterion. Here, we employ a library preparation method that separates molecules that carry uracils from those that do not for a set of samples that includes Neandertal remains, herbarium specimens and archaeological plant remains.<br><br>RESULTS: We show that sequencing DNA libraries enriched in molecules carrying uracils effectively amplifies age associated degradation patterns in microbial mixtures of ancient and historical origin. This facilitates the discovery of authentic ancient microbial taxa in cases where degradation patterns are difficult to detect due to large sequence divergence in microbial mixtures. Additionally, the relative enrichment of taxa in the uracil enriched fraction can help to identify bona fide ancient microbial taxa that could be missed using a more targeted approach.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our experiments show, that in addition to its use in enriching authentic endogenous DNA of organisms of interest, the selective enrichment of damaged DNA molecules can be a valuable tool in the discovery of ancient microbial taxa.}, }
@article {pmid32580077, year = {2020}, author = {Bosman, AM and Reyes-Centeno, H and Harvati, K}, title = {A virtual assessment of the suprainiac depressions on the Eyasi I (Tanzania) and Aduma ADU-VP-1/3 (Ethiopia) Pleistocene hominin crania.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {145}, number = {}, pages = {102815}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102815}, pmid = {32580077}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; Ethiopia ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Tanzania ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {Despite a steady increase in our understanding of the phenotypic variation of Pleistocene Homo, debate continues over phylogenetically informative features. One such trait is the suprainiac fossa, a depression on the occipital bone above inion that is commonly considered an autapomorphy of the Neanderthal lineage. Challenging this convention, depressions in the suprainiac region have also been described for two Pleistocene hominin crania from sub-Saharan Africa: Eyasi I (Tanzania) and ADU-VP-1/3 (Ethiopia). Here, we use a combined quantitative and qualitative approach, using μCT imaging, to investigate the occipital depressions on these specimens. The results show that neither the external nor the internal morphologies of these depressions bear any resemblance to the Neanderthal condition. A principal component analysis based on multiple thickness measurements along the occipital squama demonstrates that the relative thickness values for the internal structures in Eyasi I and ADU-VP-1/3 are within the range of Homo sapiens. Thus, our results support the autapomorphic status of the Neanderthal suprainiac fossa and highlight the need to use nuanced approaches and multiple lines of evidence.}, }
@article {pmid32574964, year = {2020}, author = {Mathov, Y and Batyrev, D and Meshorer, E and Carmel, L}, title = {Harnessing epigenetics to study human evolution.}, journal = {Current opinion in genetics &amp; development}, volume = {62}, number = {}, pages = {23-29}, doi = {10.1016/j.gde.2020.05.023}, pmid = {32574964}, issn = {1879-0380}, mesh = {*DNA Methylation ; *Epigenesis, Genetic ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genetic Variation ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; }, abstract = {Recent advances in ancient DNA extraction and high-throughput sequencing technologies enabled the high-quality sequencing of archaic genomes, including the Neanderthal and the Denisovan. While comparisons with modern humans revealed both archaic-specific and human-specific sequence changes, in the absence of gene expression information, understanding the functional implications of such genetic variations remains a major challenge. To study gene regulation in archaic humans, epigenetic research comes to our aid. DNA methylation, which is highly correlated with transcription, can be directly measured in modern samples, as well as reconstructed in ancient samples. This puts DNA methylation as a natural basis for comparative epigenetics between modern humans, archaic humans and nonhuman primates.}, }
@article {pmid32559457, year = {2020}, author = {Dannemann, M and He, Z and Heide, C and Vernot, B and Sidow, L and Kanton, S and Weigert, A and Treutlein, B and Pääbo, S and Kelso, J and Camp, JG}, title = {Human Stem Cell Resources Are an Inroad to Neandertal DNA Functions.}, journal = {Stem cell reports}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, pages = {214-225}, pmid = {32559457}, issn = {2213-6711}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Brain/metabolism ; Cell Line ; DNA/*genetics ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phenotype ; Pluripotent Stem Cells/cytology ; RNA/metabolism ; Stem Cells/cytology/*metabolism ; }, abstract = {Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from diverse humans offer the potential to study human functional variation in controlled culture environments. A portion of this variation originates from an ancient admixture between modern humans and Neandertals, which introduced alleles that left a phenotypic legacy on individual humans today. Here, we show that a large iPSC repository harbors extensive Neandertal DNA, including alleles that contribute to human phenotypes and diseases, encode hundreds of amino acid changes, and alter gene expression in specific tissues. We provide a database of the inferred introgressed Neandertal alleles for each individual iPSC line, together with the annotation of the predicted functional variants. We also show that transcriptomic data from organoids generated from iPSCs can be used to track Neandertal-derived RNA over developmental processes. Human iPSC resources provide an opportunity to experimentally explore Neandertal DNA function and its contribution to present-day phenotypes, and potentially study Neandertal traits.}, }
@article {pmid32556248, year = {2020}, author = {Khan, N and de Manuel, M and Peyregne, S and Do, R and Prufer, K and Marques-Bonet, T and Varki, N and Gagneux, P and Varki, A}, title = {Multiple Genomic Events Altering Hominin SIGLEC Biology and Innate Immunity Predated the Common Ancestor of Humans and Archaic Hominins.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {12}, number = {7}, pages = {1040-1050}, pmid = {32556248}, issn = {1759-6653}, support = {R01 GM032373/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U01 MH106874/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Expression ; Genome ; Hominidae/*genetics/immunology ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate/genetics ; Multigene Family ; Mutation ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Selection, Genetic ; Sialic Acid Binding Ig-like Lectin 3/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Human-specific pseudogenization of the CMAH gene eliminated the mammalian sialic acid (Sia) Neu5Gc (generating an excess of its precursor Neu5Ac), thus changing ubiquitous cell surface "self-associated molecular patterns" that modulate innate immunity via engagement of CD33-related-Siglec receptors. The Alu-fusion-mediated loss-of-function of CMAH fixed ∼2-3 Ma, possibly contributing to the origins of the genus Homo. The mutation likely altered human self-associated molecular patterns, triggering multiple events, including emergence of human-adapted pathogens with strong preference for Neu5Ac recognition and/or presenting Neu5Ac-containing molecular mimics of human glycans, which can suppress immune responses via CD33-related-Siglec engagement. Human-specific alterations reported in some gene-encoding Sia-sensing proteins suggested a "hotspot" in hominin evolution. The availability of more hominid genomes including those of two extinct hominins now allows full reanalysis and evolutionary timing. Functional changes occur in 8/13 members of the human genomic cluster encoding CD33-related Siglecs, all predating the human common ancestor. Comparisons with great ape genomes indicate that these changes are unique to hominins. We found no evidence for strong selection after the Human-Neanderthal/Denisovan common ancestor, and these extinct hominin genomes include almost all major changes found in humans, indicating that these changes in hominin sialobiology predate the Neanderthal-human divergence ∼0.6 Ma. Multiple changes in this genomic cluster may also explain human-specific expression of CD33rSiglecs in unexpected locations such as amnion, placental trophoblast, pancreatic islets, ovarian fibroblasts, microglia, Natural Killer(NK) cells, and epithelia. Taken together, our data suggest that innate immune interactions with pathogens markedly altered hominin Siglec biology between 0.6 and 2 Ma, potentially affecting human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid32546518, year = {2020}, author = {Mafessoni, F and Grote, S and de Filippo, C and Slon, V and Kolobova, KA and Viola, B and Markin, SV and Chintalapati, M and Peyrégne, S and Skov, L and Skoglund, P and Krivoshapkin, AI and Derevianko, AP and Meyer, M and Kelso, J and Peter, B and Prüfer, K and Pääbo, S}, title = {A high-coverage Neandertal genome from Chagyrskaya Cave.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {117}, number = {26}, pages = {15132-15136}, pmid = {32546518}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Female ; Fossils ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Genetic Variation ; *Genome ; Humans ; Inbreeding ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Population Density ; Russia ; }, abstract = {We sequenced the genome of a Neandertal from Chagyrskaya Cave in the Altai Mountains, Russia, to 27-fold genomic coverage. We show that this Neandertal was a female and that she was more related to Neandertals in western Eurasia [Prüfer et al., Science 358, 655-658 (2017); Hajdinjak et al., Nature 555, 652-656 (2018)] than to Neandertals who lived earlier in Denisova Cave [Prüfer et al., Nature 505, 43-49 (2014)], which is located about 100 km away. About 12.9% of the Chagyrskaya genome is spanned by homozygous regions that are between 2.5 and 10 centiMorgans (cM) long. This is consistent with the fact that Siberian Neandertals lived in relatively isolated populations of less than 60 individuals. In contrast, a Neandertal from Europe, a Denisovan from the Altai Mountains, and ancient modern humans seem to have lived in populations of larger sizes. The availability of three Neandertal genomes of high quality allows a view of genetic features that were unique to Neandertals and that are likely to have been at high frequency among them. We find that genes highly expressed in the striatum in the basal ganglia of the brain carry more amino-acid-changing substitutions than genes expressed elsewhere in the brain, suggesting that the striatum may have evolved unique functions in Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid32531199, year = {2020}, author = {Almarri, MA and Bergström, A and Prado-Martinez, J and Yang, F and Fu, B and Dunham, AS and Chen, Y and Hurles, ME and Tyler-Smith, C and Xue, Y}, title = {Population Structure, Stratification, and Introgression of Human Structural Variation.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {182}, number = {1}, pages = {189-199.e15}, pmid = {32531199}, issn = {1097-4172}, support = {FC001595/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; /WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; FC001595/CRUK_/Cancer Research UK/United Kingdom ; FC001595/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; FC001595/ARC_/Arthritis Research UK/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Databases, Genetic ; Gene Dosage ; Gene Duplication ; Gene Frequency/genetics ; Genetic Variation ; *Genetics, Population ; Genome, Human ; *Genomic Structural Variation ; Humans ; }, abstract = {Structural variants contribute substantially to genetic diversity and are important evolutionarily and medically, but they are still understudied. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of structural variation in the Human Genome Diversity panel, a high-coverage dataset of 911 samples from 54 diverse worldwide populations. We identify, in total, 126,018 variants, 78% of which were not identified in previous global sequencing projects. Some reach high frequency and are private to continental groups or even individual populations, including regionally restricted runaway duplications and putatively introgressed variants from archaic hominins. By de novo assembly of 25 genomes using linked-read sequencing, we discover 1,643 breakpoint-resolved unique insertions, in aggregate accounting for 1.9 Mb of sequence absent from the GRCh38 reference. Our results illustrate the limitation of a single human reference and the need for high-quality genomes from diverse populations to fully discover and understand human genetic variation.}, }
@article {pmid32511250, year = {2020}, author = {Martín-Francés, L and Martinón-Torres, M and Martínez de Pinillos, M and García-Campos, C and Zanolli, C and Bayle, P and Modesto-Mata, M and Arsuaga, JL and Bermúdez de Castro, JM}, title = {Crown tissue proportions and enamel thickness distribution in the Middle Pleistocene hominin molars from Sima de los Huesos (SH) population (Atapuerca, Spain).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {15}, number = {6}, pages = {e0233281}, pmid = {32511250}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology/metabolism ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology/metabolism ; Neanderthals ; Phylogeny ; Spain ; Tooth ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Dental enamel thickness, topography, growth and development vary among hominins. In Homo, the thickness of dental enamel in most Pleistocene hominins display variations from thick to hyper-thick, while Neanderthals exhibit proportionally thinner enamel. The origin of the thin trait remains unclear. In this context, the Middle Pleistocene human dental assemblage from Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos (SH) provides a unique opportunity to trace the evolution of enamel thickness in European hominins. In this study, we aim to test the hypothesis if the SH molar sample approximates the Neanderthal condition for enamel thickness and/or distribution. This study includes 626 molars, both original and comparative data. We analysed the molar inner structural organization of the original collections (n = 124), belonging to SH(n = 72) and modern humans from Spanish origin (n = 52). We compared the SH estimates to those of extinct and extant populations of the genus Homo from African, Asian and European origin (estimates extracted from literature n = 502). The comparative sample included maxillary and mandibular molars belonging to H. erectus, East and North African Homo, European Middle Pleistocene Homo, Neanderthals, and fossil and extant H. sapiens. We used high-resolution images to investigate the endostructural configuration of SH molars (tissue proportions, enamel thickness and distribution). The SH molars exhibit on average thick absolute and relative enamel in 2D and 3D estimates, both in the complete crown and the lateral enamel. This primitive condition is shared with the majority of extinct and extant hominin sample, except for Neanderthals and some isolated specimens. On the contrary, the SH molar enamel distribution maps reveal a distribution pattern similar to the Neanderthal signal (with thicker enamel on the lingual cusps and more peripherally distributed), compared to H. antecessor and modern humans. Due to the phylogenetic position of the SH population, the thick condition in molars could represent the persistence of the plesiomorphic condition in this group. Still, more data is needed on other Early and Middle Pleistocene populations to fully understand the evolutionary meaning of this trait.}, }
@article {pmid32494067, year = {2020}, author = {Skov, L and Coll Macià, M and Sveinbjörnsson, G and Mafessoni, F and Lucotte, EA and Einarsdóttir, MS and Jonsson, H and Halldorsson, B and Gudbjartsson, DF and Helgason, A and Schierup, MH and Stefansson, K}, title = {The nature of Neanderthal introgression revealed by 27,566 Icelandic genomes.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {582}, number = {7810}, pages = {78-83}, pmid = {32494067}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Genetic Association Studies ; Genetic Introgression/*genetics ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; *Genomics ; Haploidy ; Humans ; Iceland ; Male ; *Mutation ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phenotype ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Human evolutionary history is rich with the interbreeding of divergent populations. Most humans outside of Africa trace about 2% of their genomes to admixture from Neanderthals, which occurred 50-60 thousand years ago[1]. Here we examine the effect of this event using 14.4 million putative archaic chromosome fragments that were detected in fully phased whole-genome sequences from 27,566 Icelanders, corresponding to a range of 56,388-112,709 unique archaic fragments that cover 38.0-48.2% of the callable genome. On the basis of the similarity with known archaic genomes, we assign 84.5% of fragments to an Altai or Vindija Neanderthal origin and 3.3% to Denisovan origin; 12.2% of fragments are of unknown origin. We find that Icelanders have more Denisovan-like fragments than expected through incomplete lineage sorting. This is best explained by Denisovan gene flow, either into ancestors of the introgressing Neanderthals or directly into humans. A within-individual, paired comparison of archaic fragments with syntenic non-archaic fragments revealed that, although the overall rate of mutation was similar in humans and Neanderthals during the 500 thousand years that their lineages were separate, there were differences in the relative frequencies of mutation types-perhaps due to different generation intervals for males and females. Finally, we assessed 271 phenotypes, report 5 associations driven by variants in archaic fragments and show that the majority of previously reported associations are better explained by non-archaic variants.}, }
@article {pmid32490227, year = {2020}, author = {Kolendrianou, M and Ligkovanlis, S and Maniakas, I and Tzortzi, M and Iliopoulos, G}, title = {The Palaeolithic cave of Kalamakia (Mani Peninsula), Greece: new insights on the palaeoenvironment using microvertebrates and mesowear analysis of ruminant teeth.}, journal = {Heliyon}, volume = {6}, number = {5}, pages = {e03958}, pmid = {32490227}, issn = {2405-8440}, abstract = {In the present study, results from the examination of mammalian teeth from the cave of Kalamakia with modern techniques, as well as a qualitative overview of the microvertebrate and lithic material, are presented together with a revision of previous related work done for the site, in order to assess the palaeoenvironmental conditions in the area and the role they played in the Neanderthal's repeated occupation of the cave. Geometric morphometrics analyses performed on the first lower molars of Microtus spp. individuals revealed persistent populations of the subgenus Terricola, in which the presence of Microtus thomasi and Microtus subterraneus are continuous through the stratigraphic units. Mesowear analyses performed on ruminant teeth showed no significant variation in toothwear through time, except for relatively elevated levels of dietary abrasion for the more recent samples. The study of the lithics revealed that Neanderthals visited the cave in alternating short and more permanent episodes of occupation, with the human occupants exhibiting special concern for raw material economy, while exploiting poor raw materials for the construction of their tools. The overview of the microvertebrate remains showed a growing trend towards the upper stratigraphic units, where taxa typical of temperate climate, open woodland and shrubland become more dominant. These results, along with observations derived from previous studies, suggest that temperate climate and open environment were the factors that mainly contributed to making the cave of Kalamakia attractive as a habitation site to the humans of the area.}, }
@article {pmid32457436, year = {2020}, author = {Sánchez-Romero, L and Benito-Calvo, A and Marín-Arroyo, AB and Agudo-Pérez, L and Karampaglidis, T and Rios-Garaizar, J}, title = {New insights for understanding spatial patterning and formation processes of the Neanderthal occupation in theAmalda I cave (Gipuzkoa, Spain).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {8733}, pmid = {32457436}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {The Level VII of Amalda I cave (Gipuzkoa, Spain) represents one of the latest Middle Palaeolithic occupations in the Cantabrian Region. It is characterized by the presence of Middle Palaeolithic lithic industry and animal remains, with clear evidences of anthropic and carnivore manipulation. At this site, the Neanderthal presence has been questioned in relation to the role of carnivores in the accumulation of large, medium-sized and small mammals. It has also been proposed that the Neanderthal occupation could have consisted of short-term occupations, where different activities took place in a structured space within the cave. However, all hypotheses lacked any integrative analysis of the site formation processes. With the aim of understanding these processes, a combination of spatial techniques, based on GIS and inferential statistics (density analysis, hotspots tools and palaeotopographic reconstruction), along with the taphonomic study of identifiable and non-identifiable macromammals remains, were employed. This study has revealed distinct use of the cave space by Neanderthals and carnivores. The major concentrations of lithics and medium-size mammal remains were clearly accumulated by humans at the cave entrance, while the small-size mammals were gathered by carnivores in an inner zone. The activities of the Neanderthals seem to be distinctly structured, suggesting a parallel exploitation of resources.}, }
@article {pmid32451437, year = {2020}, author = {Esteller-Cucala, P and Maceda, I and Børglum, AD and Demontis, D and Faraone, SV and Cormand, B and Lao, O}, title = {Genomic analysis of the natural history of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder using Neanderthal and ancient Homo sapiens samples.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {8622}, pmid = {32451437}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {R01 MH101519/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; U01 MH109536/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/*genetics/history/pathology ; Bayes Theorem ; Databases, Genetic ; Deep Learning ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Genome, Human ; Genomics/*methods ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an impairing neurodevelopmental condition highly prevalent in current populations. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this paradox, mainly in the context of the Paleolithic versus Neolithic cultural shift but especially within the framework of the mismatch theory. This theory elaborates on how a particular trait once favoured in an ancient environment might become maladaptive upon environmental changes. However, given the lack of genomic data available for ADHD, these theories have not been empirically tested. We took advantage of the largest GWAS meta-analysis available for this disorder consisting of over 20,000 individuals diagnosed with ADHD and 35,000 controls, to assess the evolution of ADHD-associated alleles in European populations using archaic, ancient and modern human samples. We also included Approximate Bayesian computation coupled with deep learning analyses and singleton density scores to detect human adaptation. Our analyses indicate that ADHD-associated alleles are enriched in loss of function intolerant genes, supporting the role of selective pressures in this early-onset phenotype. Furthermore, we observed that the frequency of variants associated with ADHD has steadily decreased since Paleolithic times, particularly in Paleolithic European populations compared to samples from the Neolithic Fertile Crescent. We demonstrate this trend cannot be explained by African admixture nor Neanderthal introgression, since introgressed Neanderthal alleles are enriched in ADHD risk variants. All analyses performed support the presence of long-standing selective pressures acting against ADHD-associated alleles until recent times. Overall, our results are compatible with the mismatch theory for ADHD but suggest a much older time frame for the evolution of ADHD-associated alleles compared to previous hypotheses.}, }
@article {pmid32451090, year = {2020}, author = {Hoffmann, DL and Standish, CD and García-Diez, M and Pettitt, PB and Milton, JA and Zilhão, J and Alcolea-González, JJ and Cantalejo-Duarte, P and Collado, H and de Balbín, R and Lorblanchet, M and Ramos-Muñoz, J and Weniger, GC and Pike, AWG}, title = {Response to White et al.'s reply: 'Still no archaeological evidence that Neanderthals created Iberian cave art' [J. Hum. Evol. (2020) 102640].}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {144}, number = {}, pages = {102810}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102810}, pmid = {32451090}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Caves ; *Neanderthals ; }, }
@article {pmid32437543, year = {2020}, author = {Zeberg, H and Kelso, J and Pääbo, S}, title = {The Neandertal Progesterone Receptor.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {37}, number = {9}, pages = {2655-2660}, pmid = {32437543}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Alleles ; Alu Elements ; Animals ; Female ; Fertility/*genetics ; *Genetic Introgression ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Pregnancy ; Premature Birth/*genetics ; Receptors, Progesterone/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The hormone progesterone is important for preparing the uterine lining for egg implantation and for maintaining the early stages of pregnancy. The gene encoding the progesterone receptor (PGR) carries introgressed Neandertal haplotypes with two missense substitutions and a mobile Alu element. These Neandertal gene variants have reached nearly 20% frequency in non-Africans and have been associated with preterm birth. Here, we show that one of the missense substitutions appears fixed in Neandertals, while the other substitution as well as the Alu insertion were polymorphic among Neandertals. We show that two Neandertal haplotypes carrying the PGR gene entered the modern human population and that present-day carriers of the Neandertal haplotypes express higher levels of the receptor. In a cohort of present-day Britons, these carriers have more siblings, fewer miscarriages, and less bleeding during early pregnancy suggesting that the Neandertal progesterone receptor alleles promote fertility. This may explain their high frequency in modern human populations.}, }
@article {pmid32436615, year = {2020}, author = {Palancar, CA and García-Martínez, D and Radovčić, D and Llidó, S and Mata-Escolano, F and Bastir, M and Sanchis-Gimeno, JA}, title = {Krapina atlases suggest a high prevalence of anatomical variations in the first cervical vertebra of Neanderthals.}, journal = {Journal of anatomy}, volume = {237}, number = {3}, pages = {579-586}, pmid = {32436615}, issn = {1469-7580}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Biological Variation, Individual ; Cervical Atlas/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The first cervical vertebra, atlas, and its anatomical variants have been widely studied in Homo sapiens. However, in Neanderthals, the presence of anatomical variants of the atlas has been very little studied until very recently. Only the Neanderthal group from the El Sidrón site (Spain) has been analysed with regard to the anatomical variants of the atlas. A high prevalence of anatomical variants has been described in this sample, which points to low genetic diversity in this Neanderthal group. Even so, the high prevalence of anatomical variations detected in El Sidrón Neanderthal atlases needs to be confirmed by analysing more Neanderthal remains. In this context, we analysed the possible presence of anatomical variants in the three Neanderthal atlases recovered from the Krapina site (Croatia) within the Neanderthal lineage. Two of the three Krapina atlases presented anatomical variations. One atlas (Krapina 98) had an unclosed transverse foramen and the other (Krapina 99) presented a non-fused anterior atlas arch. Moreover, an extended review of the bibliography also showed these anatomical variations in other Middle and Upper Pleistocene hominins, leading us to hypothesise that anatomical variations of the atlas had a higher prevalence in extinct hominins than in modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid32433609, year = {2020}, author = {Hublin, JJ and Sirakov, N and Aldeias, V and Bailey, S and Bard, E and Delvigne, V and Endarova, E and Fagault, Y and Fewlass, H and Hajdinjak, M and Kromer, B and Krumov, I and Marreiros, J and Martisius, NL and Paskulin, L and Sinet-Mathiot, V and Meyer, M and Pääbo, S and Popov, V and Rezek, Z and Sirakova, S and Skinner, MM and Smith, GM and Spasov, R and Talamo, S and Tuna, T and Wacker, L and Welker, F and Wilcke, A and Zahariev, N and McPherron, SP and Tsanova, T}, title = {Initial Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens from Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {581}, number = {7808}, pages = {299-302}, pmid = {32433609}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Asia ; Bone and Bones/metabolism ; Bulgaria ; Caves ; DNA, Ancient/isolation &amp; purification ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Europe ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Human Migration/*history ; Humans ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Tool Use Behavior ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology/metabolism ; }, abstract = {The Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Europe witnessed the replacement and partial absorption of local Neanderthal populations by Homo sapiens populations of African origin[1]. However, this process probably varied across regions and its details remain largely unknown. In particular, the duration of chronological overlap between the two groups is much debated, as are the implications of this overlap for the nature of the biological and cultural interactions between Neanderthals and H. sapiens. Here we report the discovery and direct dating of human remains found in association with Initial Upper Palaeolithic artefacts[2], from excavations at Bacho Kiro Cave (Bulgaria). Morphological analysis of a tooth and mitochondrial DNA from several hominin bone fragments, identified through proteomic screening, assign these finds to H. sapiens and link the expansion of Initial Upper Palaeolithic technologies with the spread of H. sapiens into the mid-latitudes of Eurasia before 45 thousand years ago[3]. The excavations yielded a wealth of bone artefacts, including pendants manufactured from cave bear teeth that are reminiscent of those later produced by the last Neanderthals of western Europe[4-6]. These finds are consistent with models based on the arrival of multiple waves of H. sapiens into Europe coming into contact with declining Neanderthal populations[7,8].}, }
@article {pmid32398823, year = {2020}, author = {Hardy, BL and Moncel, MH and Kerfant, C and Lebon, M and Bellot-Gurlet, L and Mélard, N}, title = {Author Correction: Direct evidence of Neanderthal fibre technology and its cognitive and behavioral implications.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {8167}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-65143-5}, pmid = {32398823}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.}, }
@article {pmid32380300, year = {2020}, author = {Verna, C and Détroit, F and Kupczik, K and Arnaud, J and Balzeau, A and Grimaud-Hervé, D and Bertrand, S and Riou, B and Moncel, MH}, title = {The Middle Pleistocene hominin mandible from Payre (Ardèche, France).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {144}, number = {}, pages = {102775}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102775}, pmid = {32380300}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; France ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Although Neandertals are the best-known fossil hominins, the tempo and evolutionary processes in their lineage are strongly debated. This is in part due to the scarcity of the fossil record, in particular before the marine isotopic stage (MIS) 5. In 2010, a partial hominin mandible was discovered at the Middle Paleolithic site of Payre (France) in a layer that is dated to the end of MIS 8/beginning of MIS 7, a time period for which very few fossils are known in Europe. The Payre 15 mandible retains the complete symphyseal region and right lateral corpus with heavily worn P4, M1, and M2 in situ. Taphonomic modifications in the form of three notches suggest that this individual was chewed by a carnivore. We provide here the first detailed description of this specimen and a comparative analysis that includes morphological features, linear mandibular dimensions, an elliptic Fourier analysis of the symphysis, and a morphometric analysis of the M1 roots (based on segmented CT scan data). Our comparative sample encompasses European Middle and Upper Pleistocene specimens attributed to Homo heidelbergensis and Homo neanderthalensis, Upper Pleistocene Homo sapiens, and Holocene Homo sapiens. The Payre 15 mandible shows a combination of primitive and Neandertal-like features, with a receding symphyseal profile without any element of the mentum osseum, a posterior location of the mental foramen and lateral prominence. Its mandibular body is tall and thick anteriorly. Payre 15 has mesotaurodont M1 roots and a three-rooted M2. By its dimensions and combination of features, Payre 15 aligns better with Middle Pleistocene European hominins than with MIS 6-3 Neandertals. Noteworthy, it falls well within the range of variation of the Sima de los Huesos sample. Our results underscore that the total pattern of Neandertal-derived morphology was not achieved at the beginning of the MIS 7 and suggest a low level of mandibular diachronic changes for the period MIS 11-7.}, }
@article {pmid32371290, year = {2020}, author = {Yeshurun, R and Malkinson, D and Crater Gershtein, KM and Zaidner, Y and Weinstein-Evron, M}, title = {Site occupation dynamics of early modern humans at Misliya Cave (Mount Carmel, Israel): Evidence from the spatial taphonomy of faunal remains.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {143}, number = {}, pages = {102797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102797}, pmid = {32371290}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {*Archaeology ; Caves ; *Feeding Behavior ; *Food Handling ; Fossils ; Humans ; Israel ; }, abstract = {Space use in Middle Paleolithic (MP) camps has been suggested as a source of information on the intensity and repetition of occupations and, by extension, of demographics. In the Levant, clear evidence for differential intrasite use and maintenance was important in viewing the late MP Neanderthal sites as base camps inhabited for a significant duration, relative to the Early MP (EMP). We test this model with the rich faunal assemblage from the EMP (>140 ka) site of Misliya Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel. Excavations in Misliya yielded a large and diverse lithic assemblage, combustion features, and a modern human maxilla, together with a large archaeofaunal assemblage that we use as a spatial marker. We analyzed the distribution of bone items with variable taphonomic properties (anthropogenic, biogenic, and abiotic bone-surface modifications) in a hearth-related context, both by comparing grid squares and point patterns. Both analyses are largely congruent. They indicate repeated and consistent use of the site's space that includes hearth-related consumption activities and peripheral activities further away, albeit with little evidence for site maintenance. Thus, the Misliya results display a mixed signal of clear around-the-fire pattern and differential space use in the EMP that is reminiscent of the much later MP sites in the Levant, but without the more elaborate camp maintenance. More case studies and detailed proxies are needed before we can fine-tune our understanding of camp structure in the Levantine MP and its bearing to site occupation dynamics.}, }
@article {pmid32356723, year = {2020}, author = {Jordan, B}, title = {[Neandertal DNA in Africans].}, journal = {Medecine sciences : M/S}, volume = {36}, number = {4}, pages = {421-423}, doi = {10.1051/medsci/2020055}, pmid = {32356723}, issn = {1958-5381}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; DNA/analysis/*genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genetics, Population ; Genome ; History, 21st Century ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic ; Neanderthals/classification/*genetics ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; }, abstract = {Sophisticated analyses of current human populations compared to a high-coverage Neandertal genome sequence indicate that, contrary to the previous consensus, African genomes carry a small but significant amount of Neandertal-specific DNA. This indicates back-migration into Africa of modern humans (carrying some Neandertal sequences) and underlines the complexity of ancient human migrations.}, }
@article {pmid32330268, year = {2020}, author = {Lodewijk, GA and Fernandes, DP and Vretzakis, I and Savage, JE and Jacobs, FMJ}, title = {Evolution of Human Brain Size-Associated NOTCH2NL Genes Proceeds toward Reduced Protein Levels.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {37}, number = {9}, pages = {2531-2548}, pmid = {32330268}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Genome, Human ; Genomic Structural Variation ; Humans ; Multigene Family ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Receptor, Notch2/*genetics/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Ever since the availability of genomes from Neanderthals, Denisovans, and ancient humans, the field of evolutionary genomics has been searching for protein-coding variants that may hold clues to how our species evolved over the last ∼600,000 years. In this study, we identify such variants in the human-specific NOTCH2NL gene family, which were recently identified as possible contributors to the evolutionary expansion of the human brain. We find evidence for the existence of unique protein-coding NOTCH2NL variants in Neanderthals and Denisovans which could affect their ability to activate Notch signaling. Furthermore, in the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes, we find unusual NOTCH2NL configurations, not found in any of the modern human genomes analyzed. Finally, genetic analysis of archaic and modern humans reveals ongoing adaptive evolution of modern human NOTCH2NL genes, identifying three structural variants acting complementary to drive our genome to produce a lower dosage of NOTCH2NL protein. Because copy-number variations of the 1q21.1 locus, encompassing NOTCH2NL genes, are associated with severe neurological disorders, this seemingly contradicting drive toward low levels of NOTCH2NL protein indicates that the optimal dosage of NOTCH2NL may have not yet been settled in the human population.}, }
@article {pmid32273518, year = {2020}, author = {Hardy, BL and Moncel, MH and Kerfant, C and Lebon, M and Bellot-Gurlet, L and Mélard, N}, title = {Direct evidence of Neanderthal fibre technology and its cognitive and behavioral implications.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {4889}, pmid = {32273518}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Cellulose/analysis ; *Cognition ; *Fossils ; France ; History, Ancient ; Lignin/analysis ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Neanderthals/*psychology ; Soil/chemistry ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Spectrum Analysis, Raman ; Technology/*history ; Textiles/analysis/*history ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals are often considered as less technologically advanced than modern humans. However, we typically only find faunal remains or stone tools at Paleolithic sites. Perishable materials, comprising the vast majority of material culture items, are typically missing. Individual twisted fibres on stone tools from the Abri du Maras led to the hypothesis of Neanderthal string production in the past, but conclusive evidence was lacking. Here we show direct evidence of fibre technology in the form of a 3-ply cord fragment made from inner bark fibres on a stone tool recovered in situ from the same site. Twisted fibres provide the basis for clothing, rope, bags, nets, mats, boats, etc. which, once discovered, would have become an indispensable part of daily life. Understanding and use of twisted fibres implies the use of complex multi-component technology as well as a mathematical understanding of pairs, sets, and numbers. Added to recent evidence of birch bark tar, art, and shell beads, the idea that Neanderthals were cognitively inferior to modern humans is becoming increasingly untenable.}, }
@article {pmid32247528, year = {2021}, author = {Grimaud-Hervé, D and Albessard-Ball, L and Pokhojaev, A and Balzeau, A and Sarig, R and Latimer, B and McDermott, Y and May, H and Hershkovitz, I}, title = {The endocast of the late Middle Paleolithic Manot 1 specimen, Western Galilee, Israel.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {160}, number = {}, pages = {102734}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102734}, pmid = {32247528}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Israel ; *Neanderthals ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Studying endocasts has long allowed anthropologists to examine changes in the external topography and the overall size of the brain throughout the evolutionary history of hominins. The nearly complete calvaria of Manot 1 presents an opportunity to gain insights into the external brain morphology, vascular system, and dimensions of the brain of this late Middle Paleolithic hominin. Detailed size and shape analyses of the Manot 1 endocast indicate a modern Homo sapiens anatomy, despite the presence of some primitive features of the calvaria. Traits considered to be derived endocranial features for H. sapiens are present in Manot 1, including an elongated parietal sagittal chord with an elevated superior part of the hemisphere, a widened posterior part of the frontal lobes, a considerable development of the parietal reliefs such as the supramarginal lobules, and a slight posterior projection of the occipital lobes. These findings, together with data presented in previous studies, rule out the possibility of a direct Neanderthal ancestry for the Manot 1 hominin and instead confirm its affiliation with H. sapiens. The Manot 1 calvaria is more similar to that of later Upper Paleolithic H. sapiens than it is to the earlier Levantine populations of Skhul and Qafzeh. The late Middle Paleolithic date of Manot 1 provides an opportunity to analyze the recent developments in human cerebral morphology and organization.}, }
@article {pmid32234956, year = {2020}, author = {Taskent, O and Lin, YL and Patramanis, I and Pavlidis, P and Gokcumen, O}, title = {Analysis of Haplotypic Variation and Deletion Polymorphisms Point to Multiple Archaic Introgression Events, Including from Altai Neanderthal Lineage.}, journal = {Genetics}, volume = {215}, number = {2}, pages = {497-509}, pmid = {32234956}, issn = {1943-2631}, mesh = {Animals ; *Genetics, Population ; Genome, Human ; *Haplotypes ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; *Phenotype ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Russia ; *Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {The time, extent, and genomic effect of the introgressions from archaic humans into ancestors of extant human populations remain some of the most exciting venues of population genetics research in the past decade. Several studies have shown population-specific signatures of introgression events from Neanderthals, Denisovans, and potentially other unknown hominin populations in different human groups. Moreover, it was shown that these introgression events may have contributed to phenotypic variation in extant humans, with biomedical and evolutionary consequences. In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis of the unusually divergent haplotypes in the Eurasian genomes and show that they can be traced back to multiple introgression events. In parallel, we document hundreds of deletion polymorphisms shared with Neanderthals. A locus-specific analysis of one such shared deletion suggests the existence of a direct introgression event from the Altai Neanderthal lineage into the ancestors of extant East Asian populations. Overall, our study is in agreement with the emergent notion that various Neanderthal populations contributed to extant human genetic variation in a population-specific manner.}, }
@article {pmid32217711, year = {2020}, author = {Will, M}, title = {Neanderthal surf and turf.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {367}, number = {6485}, pages = {1422-1423}, doi = {10.1126/science.abb3568}, pmid = {32217711}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; *Neanderthals ; }, }
@article {pmid32217702, year = {2020}, author = {Zilhão, J and Angelucci, DE and Igreja, MA and Arnold, LJ and Badal, E and Callapez, P and Cardoso, JL and d'Errico, F and Daura, J and Demuro, M and Deschamps, M and Dupont, C and Gabriel, S and Hoffmann, DL and Legoinha, P and Matias, H and Monge Soares, AM and Nabais, M and Portela, P and Queffelec, A and Rodrigues, F and Souto, P}, title = {Last Interglacial Iberian Neandertals as fisher-hunter-gatherers.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {367}, number = {6485}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1126/science.aaz7943}, pmid = {32217702}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animal Shells ; Animals ; Archaeology ; Atlantic Ocean ; Birds ; Caves ; *Diet ; Fishes ; Mammals ; *Neanderthals ; Nuts ; Pinus ; Portugal ; Seafood ; Turtles ; }, abstract = {Marine food-reliant subsistence systems such as those in the African Middle Stone Age (MSA) were not thought to exist in Europe until the much later Mesolithic. Whether this apparent lag reflects taphonomic biases or behavioral distinctions between archaic and modern humans remains much debated. Figueira Brava cave, in the Arrábida range (Portugal), provides an exceptionally well preserved record of Neandertal coastal resource exploitation on a comparable scale to the MSA and dated to ~86 to 106 thousand years ago. The breadth of the subsistence base-pine nuts, marine invertebrates, fish, marine birds and mammals, tortoises, waterfowl, and hoofed game-exceeds that of regional early Holocene sites. Fisher-hunter-gatherer economies are not the preserve of anatomically modern people; by the Last Interglacial, they were in place across the Old World in the appropriate settings.}, }
@article {pmid32193295, year = {2020}, author = {Bergström, A and McCarthy, SA and Hui, R and Almarri, MA and Ayub, Q and Danecek, P and Chen, Y and Felkel, S and Hallast, P and Kamm, J and Blanché, H and Deleuze, JF and Cann, H and Mallick, S and Reich, D and Sandhu, MS and Skoglund, P and Scally, A and Xue, Y and Durbin, R and Tyler-Smith, C}, title = {Insights into human genetic variation and population history from 929 diverse genomes.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {367}, number = {6484}, pages = {}, pmid = {32193295}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {207492/Z/17/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; /ERC_/European Research Council/International ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; 206194/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 098051/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; FC001595/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; /WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; FC001595/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; 207492/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; FC001595/ARC_/Arthritis Research UK/United Kingdom ; FC001595/CRUK_/Cancer Research UK/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Africa ; Americas ; Animals ; Asia ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; *Genetic Variation ; *Genetics, Population ; *Genome, Human ; Haplotypes ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; INDEL Mutation ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Oceania ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Population Density ; Racial Groups/genetics ; *Whole Genome Sequencing ; }, abstract = {Genome sequences from diverse human groups are needed to understand the structure of genetic variation in our species and the history of, and relationships between, different populations. We present 929 high-coverage genome sequences from 54 diverse human populations, 26 of which are physically phased using linked-read sequencing. Analyses of these genomes reveal an excess of previously undocumented common genetic variation private to southern Africa, central Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, but an absence of such variants fixed between major geographical regions. We also find deep and gradual population separations within Africa, contrasting population size histories between hunter-gatherer and agriculturalist groups in the past 10,000 years, and a contrast between single Neanderthal but multiple Denisovan source populations contributing to present-day human populations.}, }
@article {pmid32170098, year = {2020}, author = {Modesto-Mata, M and Dean, MC and Lacruz, RS and Bromage, TG and García-Campos, C and Martínez de Pinillos, M and Martín-Francés, L and Martinón-Torres, M and Carbonell, E and Arsuaga, JL and Bermúdez de Castro, JM}, title = {Short and long period growth markers of enamel formation distinguish European Pleistocene hominins.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {4665}, pmid = {32170098}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Biomarkers ; Dental Enamel/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development/metabolism ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Microscopy, Confocal ; *Osteogenesis ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Characterizing dental development in fossil hominins is important for distinguishing between them and for establishing where and when the slow overall growth and development of modern humans appeared. Dental development of australopiths and early Homo was faster than modern humans. The Atapuerca fossils (Spain) fill a barely known gap in human evolution, spanning ~1.2 to ~0.4 million years (Ma), during which H. sapiens and Neandertal dental growth characteristics may have developed. We report here perikymata counts, perikymata distributions and periodicities of all teeth belonging to the TE9 level of Sima del Elefante, level TD6.2 of Gran Dolina (H. antecessor) and Sima de los Huesos. We found some components of dental growth in the Atapuerca fossils resembled more recent H. sapiens. Mosaic evolution of perikymata counts and distribution generate three distinct clusters: H. antecessor, Sima de los Huesos and H. sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid32163763, year = {2020}, author = {Belcastro, MG and Mariotti, V and Pietrobelli, A and Sorrentino, R and García-Tabernero, A and Estalrrich, A and Rosas, A}, title = {The study of the lower limb entheses in the Neanderthal sample from El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain): How much musculoskeletal variability did Neanderthals accumulate?.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {141}, number = {}, pages = {102746}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102746}, pmid = {32163763}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Lower Extremity/growth &amp; development/*physiology ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal/*growth &amp; development ; *Musculoskeletal Development ; Neanderthals/growth &amp; development/*physiology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Entheses have rarely been systematically studied in the field of human evolution. However, the investigation of their morphological variability (e.g., robusticity) could provide new insight into their evolutionary significance in the European Neanderthal populations. The aim of this work is to study the entheses and joint features of the lower limbs of El Sidrón Neanderthals (Spain; 49 ka), using standardized scoring methods developed on modern samples. Paleobiology, growth, and development of both juveniles and adults from El Sidrón are studied and compared with those of Krapina Neanderthals (Croatia, 130 ka) and extant humans. The morphological patterns of the gluteus maximus and vastus intermedius entheses in El Sidrón, Krapina, and modern humans differ from one another. Both Neanderthal groups show a definite enthesis design for the gluteus maximus, with little intrapopulation variability with respect to modern humans, who are characterized by a wider range of morphological variability. The gluteus maximus enthesis in the El Sidrón sample shows the osseous features of fibrous entheses, as in modern humans, whereas the Krapina sample shows the aspects of fibrocartilaginous ones. The morphology and anatomical pattern of this enthesis has already been established during growth in all three human groups. One of two and three of five adult femurs from El Sidrón and from Krapina, respectively, show the imprint of the vastus intermedius, which is absent among juveniles from those Neanderthal samples and in modern samples. The scant intrapopulation and the high interpopulation variability in the two Neanderthal samples is likely due to a long-term history of small, isolated populations with high levels of inbreeding, who also lived in different ecological conditions. The comparison of different anatomical entheseal patterns (fibrous vs. fibrocartilaginous) in the Neanderthals and modern humans provides additional elements in the discussion of their functional and genetic origin.}, }
@article {pmid32146203, year = {2020}, author = {Rosas, A and Losada Agustina, B and García-Martínez, D and Torres-Tamayo, N and García-Tabernero, A and Pastor, JF and Rasilla, M and Bastir, M}, title = {Analyses of the neandertal patellae from El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain) with implications for the evolution of body form in Homo.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {141}, number = {}, pages = {102738}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102738}, pmid = {32146203}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Patella/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Somatotypes ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The evolution of the body form in Homo and its potential morphological connection to the arrangement of different skeletal systems is of major interest in human evolution. Patella morphology as part of the knee is potentially influenced by body form. Here, we describe for the first time the patellae remains recovered at El Sidrón Neandertal site and analyze them in a comparative evolutionary framework. We aim to clarify whether morphometric features frequently observed in Neandertal and modern human patellae are retained from a primitive anatomical arrangement or whether they represent derived features (apomorphies). For this purpose, we combine analyses of discrete features, classic anthropological measurements, and 3D geometric morphometrics based on generalized Procrustes analysis, mean size and shape comparisons, and principal components analysis. We found a size increment of the patella in hominin evolution, with large species showing a larger patella. Modern humans and Neandertals exhibit overall larger patellae, with maximum values observed in the latter, likely as a consequence of their broader body shape. Also, some Neandertals display a thicker patella, which has been linked to larger quadriceps muscles. However, Neandertals retain a primitive morphology in their patellar articular surfaces, with similar-sized lateral and medial articular facets, leading to a more symmetrical internal face. This feature is inherited from a primitive Homo ancestor and suggests a different configuration of the knee in Neandertals. Conversely, Homo sapiens exhibits an autoapomorphic patellar anatomy with expanded lateral articular facets. We propose that these distinct configurations of the patella within Homo may be a consequence of different body forms rather than specific functional adaptations of the knee. Thus, the slender body form of modern humans may entail a medial reorientation of the tibial tuberosity (patellar ligament), allowing lateral surface expansion. These anatomical evolutionary variations may involve subtle secondary differences in bipedalism within Homo.}, }
@article {pmid32128408, year = {2020}, author = {Rogers, AR and Harris, NS and Achenbach, AA}, title = {Neanderthal-Denisovan ancestors interbred with a distantly related hominin.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {6}, number = {8}, pages = {eaay5483}, pmid = {32128408}, issn = {2375-2548}, mesh = {Animals ; Confidence Intervals ; *Consanguinity ; Gene Flow ; Genetics, Population ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Previous research has shown that modern Eurasians interbred with their Neanderthal and Denisovan predecessors. We show here that hundreds of thousands of years earlier, the ancestors of Neanderthals and Denisovans interbred with their own Eurasian predecessors-members of a "superarchaic" population that separated from other humans about 2 million years ago. The superarchaic population was large, with an effective size between 20 and 50 thousand individuals. We confirm previous findings that (i) Denisovans also interbred with superarchaics, (ii) Neanderthals and Denisovans separated early in the middle Pleistocene, (iii) their ancestors endured a bottleneck of population size, and (iv) the Neanderthal population was large at first but then declined in size. We provide qualified support for the view that (v) Neanderthals interbred with the ancestors of modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid32078934, year = {2020}, author = {Moncel, MH and Ashton, N and Arzarello, M and Fontana, F and Lamotte, A and Scott, B and Muttillo, B and Berruti, G and Nenzioni, G and Tuffreau, A and Peretto, C}, title = {Early Levallois core technology between Marine Isotope Stage 12 and 9 in Western Europe.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {139}, number = {}, pages = {102735}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102735}, pmid = {32078934}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Biological Evolution ; France ; *Hominidae ; Italy ; Neanderthals ; *Technology ; United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {Early Levallois core technology is usually dated in Europe to the end of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 9 and particularly from the beginning of MIS 8 to MIS 6. This technology is considered as one of the markers of the transition from lower to Middle Paleolithic or from Mode 2 to Mode 3. Recent discoveries show that some lithic innovations actually appeared earlier in western Europe, from MIS 12 to MIS 9, contemporaneous with changes in subsistence strategies and the first appearance of early Neanderthal anatomical features. Among these discoveries, there is the iconic Levallois core technology. A selection of well-dated assemblages in the United Kingdom, France, and Italy dated from MIS 12 to 9, which include both cores and flakes with Levallois features, has been described and compared with the aim of characterizing this technology. The conclusion supports the interpretation that several technical features may be attributed to a Levallois technology similar to those observed in younger Middle Paleolithic sites, distinct from the main associated core technologies in each level. Some features in the sample of sites suggest a gradual transformation of existing core technologies. The small evidence of Levallois could indicate occasional local innovations from different technological backgrounds and would explain the diversity of Levallois methods that is observed from MIS 12. The technological roots of Levallois technology in the Middle Pleistocene would suggest a multiregional origin and diffusion in Europe and early evidence of regionalization of local traditions through Europe from MIS 12 to 9. The relationships of Levallois technology with new needs and behaviors are discussed, such as flake preference, functional reasons related to hunting and hafting, an increase in the use of mental templates in European populations, and changes in the structure of hominin groups adapting to climatic and environmental changes.}, }
@article {pmid32062432, year = {2020}, author = {Weissbrod, L and Weinstein-Evron, M}, title = {Climate variability in early expansions of Homo sapiens in light of the new record of micromammals in Misliya Cave, Israel.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {139}, number = {}, pages = {102741}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102741}, pmid = {32062432}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Caves ; *Climate ; Climate Change ; Fossils ; *Human Migration ; Humans ; Israel ; Mammals ; Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {In this study, we provide the first taphonomic and taxonomic descriptions of the micromammals from Misliya Cave, where recently a Homo sapiens hemimaxilla has been reported. This finding significantly extends the time frame for the out-of-Africa presence of anatomically modern humans. It also provides an opportunity to reassess variation in early modern human population responses to climate change in the Levantine sequence. Information on species ranking and diversity estimations (Shannon functions) is obtained from quantitative data across 31 Levantine assemblages and investigated in a broad comparative frame using multivariate analyses. Recent models of human-climate interactions in the late Early-Middle Paleolithic of the southern Levant have drawn heavily on on-site associations of human fossils with remains of micromammals. However, there has been little, if any, attempt to examine the long-term picture of how paleocommunities of micromammals responded qualitatively and quantitatively to climatic oscillations of the region by altering their compositional complexity. Consequently, our understanding is vastly limited in regard to the paleoecosystem functions that linked past precipitation shifts to changes in primary producers and consumers or as to the background climatic conditions that allowed for the development of highly nonanalog ancient communities in the region. Although previous studies argued for a correspondence between alternations in H. sapiens and Neanderthal occupations of the Levant and faunal shifts in key biostratigraphic indicator taxa (such as Euro-Siberian Ellobius versus Saharo-Arabian Mastomys and Arvicanthis), our data indicate the likelihood that early H. sapiens populations (Misliya and Qafzeh hominins) persisted through high amplitudes of paleoecological and climatic oscillations. It is unlikely, given these results, that climate functioned as a significant filter of early modern human persistence and genetic interactions with Neanderthals in the Levant.}, }
@article {pmid34692055, year = {2020}, author = {,  and He, Y and Lou, H and Cui, C and Deng, L and Gao, Y and Zheng, W and Guo, Y and Wang, X and Ning, Z and Li, J and Li, B and Bai, C and ,  and ,  and ,  and ,  and ,  and Liu, S and Wu, T and Xu, S and Qi, X and Su, B}, title = {De novo assembly of a Tibetan genome and identification of novel structural variants associated with high-altitude adaptation.}, journal = {National science review}, volume = {7}, number = {2}, pages = {391-402}, pmid = {34692055}, issn = {2053-714X}, abstract = {Structural variants (SVs) may play important roles in human adaptation to extreme environments such as high altitude but have been under-investigated. Here, combining long-read sequencing with multiple scaffolding techniques, we assembled a high-quality Tibetan genome (ZF1), with a contig N50 length of 24.57 mega-base pairs (Mb) and a scaffold N50 length of 58.80 Mb. The ZF1 assembly filled 80 remaining N-gaps (0.25 Mb in total length) in the reference human genome (GRCh38). Markedly, we detected 17 900 SVs, among which the ZF1-specific SVs are enriched in GTPase activity that is required for activation of the hypoxic pathway. Further population analysis uncovered a 163-bp intronic deletion in the MKL1 gene showing large divergence between highland Tibetans and lowland Han Chinese. This deletion is significantly associated with lower systolic pulmonary arterial pressure, one of the key adaptive physiological traits in Tibetans. Moreover, with the use of the high-quality de novo assembly, we observed a much higher rate of genome-wide archaic hominid (Altai Neanderthal and Denisovan) shared non-reference sequences in ZF1 (1.32%-1.53%) compared to other East Asian genomes (0.70%-0.98%), reflecting a unique genomic composition of Tibetans. One such archaic hominid shared sequence-a 662-bp intronic insertion in the SCUBE2 gene-is enriched and associated with better lung function (the FEV1/FVC ratio) in Tibetans. Collectively, we generated the first high-resolution Tibetan reference genome, and the identified SVs may serve as valuable resources for future evolutionary and medical studies.}, }
@article {pmid32004458, year = {2020}, author = {Chen, L and Wolf, AB and Fu, W and Li, L and Akey, JM}, title = {Identifying and Interpreting Apparent Neanderthal Ancestry in African Individuals.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {180}, number = {4}, pages = {677-687.e16}, doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2020.01.012}, pmid = {32004458}, issn = {1097-4172}, support = {R01 GM110068/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Black People/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Flow ; Human Migration ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Pedigree ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Admixture has played a prominent role in shaping patterns of human genomic variation, including gene flow with now-extinct hominins like Neanderthals and Denisovans. Here, we describe a novel probabilistic method called IBDmix to identify introgressed hominin sequences, which, unlike existing approaches, does not use a modern reference population. We applied IBDmix to 2,504 individuals from geographically diverse populations to identify and analyze Neanderthal sequences segregating in modern humans. Strikingly, we find that African individuals carry a stronger signal of Neanderthal ancestry than previously thought. We show that this can be explained by genuine Neanderthal ancestry due to migrations back to Africa, predominately from ancestral Europeans, and gene flow into Neanderthals from an early dispersing group of humans out of Africa. Our results refine our understanding of Neanderthal ancestry in African and non-African populations and demonstrate that remnants of Neanderthal genomes survive in every modern human population studied to date.}, }
@article {pmid32001636, year = {2020}, author = {Price, M}, title = {Africans, too, carry Neanderthal genetic legacy.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {367}, number = {6477}, pages = {497}, doi = {10.1126/science.367.6477.497}, pmid = {32001636}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Black People/*genetics ; Europe ; Fossils ; *Gene Flow ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid31988114, year = {2020}, author = {Kolobova, KA and Roberts, RG and Chabai, VP and Jacobs, Z and Krajcarz, MT and Shalagina, AV and Krivoshapkin, AI and Li, B and Uthmeier, T and Markin, SV and Morley, MW and O'Gorman, K and Rudaya, NA and Talamo, S and Viola, B and Derevianko, AP}, title = {Archaeological evidence for two separate dispersals of Neanderthals into southern Siberia.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {117}, number = {6}, pages = {2879-2885}, pmid = {31988114}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Caves ; Fossils/history ; History, Ancient ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Siberia ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals were once widespread across Europe and western Asia. They also penetrated into the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia, but the geographical origin of these populations and the timing of their dispersal have remained elusive. Here we describe an archaeological assemblage from Chagyrskaya Cave, situated in the Altai foothills, where around 90,000 Middle Paleolithic artifacts and 74 Neanderthal remains have been recovered from deposits dating to between 59 and 49 thousand years ago (age range at 95.4% probability). Environmental reconstructions suggest that the Chagyrskaya hominins were adapted to the dry steppe and hunted bison. Their distinctive toolkit closely resembles Micoquian assemblages from central and eastern Europe, including the northern Caucasus, more than 3,000 kilometers to the west of Chagyrskaya Cave. At other Altai sites, evidence of earlier Neanderthal populations lacking associated Micoquian-like artifacts implies two or more Neanderthal incursions into this region. We identify eastern Europe as the most probable ancestral source region for the Chagyrskaya toolmakers, supported by DNA results linking the Neanderthal remains with populations in northern Croatia and the northern Caucasus, and providing a rare example of a long-distance, intercontinental population movement associated with a distinctive Paleolithic toolkit.}, }
@article {pmid31975170, year = {2020}, author = {Hubisz, M and Siepel, A}, title = {Inference of Ancestral Recombination Graphs Using ARGweaver.}, journal = {Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)}, volume = {2090}, number = {}, pages = {231-266}, pmid = {31975170}, issn = {1940-6029}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Animals ; Computational Biology/*methods ; Genetics, Population ; Markov Chains ; Models, Genetic ; Mutation ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; *Recombination, Genetic ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {This chapter describes the usage of the program ARGweaver, which estimates the ancestral recombination graph for as many as about 100 genome sequences. The ancestral recombination graph is a detailed description of the coalescence and recombination events that define the relationships among the sampled sequences. This rich description is useful for a wide variety of population genetic analyses. We describe the preparation of data and major considerations for running ARGweaver, as well as the interpretation of results. We then demonstrate an analysis using the DARC (Duffy) gene as an example, and show how ARGweaver can be used to detect signatures of natural selection and Neandertal introgression, as well as to estimate the dates of mutation events. This chapter provides sufficient detail to get a new user up and running with this complex but powerful analysis tool.}, }
@article {pmid31940356, year = {2020}, author = {Villa, P and Soriano, S and Pollarolo, L and Smriglio, C and Gaeta, M and D'Orazio, M and Conforti, J and Tozzi, C}, title = {Neandertals on the beach: Use of marine resources at Grotta dei Moscerini (Latium, Italy).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, pages = {e0226690}, pmid = {31940356}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animal Shells ; Animals ; *Aquatic Organisms ; Archaeology ; Bivalvia/anatomy &amp; histology ; Italy ; *Neanderthals ; Silicates ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {Excavated in 1949, Grotta dei Moscerini, dated MIS 5 to early MIS 4, is one of two Italian Neandertal sites with a large assemblage of retouched shells (n = 171) from 21 layers. The other occurrence is from the broadly contemporaneous layer L of Grotta del Cavallo in southern Italy (n = 126). Eight other Mousterian sites in Italy and one in Greece also have shell tools but in a very small number. The shell tools are made on valves of the smooth clam Callista chione. The general idea that the valves of Callista chione were collected by Neandertals on the beach after the death of the mollusk is incomplete. At Moscerini 23.9% of the specimens were gathered directly from the sea floor as live animals by skin diving Neandertals. Archaeological data from sites in Italy, France and Spain confirm that shell fishing and fresh water fishing was a common activity of Neandertals, as indicated by anatomical studies recently published by E. Trinkaus. Lithic analysis provides data to show the relation between stone tools and shell tools. Several layers contain pumices derived from volcanic eruptions in the Ischia Island or the Campi Flegrei (prior to the Campanian Ignimbrite mega-eruption). Their rounded edges indicate that they were transported by sea currents to the beach at the base of the Moscerini sequence. Their presence in the occupation layers above the beach is discussed. The most plausible hypothesis is that they were collected by Neandertals. Incontrovertible evidence that Neandertals collected pumices is provided by a cave in Liguria. Use of pumices as abraders is well documented in the Upper Paleolithic. We prove that the exploitation of submerged aquatic resources and the collection of pumices common in the Upper Paleolithic were part of Neandertal behavior well before the arrival of modern humans in Western Europe.}, }
@article {pmid31935281, year = {2020}, author = {Gouy, A and Excoffier, L}, title = {Polygenic Patterns of Adaptive Introgression in Modern Humans Are Mainly Shaped by Response to Pathogens.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {37}, number = {5}, pages = {1420-1433}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/msz306}, pmid = {31935281}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological/*genetics ; *Genetic Introgression ; Host-Pathogen Interactions/*genetics ; Humans ; Melanesia ; *Multifactorial Inheritance ; *Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Anatomically modern humans carry many introgressed variants from other hominins in their genomes. Some of them affect their phenotype and can thus be negatively or positively selected. Several individual genes have been proposed to be the subject of adaptive introgression, but the possibility of polygenic adaptive introgression has not been extensively investigated yet. In this study, we analyze archaic introgression maps with refined functional enrichment methods to find signals of polygenic adaptation of introgressed variants. We first apply a method to detect sets of connected genes (subnetworks) within biological pathways that present higher-than-expected levels of archaic introgression. We then introduce and apply a new statistical test to distinguish between epistatic and independent selection in gene sets of present-day humans. We identify several known targets of adaptive introgression, and we show that they belong to larger networks of introgressed genes. After correction for genetic linkage, we find that signals of polygenic adaptation are mostly explained by independent and potentially sequential selection episodes. However, we also find some gene sets where introgressed variants present significant signals of epistatic selection. Our results confirm that archaic introgression has facilitated local adaptation, especially in immunity related and metabolic functions and highlight its involvement in a coordinated response to pathogens out of Africa.}, }
@article {pmid31889305, year = {2020}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and López-Onaindia, D and Sala, N and Balzeau, A and Pantoja-Pérez, A and Arganda-Carreras, I and Arlegi, M and Rios-Garaizar, J and Gómez-Robles, A}, title = {The human remains from Axlor (Dima, Biscay, northern Iberian Peninsula).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {172}, number = {3}, pages = {475-491}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23989}, pmid = {31889305}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Child ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: We provide the description and comparative analysis of all the human fossil remains found at Axlor during the excavations carried out by J. M. de Barandiarán from 1967 to 1974: a cranial vault fragment and seven teeth, five of which likely belonged to the same individual, although two are currently lost. Our goal is to describe in detail all these human remains and discuss both their taxonomic attribution and their stratigraphic context.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We describe external and internal anatomy, and use classic and geometric morphometrics. The teeth from Axlor are compared to Neandertals, Upper Paleolithic, and recent modern humans.<br><br>RESULTS: Two teeth (a left dm[2] , a left di[1]) and the parietal fragment show morphological features consistent with a Neandertal classification, and were found in an undisturbed Mousterian context. The remaining three teeth (plus the two lost ones), initially classified as Neandertals, show morphological features and a general size that are more compatible with their classification as modern humans.<br><br>DISCUSSION: A left parietal fragment (Level VIII) from a single probably adult Neandertal individual was recovered during the old excavations performed by Barandiar&#xe1;n. Additionally, two different Neandertal children lost deciduous teeth during the formations of levels V (left di[1]) and IV (right dm[2]). In addition, a modern human individual is represented by five remains (two currently lost) from a complex stratigraphic setting. Some of the morphological features of these remains suggest that they may represent one of the scarce examples of Upper Paleolithic modern human remains in the northern Iberian Peninsula, which should be confirmed by direct dating.}, }
@article {pmid31809748, year = {2019}, author = {Wall, JD and Ratan, A and Stawiski, E and , }, title = {Identification of African-Specific Admixture between Modern and Archaic Humans.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {105}, number = {6}, pages = {1254-1261}, pmid = {31809748}, issn = {1537-6605}, support = {P30 CA044579/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM115433/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Black People/*genetics ; *Fossils ; Gene Pool ; *Genetics, Population ; *Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Recent work has demonstrated that two archaic human groups (Neanderthals and Denisovans) interbred with modern humans and contributed to the contemporary human gene pool. These findings relied on the availability of high-coverage genomes from both Neanderthals and Denisovans. Here we search for evidence of archaic admixture from a worldwide panel of 1,667 individuals using an approach that does not require the presence of an archaic human reference genome. We find no evidence for archaic admixture in the Andaman Islands, as previously claimed, or on the island of Flores, where Homo floresiensis fossils have been found. However, we do find evidence for at least one archaic admixture event in sub-Saharan Africa, with the strongest signal in Khoesan and Pygmy individuals from Southern and Central Africa. The locations of these putative archaic admixture tracts are weighted against functional regions of the genome, consistent with the long-term effects of purifying selection against introgressed genetic material.}, }
@article {pmid31797875, year = {2019}, author = {Mallol, C and Hernández, C and Mercier, N and Falguères, C and Carrancho, &#xc1; and Cabanes, D and Vidal-Matutano, P and Connolly, R and Pérez, L and Mayor, A and Ben Arous, E and Galván, B}, title = {Fire and brief human occupations in Iberia during MIS 4: Evidence from Abric del Pastor (Alcoy, Spain).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {18281}, pmid = {31797875}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Caves ; *Fires ; *Fossils ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Radiometric Dating ; Spain ; }, abstract = {There is a relatively low amount of Middle Paleolithic sites in Europe dating to MIS 4. Of the few that exist, several of them lack evidence for anthropogenic fire, raising the question of how this period of global cooling may have affected the Neanderthal population. The Iberian Peninsula is a key area to explore this issue, as it has been considered as a glacial refugium during critical periods of the Neanderthal timeline and might therefore yield archaeological contexts in which we can explore possible changes in the behaviour and settlement patterns of Neanderthal groups during MIS 4. Here we report recent data from Abric del Pastor, a small rock shelter in Alcoy (Alicante, Spain) with a stratified deposit containing Middle Palaeolithic remains. We present absolute dates that frame the sequence within MIS 4 and multi-proxy geoarchaeological evidence of in situ anthropogenic fire, including microscopic evidence of in situ combustion residues and thermally altered sediment. We also present archaeostratigraphic evidence of recurrent, functionally diverse, brief human occupation of the rock shelter. Our results suggest that Neanderthals occupied the Central Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula during MIS 4, that these Neanderthals were not undergoing climatic stress and they were habitual fire users.}, }
@article {pmid31797354, year = {2020}, author = {Karban, ME}, title = {Occipital hemi-bun development and shape covariation in a longitudinal extant human growth sample.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {172}, number = {1}, pages = {123-134}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23981}, pmid = {31797354}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Canada ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; United States ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Although the homology of the Neanderthal occipital bun and anatomically modern human "hemi-bun" has long been debated, little is known about the developmental timing and patterning of these two patterns of prominent occipital squama convexity. In this study, occipital hemi-bun ontogeny and cranial shape covariation are assessed in a comparative extant human sample.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two-dimensional geometric morphometric methods were used to investigate hemi-bun development in a longitudinal sample of growth study cephalograms representing extant human subjects predominantly of European ancestry. Subjects were each measured at three distinct age points, ranging from 3.0 to 20.4&#x2009;years, and two-block partial least squares analysis was used to assess patterns of covariation between midsagittal occipital bone morphology and other aspects of craniofacial shape.<br><br>RESULTS: Occipital hemi-bun morphology, when present, was found to develop early in ontogeny, in association with anteroposterior elongation of the frontal and parietal bones. No significant pattern of covariation was found between occipital hemi-bun shape and cranial/basicranial breadth, basicranial length, basicranial angle, or midfacial prognathism.<br><br>DISCUSSION: This study suggests that the occipital hemi-bun, at least in this extant human population, should not be considered an independent trait, as its development is closely linked to shape variation in the frontal and parietal bones. Importantly, these results suggest that occipital hemi-bun morphology is not significantly influenced by basicranial morphology during development, but instead covaries with changes in midsagittal neurocranial vault shape.}, }
@article {pmid31774843, year = {2019}, author = {Vaesen, K and Scherjon, F and Hemerik, L and Verpoorte, A}, title = {Inbreeding, Allee effects and stochasticity might be sufficient to account for Neanderthal extinction.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {11}, pages = {e0225117}, pmid = {31774843}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Extinction, Biological ; Female ; Humans ; *Inbreeding ; Models, Biological ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Stochastic Processes ; }, abstract = {The replacement of Neanderthals by Anatomically Modern Humans has typically been attributed to environmental pressure or a superiority of modern humans with respect to competition for resources. Here we present two independent models that suggest that no such heatedly debated factors might be needed to account for the demise of Neanderthals. Starting from the observation that Neanderthal populations already were small before the arrival of modern humans, the models implement three factors that conservation biology identifies as critical for a small population's persistence, namely inbreeding, Allee effects and stochasticity. Our results indicate that the disappearance of Neanderthals might have resided in the smallness of their population(s) alone: even if they had been identical to modern humans in their cognitive, social and cultural traits, and even in the absence of inter-specific competition, Neanderthals faced a considerable risk of extinction. Furthermore, we suggest that if modern humans contributed to the demise of Neanderthals, that contribution might have had nothing to do with resource competition, but rather with how the incoming populations geographically restructured the resident populations, in a way that reinforced Allee effects, and the effects of inbreeding and stochasticity.}, }
@article {pmid31774826, year = {2019}, author = {Krueger, KL and Willman, JC and Matthews, GJ and Hublin, JJ and Pérez-Pérez, A}, title = {Anterior tooth-use behaviors among early modern humans and Neandertals.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {11}, pages = {e0224573}, pmid = {31774826}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Behavior/*physiology ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Ecosystem ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Incisor/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging/physiology ; Mastication/physiology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Surface Properties ; Tooth Wear/diagnostic imaging/*etiology ; }, abstract = {Early modern humans (EMH) are often touted as behaviorally advanced to Neandertals, with more sophisticated technologies, expanded resource exploitation, and more complex clothing production. However, recent analyses have indicated that Neandertals were more nuanced in their behavioral adaptations, with the production of the Châtelperronian technocomplex, the processing and cooking of plant foods, and differences in behavioral adaptations according to habitat. This study adds to this debate by addressing the behavioral strategies of EMH (n = 30) within the context of non-dietary anterior tooth-use behaviors to glean possible differences between them and their Neandertal (n = 45) counterparts. High-resolution casts of permanent anterior teeth were used to collect microwear textures of fossil and comparative bioarchaeological samples using a Sensofar white-light confocal profiler with a 100x objective lens. Labial surfaces were scanned, totaling a work envelope of 204 x 276 μm for each individual. The microwear textures were examined for post-mortem damage and uploaded to SSFA software packages for surface characterization. Statistical analyses were performed to examine differences in central tendencies and distributions of anisotropy and textural fill volume variables among the EMH sample itself by habitat, location, and time interval, and between the EMH and Neandertal samples by habitat and location. Descriptive statistics for the EMH sample were compared to seven bioarchaeological samples (n = 156) that utilized different tooth-use behaviors to better elucidate specific activities that may have been performed by EMH. Results show no significant differences between the means within the EMH sample by habitat, location, or time interval. Furthermore, there are no significant differences found here between EMH and Neandertals. Comparisons to the bioarchaeological samples suggest both fossil groups participated in clamping and grasping activities. These results indicate that EMH and Neandertals were similar in their non-dietary anterior tooth-use behaviors and provide additional evidence for overlapping behavioral strategies employed by these two hominins.}, }
@article {pmid31765984, year = {2020}, author = {Garralda, MD and Maureille, B and Le Cabec, A and Oxilia, G and Benazzi, S and Skinner, MM and Hublin, JJ and Vandermeersch, B}, title = {The Neanderthal teeth from Marillac (Charente, Southwestern France): Morphology, comparisons and paleobiology.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {138}, number = {}, pages = {102683}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102683}, pmid = {31765984}, issn = {1095-8606}, support = {724046/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; France ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Few European sites have yielded human dental remains safely dated to the end of MIS 4/beginning of MIS 3. One of those sites is Marillac (Southwestern France), a collapsed karstic cave where archeological excavations (1967-1980) conducted by B. Vandermeersch unearthed numerous faunal and human remains, as well as a few Mousterian Quina tools. The Marillac sinkhole was occasionally used by humans to process the carcasses of different prey, but there is no evidence for a residential use of the site, nor have any hearths been found. Rare carnivore bones were also discovered, demonstrating that the sinkhole was seasonally used, not only by Neanderthals, but also by predators across several millennia. The lithostratigraphic units containing the human remains were dated to ∼60 kyr. The fossils consisted of numerous fragments of skulls and jaws, isolated teeth and several post-cranial bones, many of them with traces of perimortem manipulations. For those already published, their morphological characteristics and chronostratigraphic context allowed their attribution to Neanderthals. This paper analyzes sixteen unpublished human teeth (fourteen permanent and two deciduous) by investigating the external morphology and metrical variation with respect to other Neanderthal remains and a sample from modern populations. We also investigate their enamel thickness distribution in 2D and 3D, the enamel-dentine junction morphology (using geometric morphometrics) of one molar and two premolars, the roots and the possible expression of taurodontism, as well as pathologies and developmental defects. The anterior tooth use and paramasticatory activities are also discussed. Morphological and structural alterations were found on several teeth, and interpreted in light of human behavior (tooth-pick) and carnivores' actions (partial digestion). The data are interpreted in the context of the available information for the Eurasian Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid31710710, year = {2020}, author = {Rmoutilová, R and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Brůžek, J and Holliday, T and Ledevin, R and Couture-Veschambre, C and Madelaine, S and Džupa, V and Velemínská, J and Maureille, B}, title = {A case of marked bilateral asymmetry in the sacral alae of the Neandertal specimen Regourdou 1 (Périgord, France).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {171}, number = {2}, pages = {242-259}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23968}, pmid = {31710710}, issn = {1096-8644}, support = {ANR-10-LABX-52//French National Research Agency/International ; 1088217//Agency of Charles University/International ; //Irene Levi Sala CARE Archaeological Foundation/International ; //Leakey Foundation/International ; LEQSF(2015-18)-RD-A-22//Louisiana Board of Regents/International ; PGC2018-093925-B-C33//Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovaci&#xf3;n y Universidades/International ; CGL2015-65387-C3-2-P//Ministerio de Econom&#xed;a y Competitividad/International ; 2016-1R40240-00007349-00007350//R&#xe9;gion Nouvelle Aquitaine/International ; 1044-16//Universidad del Pa&#xed;s Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea/International ; IT1418-19//Eusko Jaurlaritza-Gobierno Vasco/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; France ; Neanderthals/*abnormalities ; Sacrum/*abnormalities ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: A marked asymmetry was previously reported in the sacral alae and S1-L5 facets orientation of the Neandertal individual Regourdou 1. Here, we provide a detailed description and quantification of the morphology and degree of asymmetry of this sacrum.<br><br>MATERIAL AND METHODS: Regourdou 1 was compared to a modern human sample composed of 24 females and 17 males, and to other Neandertal individuals. Both traditional and geometric morphometric analyses were used in order to quantify the degree of sacral asymmetry of Regourdou 1.<br><br>RESULTS: The asymmetry of both sacral alae and facets orientation substantially exceeds directional and absolute asymmetry of the healthy modern sample. Regourdou 1 shows a considerably shorter right ala, which is absolutely and relatively outside of the modern and Neandertal variations.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Regourdou 1 shows marked sacral asymmetry that probably originated in early ontogenetic development. An asymmetric sacrum reflects asymmetric load dissipation and could relate to other morphological abnormalities observed in the skeleton, especially the mild scoliosis of the spine and the asymmetry of the femoral diaphyses. Further investigation is necessary to elucidate the relationship between those morphologies as well as a potential impact on the life of the individual.}, }
@article {pmid31702050, year = {2020}, author = {Gokcumen, O}, title = {Archaic hominin introgression into modern human genomes.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {171 Suppl 70}, number = {}, pages = {60-73}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23951}, pmid = {31702050}, issn = {1096-8644}, support = {1714867//United States National Science Foundation/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/genetics ; *Gene Flow ; *Genetic Introgression ; *Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {Ancient genomes from multiple Neanderthal and the Denisovan individuals, along with DNA sequence data from diverse contemporary human populations strongly support the prevalence of gene flow among different hominins. Recent studies now provide evidence for multiple gene flow events that leave genetic signatures in extant and ancient human populations. These events include older gene flow from an unknown hominin in Africa predating out-of-Africa migrations, and in the last 50,000-100,000 years, multiple gene flow events from Neanderthals into ancestral Eurasian human populations, and at least three distinct introgression events from a lineage close to Denisovans into ancestors of extant Southeast Asian and Oceanic populations. Some of these introgression events may have happened as late as 20,000 years before present and reshaped the way in which we think about human evolution. In this review, I aim to answer anthropologically relevant questions with regard to recent research on ancient hominin introgression in the human lineage. How have genomic data from archaic hominins changed our view of human evolution? Is there any doubt about whether introgression from ancient hominins to the ancestors of present-day humans occurred? What is the current view of human evolutionary history from the genomics perspective? What is the impact of introgression on human phenotypes?}, }
@article {pmid31701003, year = {2019}, author = {Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A and Morales, JI and Cebrià, A and Courtenay, LA and Fernández-Marchena, JL and García-Argudo, G and Marín, J and Saladié, P and Soto, M and Tejero, JM and Fullola, JM}, title = {The Châtelperronian Neanderthals of Cova Foradada (Calafell, Spain) used imperial eagle phalanges for symbolic purposes.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {5}, number = {11}, pages = {eaax1984}, pmid = {31701003}, issn = {2375-2548}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Fossils ; Geography ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Evidence for the symbolic behavior of Neanderthals in the use of personal ornaments is relatively scarce. Among the few ornaments documented, eagle talons, which were presumably used as pendants, are the most frequently recorded. This phenomenon appears concentrated in a specific area of southern Europe during a span of 80 thousand years. Here, we present the analysis of one eagle pedal phalange recovered from the Châtelperronian layer of Foradada Cave (Spain). Our research broadens the known geographical and temporal range of this symbolic behavior, providing the first documentation of its use among the Iberian populations, as well as of its oldest use in the peninsula. The recurrent appearance of large raptor talons throughout the Middle Paleolithic time frame, including their presence among the last Neanderthal populations, raises the question of the survival of some cultural elements of the Middle Paleolithic into the transitional Middle to Upper Paleolithic assemblages and beyond.}, }
@article {pmid31675491, year = {2019}, author = {Kozowyk, PRB and Poulis, JA}, title = {A new experimental methodology for assessing adhesive properties shows that Neandertals used the most suitable material available.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {137}, number = {}, pages = {102664}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102664}, pmid = {31675491}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adhesives/*chemistry ; Animals ; Archaeology/instrumentation/*methods ; Fossils ; Hardness ; *Neanderthals ; Rheology ; Technology ; Thermogravimetry ; }, abstract = {The use of adhesives for hafting stone tools at least 191 ka was a major technological development. Stone tools could be more securely attached to handles, thus improving their efficiency and practicality. To produce functional adhesives required forethought and planning, as well as expertise and knowledge of the resources available in the landscape. This makes adhesives important in discussions about Neandertal and early modern human technological and mental capabilities. However, we currently know very little about how these early adhesive materials behaved under different circumstances, or why certain materials were used and others were not. Here we present the results of controlled laboratory bulk property tests (hardness, rheology and thermogravimetric analysis) on replica Paleolithic adhesives. We conclude that birch tar is more versatile, has better working properties, and is more reusable than pine resin, the most likely alternative material. Neandertals may therefore have invested more time and resources to produce birch tar because it was the best material available, both functionally and economically, throughout the majority of Europe during the Middle to Late Pleistocene. Our results further demonstrate that Neandertals had high levels of technological expertise and knowledge of the natural resources available to them in their environment.}, }
@article {pmid31651929, year = {2019}, author = {Abdelhady, AA and Elewa, AMT and El-Dawy, MH}, title = {The position of Neandertal and Homo erectus within the hominid clade based on craniodental morphology and whole mtDNA genomes.}, journal = {Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen}, volume = {70}, number = {4}, pages = {303-323}, doi = {10.1127/homo/2019/1119}, pmid = {31651929}, issn = {1618-1301}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Female ; *Genome, Mitochondrial/genetics ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/classification/genetics ; Humans ; Male ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/classification/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {To evaluate the taxonomic position of the Neandertal and Homo erectus within the hominid clade, the variation among and within the hominid taxa was assessed based on the craniodental morphology and integrated with molecular analyses of the whole mtDNA genomes. Ordination and clustering of the Procrustes craniodental landmarks have showed a notable shape transformation from the earliest hominid species to the modern humans. Although levels of distinction between the analyzed taxa (Homo, Pan, Gorilla, and Pongo) are generally corresponding to probable expectations based on their taxonomic rank, few exceptions were found. Notably, the craniodental morphology of Homo erectus showed a greater dissimilarity to other Homo species, where it consistently overlapped or grouped with Pan species on all ordination plots and clustering. In addition, the direct link between European humans and Neandertals, which is well-characterized on all of the phylogenetic trees based on maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods, was not outlined in the morphologic-based clustering. Both morphological and molecular distances between Neandertal and modern humans were consistently greater than the distances among modern humans, however, the distances are still smaller than those between any two distinct species (so they are subspecies). The topology of the phylogenetic trees based on the whole mtDNA has shown a minor discrepancy with the results obtained from the craniodental morphologies.}, }
@article {pmid31637998, year = {2019}, author = {Delgobo, M and Mendes, DA and Kozlova, E and Rocha, EL and Rodrigues-Luiz, GF and Mascarin, L and Dias, G and Patrício, DO and Dierckx, T and Bicca, MA and Bretton, G and Tenório de Menezes, YK and Starick, MR and Rovaris, D and Del Moral, J and Mansur, DS and Van Weyenbergh, J and Báfica, A}, title = {An evolutionary recent IFN/IL-6/CEBP axis is linked to monocyte expansion and tuberculosis severity in humans.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {8}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {31637998}, issn = {2050-084X}, support = {G0D6817N//FWO/International ; Global Research Initiative Program TW008276/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; Early Career Scientist 55007412/HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; VLAIO IWT141614//Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek/International ; 23038.010048/2013-27//Coordena&#xe7;&#xe3;o de Aperfei&#xe7;oamento de Pessoal de N&#xed;vel Superior/International ; PQ//Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient&#xed;fico e Tecnol&#xf3;gico/International ; G0D6817N//Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek/International ; 23038.010048/2013-27//CAPES/International ; R01 TW008276/TW/FIC NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Antigens, CD34 ; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins/genetics/*metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Cytokines/genetics/metabolism ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Hydrolases ; Interferons/genetics/*metabolism ; Interleukin-6/genetics/*metabolism ; Macrophages/microbiology ; Monocytes/*metabolism/microbiology ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/*immunology/pathogenicity ; Myeloid Cells/physiology ; Proteomics ; Receptors, Interleukin-6 ; Severity of Illness Index ; Transcriptome ; Tuberculosis/*immunology/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Monocyte counts are increased during human tuberculosis (TB) but it has not been determined whether Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) directly regulates myeloid commitment. We demonstrated that exposure to Mtb directs primary human CD34[+] cells to differentiate into monocytes/macrophages. In vitro myeloid conversion did not require type I or type II IFN signaling. In contrast, Mtb enhanced IL-6 responses by CD34[+] cell cultures and IL-6R neutralization inhibited myeloid differentiation and decreased mycobacterial growth in vitro. Integrated systems biology analysis of transcriptomic, proteomic and genomic data of large data sets of healthy controls and TB patients established the existence of a myeloid IL-6/IL6R/CEBP gene module associated with disease severity. Furthermore, genetic and functional analysis revealed the IL6/IL6R/CEBP gene module has undergone recent evolutionary selection, including Neanderthal introgression and human pathogen adaptation, connected to systemic monocyte counts. These results suggest Mtb co-opts an evolutionary recent IFN-IL6-CEBP feed-forward loop, increasing myeloid differentiation linked to severe TB in humans.}, }
@article {pmid31636186, year = {2019}, author = {Niekus, MJLT and Kozowyk, PRB and Langejans, GHJ and Ngan-Tillard, D and van Keulen, H and van der Plicht, J and Cohen, KM and van Wingerden, W and van Os, B and Smit, BI and Amkreutz, LWSW and Johansen, L and Verbaas, A and Dusseldorp, GL}, title = {Middle Paleolithic complex technology and a Neandertal tar-backed tool from the Dutch North Sea.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {116}, number = {44}, pages = {22081-22087}, pmid = {31636186}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Adhesives ; Animals ; *Archaeology ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Netherlands ; Technology ; *Tool Use Behavior ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {We report the discovery of a 50,000-y-old birch tar-hafted flint tool found off the present-day coastline of The Netherlands. The production of adhesives and multicomponent tools is considered complex technology and has a prominent place in discussions about the evolution of human behavior. This find provides evidence on the technological capabilities of Neandertals and illuminates the currently debated conditions under which these technologies could be maintained. [14]C-accelerator mass spectrometry dating and the geological provenance of the artifact firmly associates it with a host of Middle Paleolithic stone tools and a Neandertal fossil. The find was analyzed using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, X-ray micro-computed tomography, and optical light microscopy. The object is a piece of birch tar, encompassing one-third of a flint flake. This find is from northwestern Europe and complements a small set of well-dated and chemically identified adhesives from Middle Paleolithic/Middle Stone Age contexts. Together with data from experiments and other Middle Paleolithic adhesives, it demonstrates that Neandertals mastered complex adhesive production strategies and composite tool use at the northern edge of their range. Thus, a large population size is not a necessary condition for complex behavior and technology. The mitigation of ecological risk, as demonstrated by the challenging conditions during Marine Isotope Stage 4 and 3, provides a better explanation for the transmission and maintenance of technological complexity.}, }
@article {pmid31629539, year = {2021}, author = {Borgel, S and Latimer, B and McDermott, Y and Sarig, R and Pokhojaev, A and Abulafia, T and Goder-Goldberger, M and Barzilai, O and May, H}, title = {Early Upper Paleolithic human foot bones from Manot Cave, Israel.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {160}, number = {}, pages = {102668}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102668}, pmid = {31629539}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Caves ; Foot Bones ; Fossils ; Humans ; Israel ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {The transition from the Middle Paleolithic to the Upper Paleolithic in the Levant represents a major event in human prehistory with regards to the dispersal of modern human populations. Unfortunately, the scarcity of human remains from this period has hampered our ability to study the anatomy of Upper Paleolithic populations. This study describes and examines pedal bones recovered from the Early Upper Paleolithic period at Manot Cave, Israel, from 2014 to 2017. The Manot Cave foot bones include a partial, left foot skeleton comprising a talus, a calcaneus, a cuboid, a first metatarsal, a second metatarsal, a fifth metatarsal, and a hallucal sesamoid. All these remains were found in the same archaeological unit of the cave and belong to a young adult. Shape and size comparisons with Neanderthals, Anatomically Modern Human and modern human foot bones indicate a modern human morphology. In some characteristics, however, the Manot Cave foot bones display a Neanderthal-like pattern. Notably, the Manot Cave foot is remarkable in its overall gracility. A healed traumatic injury in the second metatarsal (Lisfranc's fracture) is most likely due to a remote impact to the dorsum of the foot. This injury, its subsequent debility, and the individual's apparent recovery suggest that the members of the Manot Cave community had a supportive environment, one with mutual responsibilities among the members.}, }
@article {pmid31621987, year = {2019}, author = {Tryon, CA}, title = {The Middle/Later Stone Age transition and cultural dynamics of late Pleistocene East Africa.}, journal = {Evolutionary anthropology}, volume = {28}, number = {5}, pages = {267-282}, doi = {10.1002/evan.21802}, pmid = {31621987}, issn = {1520-6505}, mesh = {Africa, Eastern ; Animals ; *Archaeology ; *Biological Evolution ; *Cultural Evolution ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Technology/history ; Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {The Middle to Later Stone Age (MSA/LSA) transition is a prominent feature of the African archeological record that began in some places ~30,000-60,000 years ago, historically associated with the origin and/or dispersal of "modern" humans. Unlike the analogous Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in Eurasia and associated Neanderthal extinction, the African MSA/LSA record remains poorly documented, with its potential role in explaining changes in the behavioral diversity and geographic range of Homo sapiens largely unexplored. I review archeological and biogeographic data from East Africa, show regionally diverse pathways to the MSA/LSA transition, and emphasize the need for analytical approaches that document potential ancestor-descendent relationships visible in the archeological record, needed to assess independent invention, population interaction, dispersal, and other potential mechanisms for behavioral change. Diversity within East Africa underscores the need for regional, rather than continental-scale narratives of the later evolutionary history of H. sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid31611012, year = {2021}, author = {Sarig, R and Fornai, C and Pokhojaev, A and May, H and Hans, M and Latimer, B and Barzilai, O and Quam, R and Weber, GW}, title = {The dental remains from the Early Upper Paleolithic of Manot Cave, Israel.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {160}, number = {}, pages = {102648}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102648}, pmid = {31611012}, issn = {1095-8606}, support = {176319/SNSF_/Swiss National Science Foundation/Switzerland ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Caves ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Israel ; *Neanderthals ; Tooth, Deciduous ; }, abstract = {This study presents the dental remains discovered at Manot Cave (MC), Western Galilee, Israel. The cave contains evidence for human occupation during the Early Upper Paleolithic period (46-33 ka) mainly of Early Ahmarian (∼46-42 ka) and Levantine Aurignacian (∼38-34 ka) cultural levels. Six teeth (three deciduous and three permanent) were found at the site, of which four could be thoroughly analyzed. The morphology of the teeth was qualitatively described and analyzed using traditional and geometric morphometric methods. A large comparative sample was used in order to assess the morphological affiliation of the Manot specimens with other Homo groups. The results provided equivocal signals: the upper first premolar (MC-9 P[3]) is probably modern human; the upper deciduous second molar (MC-10 dm[2]) and the upper second permanent molar (MC-8 M[2]) might be modern humans; the lower second deciduous molar (MC-7 dm2) might be Neanderthal. Owing to the small sample size and the almost total lack of distinctive characteristics, our outcome could not supply conclusive evidence to address the question of whether Manot Aurignacian population came from Europe or descended from the local Ahmarian population.}, }
@article {pmid31591491, year = {2019}, author = {Colbran, LL and Gamazon, ER and Zhou, D and Evans, P and Cox, NJ and Capra, JA}, title = {Inferred divergent gene regulation in archaic hominins reveals potential phenotypic differences.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {3}, number = {11}, pages = {1598-1606}, pmid = {31591491}, issn = {2397-334X}, support = {T32 GM080178/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM115836/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH101820/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH113362/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R35 HG010718/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH090937/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM127087/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Genome, Human ; Haplotypes ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Phenotype ; }, abstract = {Sequencing DNA derived from archaic bones has enabled genetic comparison of Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (AMHs), and revealed that they interbred. However, interpreting what genetic differences imply about their phenotypic differences remains challenging. Here, we introduce an approach for identifying divergent gene regulation between archaic hominins, such as Neanderthals, and AMH sequences, and find 766 genes that are likely to have been divergently regulated (DR) by Neanderthal haplotypes that do not remain in AMHs. DR genes include many involved in phenotypes known to differ between Neanderthals and AMHs, such as the structure of the rib cage and supraorbital ridge development. They are also enriched for genes associated with spontaneous abortion, polycystic ovary syndrome, myocardial infarction and melanoma. Phenotypes associated with modern human variation in these genes' regulation in ~23,000 biobank patients further support their involvement in immune and cardiovascular phenotypes. Comparing DR genes between two Neanderthals and a Denisovan revealed divergence in the immune system and in genes associated with skeletal and dental morphology that are consistent with the archaeological record. These results establish differences in gene regulatory architecture between AMHs and archaic hominins, and provide an avenue for exploring phenotypic differences between archaic groups from genomic information alone.}, }
@article {pmid31589589, year = {2019}, author = {Eisová, S and Velemínský, P and Bruner, E}, title = {The Neanderthal endocast from Gánovce (Poprad, Slovak Republic).}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {96}, number = {}, pages = {139-149}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.97005}, pmid = {31589589}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification/physiology ; Paleontology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Slovakia ; }, abstract = {A Neanderthal endocast, naturally formed by travertine within the crater of a thermal spring, was found at Gánovce, near Poprad (Slovakia), in 1926, and dated to 105 ka. The endocast is partially covered by fragments of the braincase. The volume of the endocast was estimated to be 1320 cc. The endocast was first studied by the Czech paleoanthropologist Emanuel Vlček, who performed metric and morphological analyses which suggested its Neanderthal origin. Vlček published his works more than fifty years ago, but the fossil is scarcely known to the general paleoanthropological community, probably because of language barriers. Here, we review the historical and anatomical information available on the endocasts, providing additional paleoneurological assessments on its features. The endocast displays typical Neanderthal traits, and its overall appearance is similar to Guattari 1, mostly because of the pronounced frontal width and occipital bulging. The morphology of the Gánovce specimen suggests once more that the Neanderthal endocranial phenotype had already evolved at 100 ka.}, }
@article {pmid31586143, year = {2019}, author = {Sánchez-Hernández, C and Gourichon, L and Pubert, E and Rendu, W and Montes, R and Rivals, F}, title = {Combined dental wear and cementum analyses in ungulates reveal the seasonality of Neanderthal occupations in Covalejos Cave (Northern Iberia).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {14335}, pmid = {31586143}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Caves ; Dental Cementum/*chemistry/physiopathology ; Feeding Behavior/*physiology ; Fossils ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Population Dynamics ; Seasons ; Tooth Wear/*physiopathology ; }, abstract = {We propose for the first time the use of the combination of two high-resolution techniques, dental wear (meso- and microwear) and dental cementum analyses, to gain a better understanding of Neanderthal subsistence strategies and occupational patterns. Dental wear analysis provides information not only on ungulate palaeodiet and palaeoenvironments but also on hunting time and seasons. Dental cementum analysis allows the accurate determination of the age and season at death of a prey. Our study has focused on the Cantabrian region and has applied both methods to investigate the Mousterian faunal assemblages in Covalejos Cave. Identification of the ungulate palaeodiet reveals information on the environmental conditions of the studied region. Moreover, it may facilitate observation on the evolution of both palaeodiet and palaeoenvironment throughout the site sequence. Results show a general stability in the palaeoenvironmental conditions and in the ungulate palaeodiet throughout the Mousterian sequence; this finding may be attributed to the role of the area as a climate refuge, and slight differences in levels 8, 7 and 4 suggest long- or short-term but repeated Neanderthal occupations at different seasons in the annual cycle.}, }
@article {pmid31569005, year = {2019}, author = {Conde-Valverde, M and Martínez, I and Quam, RM and Bonmatí, A and Lorenzo, C and Velez, AD and Martínez-Calvo, C and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {The cochlea of the Sima de los Huesos hominins (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain): New insights into cochlear evolution in the genus Homo.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {136}, number = {}, pages = {102641}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102641}, pmid = {31569005}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Cochlea/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The cochlea contains taxonomic and phylogenetic information and its morphology is related with hearing abilities among fossil hominins. Data for the genus Homo is presently limited to early Homo and the early Neandertals from Krapina. The present study of the middle Pleistocene hominins from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) provides new evidence on cochlear evolution in the genus Homo. We compared the absolute length, proportional lengths of each turn, number of turns, size and shape of the cross-section of the basal turn, volume, curvature gradient, and thickness of the cochlea between extant Pan troglodytes, extant Homo sapiens, Homo neanderthalensis and the SH hominins. The SH hominins resemble P. troglodytes in the proportionally long basal turn, the small size and round shape of the cross-section of the basal turn, the small cochlear volume and the low cochlear thickness. The SH hominins resemble Neandertals and H. sapiens in their long cochlear length and in the proportionally short third turn. Homo neanderthalensis and H. sapiens share several features, not present in the SH hominins, and that likely represent homoplasies: a larger volume, larger size and oval shape of the cross-section of the basal turn and higher cochlear thickness. Later Neandertals show a derived proportionally shorter apical turn. Changes in cochlear volume in Homo cannot be fully explained by variation in body mass or cochlear length but are more directly related to changes in the cross-sectional area of the basal turn. Based on previous studies of the outer and middle ear in SH hominins, changes in the outer and middle ear preceded changes in the inner ear, and the cochlea and semicircular canals seem to have evolved independently in the Neandertal clade. Finally, the small cochlear volume in the SH hominins suggests a slightly higher upper limit of hearing compared with modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid31560950, year = {2019}, author = {Mata, X and Renaud, G and Mollereau, C}, title = {The repertoire of family A-peptide GPCRs in archaic hominins.}, journal = {Peptides}, volume = {122}, number = {}, pages = {170154}, doi = {10.1016/j.peptides.2019.170154}, pmid = {31560950}, issn = {1873-5169}, mesh = {Animals ; Diabetic Nephropathies/*genetics/pathology ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Obesity/*genetics/pathology ; Peptides/genetics ; Platelet Aggregation/genetics ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/*genetics ; Risk Factors ; }, abstract = {Given the importance of G-protein coupled receptors in the regulation of many physiological functions, deciphering the relationships between genotype and phenotype in past and present hominin GPCRs is of main interest to understand the evolutionary process that contributed to the present-day variability in human traits and health. Here, we carefully examined the publicly available genomic and protein sequence databases of the archaic hominins (Neanderthal and Denisova) to draw up the catalog of coding variations in GPCRs for peptide ligands, in comparison with living humans. We then searched in the literature the functional changes, phenotypes and risk of disease possibly associated with the detected variants. Our survey suggests that Neanderthal and Denisovan hominins were likely prone to lower risk of obesity, to enhanced platelet aggregation in response to thrombin, to better response to infection, to less anxiety and aggressiveness and to favorable sociability. While some archaic variants were likely advantageous in the past, they might be responsible for maladaptive disorders today in the context of modern life and/or specific regional distribution. For example, an archaic haplotype in the neuromedin receptor 2 is susceptible to confer risk of diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetes in present-day Europeans. Paying attention to the pharmacological properties of some of the archaic variants described in this study may be helpful to understand the variability of therapeutic efficacy between individuals or ethnic groups.}, }
@article {pmid31558742, year = {2019}, author = {Morley, MW and Goldberg, P and Uliyanov, VA and Kozlikin, MB and Shunkov, MV and Derevianko, AP and Jacobs, Z and Roberts, RG}, title = {Hominin and animal activities in the microstratigraphic record from Denisova Cave (Altai Mountains, Russia).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {13785}, pmid = {31558742}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Caves ; Cold Climate ; DNA, Ancient/isolation &amp; purification ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Paleontology ; Siberia ; }, abstract = {Denisova Cave in southern Siberia uniquely contains evidence of occupation by a recently discovered group of archaic hominins, the Denisovans, starting from the middle of the Middle Pleistocene. Artefacts, ancient DNA and a range of animal and plant remains have been recovered from the sedimentary deposits, along with a few fragmentary fossils of Denisovans, Neanderthals and a first-generation Neanderthal-Denisovan offspring. The deposits also contain microscopic traces of hominin and animal activities that can provide insights into the use of the cave over the last 300,000 years. Here we report the results of a micromorphological study of intact sediment blocks collected from the Pleistocene deposits in the Main and East Chambers of Denisova Cave. The presence of charcoal attests to the use of fire by hominins, but other evidence of their activities preserved in the microstratigraphic record are few. The ubiquitous occurrence of coprolites, which we attribute primarily to hyenas, indicates that the site was visited for much of its depositional history by cave-dwelling carnivores. Microscopic traces of post-depositional diagenesis, bioturbation and incipient cryoturbation are observed in only a few regions of the deposit examined here. Micromorphology can help identify areas of sedimentary deposit that are most conducive to ancient DNA preservation and could be usefully integrated with DNA analyses of sediments at archaeological sites to illuminate features of their human and environmental history that are invisible to the naked eye.}, }
@article {pmid31539495, year = {2019}, author = {Gokhman, D and Mishol, N and de Manuel, M and de Juan, D and Shuqrun, J and Meshorer, E and Marques-Bonet, T and Rak, Y and Carmel, L}, title = {Reconstructing Denisovan Anatomy Using DNA Methylation Maps.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {179}, number = {1}, pages = {180-192.e10}, doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2019.08.035}, pmid = {31539495}, issn = {1097-4172}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA Methylation/*genetics ; Databases, Genetic ; Extinction, Biological ; Fossils ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; Pan troglodytes/*anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; *Phenotype ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; Skeleton ; Skull ; }, abstract = {Denisovans are an extinct group of humans whose morphology remains unknown. Here, we present a method for reconstructing skeletal morphology using DNA methylation patterns. Our method is based on linking unidirectional methylation changes to loss-of-function phenotypes. We tested performance by reconstructing Neanderthal and chimpanzee skeletal morphologies and obtained >85% precision in identifying divergent traits. We then applied this method to the Denisovan and offer a putative morphological profile. We suggest that Denisovans likely shared with Neanderthals traits such as an elongated face and a wide pelvis. We also identify Denisovan-derived changes, such as an increased dental arch and lateral cranial expansion. Our predictions match the only morphologically informative Denisovan bone to date, as well as the Xuchang skull, which was suggested by some to be a Denisovan. We conclude that DNA methylation can be used to reconstruct anatomical features, including some that do not survive in the fossil record.}, }
@article {pmid31538229, year = {2019}, author = {Hanke, B}, title = {[On the relationship between Neanderthal alleles and cytotoxicity].}, journal = {Der Pathologe}, volume = {40}, number = {6}, pages = {627-628}, pmid = {31538229}, issn = {1432-1963}, mesh = {*Alleles ; Animals ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid31517046, year = {2019}, author = {Bennett, EA and Crevecoeur, I and Viola, B and Derevianko, AP and Shunkov, MV and Grange, T and Maureille, B and Geigl, EM}, title = {Morphology of the Denisovan phalanx closer to modern humans than to Neanderthals.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {5}, number = {9}, pages = {eaaw3950}, pmid = {31517046}, issn = {2375-2548}, mesh = {Animals ; Finger Phalanges/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {A fully sequenced high-quality genome has revealed in 2010 the existence of a human population in Asia, the Denisovans, related to and contemporaneous with Neanderthals. Only five skeletal remains are known from Denisovans, mostly molars; the proximal fragment of a fifth finger phalanx used to generate the genome, however, was too incomplete to yield useful morphological information. Here, we demonstrate through ancient DNA analysis that a distal fragment of a fifth finger phalanx from the Denisova Cave is the larger, missing part of this phalanx. Our morphometric analysis shows that its dimensions and shape are within the variability of Homo sapiens and distinct from the Neanderthal fifth finger phalanges. Thus, unlike Denisovan molars, which display archaic characteristics not found in modern humans, the only morphologically informative Denisovan postcranial bone identified to date is suggested here to be plesiomorphic and shared between Denisovans and modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid31517044, year = {2019}, author = {Raveane, A and Aneli, S and Montinaro, F and Athanasiadis, G and Barlera, S and Birolo, G and Boncoraglio, G and Di Blasio, AM and Di Gaetano, C and Pagani, L and Parolo, S and Paschou, P and Piazza, A and Stamatoyannopoulos, G and Angius, A and Brucato, N and Cucca, F and Hellenthal, G and Mulas, A and Peyret-Guzzon, M and Zoledziewska, M and Baali, A and Bycroft, C and Cherkaoui, M and Chiaroni, J and Di Cristofaro, J and Dina, C and Dugoujon, JM and Galan, P and Giemza, J and Kivisild, T and Mazieres, S and Melhaoui, M and Metspalu, M and Myers, S and Pereira, L and Ricaut, FX and Brisighelli, F and Cardinali, I and Grugni, V and Lancioni, H and Pascali, VL and Torroni, A and Semino, O and Matullo, G and Achilli, A and Olivieri, A and Capelli, C}, title = {Population structure of modern-day Italians reveals patterns of ancient and archaic ancestries in Southern Europe.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {5}, number = {9}, pages = {eaaw3492}, pmid = {31517044}, issn = {2375-2548}, support = {/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *DNA, Ancient ; *Databases, Genetic ; *Genetic Drift ; *Genome, Human ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; History, Ancient ; Human Genetics ; Humans ; Italy ; Neanderthals/genetics ; White People/*genetics ; }, abstract = {European populations display low genetic differentiation as the result of long-term blending of their ancient founding ancestries. However, it is unclear how the combination of ancient ancestries related to early foragers, Neolithic farmers, and Bronze Age nomadic pastoralists can explain the distribution of genetic variation across Europe. Populations in natural crossroads like the Italian peninsula are expected to recapitulate the continental diversity, but have been systematically understudied. Here, we characterize the ancestry profiles of Italian populations using a genome-wide dataset representative of modern and ancient samples from across Italy, Europe, and the rest of the world. Italian genomes capture several ancient signatures, including a non-steppe contribution derived ultimately from the Caucasus. Differences in ancestry composition, as the result of migration and admixture, have generated in Italy the largest degree of population structure detected so far in the continent, as well as shaping the amount of Neanderthal DNA in modern-day populations.}, }
@article {pmid31501334, year = {2019}, author = {Duveau, J and Berillon, G and Verna, C and Laisné, G and Cliquet, D}, title = {The composition of a Neandertal social group revealed by the hominin footprints at Le Rozel (Normandy, France).}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {116}, number = {39}, pages = {19409-19414}, pmid = {31501334}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Foot/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; France ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Sociological Factors ; }, abstract = {Footprints represent a unique snapshot of hominin life. They provide information on the size and composition of groups that differs from osteological and archeological remains, whose contemporaneity is difficult to establish. We report here on the discovery of 257 footprints dated to 80,000 y from the Paleolithic site at Le Rozel (Normandy, France), which represent the largest known Neandertal ichnological assemblage to date. We investigate the size and composition of a track-maker group from this large set by developing a morphometric method based on experimental footprints. Our analyses indicate that the footprints were made by a small group comprising different age classes, from early childhood to adult, with a majority of children. The Le Rozel footprints thus provide direct evidence for the size and composition of a Neandertal social group.}, }
@article {pmid33951886, year = {2019}, author = {Kislev, M and Barkai, R}, title = {Neanderthal and Woolly Mammoth Molecular Resemblance: Genetic Similarities May Underlie Cold Adaptation Suite.}, journal = {Human biology}, volume = {90}, number = {2}, pages = {115-128}, doi = {10.13110/humanbiology.90.2.03}, pmid = {33951886}, issn = {1534-6617}, abstract = {With the ongoing growth of gene-based research in recent decades, examining changes that have taken place in structures over the course of evolution has become increasingly accessible. One intriguing subject at the forefront of evolutionary research is how environmental pressures affect species evolution through epigenetic adaptation. This article presents the available molecular components of adaptation to cold environments in two extinct mammals: the woolly mammoth and the Neanderthal. These two species coexisted in similar geographic and environmental European settings during the Middle and Upper Pleistocene, and both were direct descendants of African ancestors, although both fully evolved and adapted in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene. The authors assessed the degree of resemblance between mammoth and Neanderthal genetic components by reviewing three case studies of relevant gene variants and alleles associated with cold-climate adaptation found in both genomes. Their observations present the likelihood of a molecular resemblance between the suites of cold adaptation traits in the two species.}, }
@article {pmid31472033, year = {2019}, author = {Pagano, AS and Márquez, S and Laitman, JT}, title = {Reconstructing the Neanderthal Eustachian Tube: New Insights on Disease Susceptibility, Fitness Cost, and Extinction.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {302}, number = {12}, pages = {2109-2125}, doi = {10.1002/ar.24248}, pmid = {31472033}, issn = {1932-8494}, support = {1128901//Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences/International ; }, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Cartilage/*pathology ; Child ; Disease Susceptibility ; Ear, Middle/*pathology ; Eustachian Tube/*pathology ; *Extinction, Biological ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Neanderthals ; Otitis Media/*pathology ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals are among the best studied and yet most enigmatic fossil human groups with aspects of their anatomy and functional morphology remaining poorly understood. We present the first anatomical reconstruction of the Neanderthal cartilaginous Eustachian tube (CET), a vital component of the upper respiratory tract and nexus for the middle ear and postnasal airway. The Eustachian (auditory, pharyngotympanic) tube, comprised of a bony and cartilaginous (CET) portion, is integral to normal physiological functions such as middle ear aeration and pressure equilibration. Findings indicate that Neanderthal tubal morphology may have predisposed them to high rates of middle ear disease (otitis media [OM]). In living humans, mechanical CET dysfunction underlies OM in infants and young children, with sequelae including hearing loss, meningitis, and pneumonia. Despite proven linkage of CET malfunction with OM, the role of CET morphology in Neanderthal health and disease remains unstudied. We reconstructed Neanderthal CET morphology, comparing their crania to a modern human growth series. Methods included geometric morphometrics and univariate measures among Procrustes-fitted coordinates. Results showed Neanderthal adults exhibiting primitively tall and narrow nasopharynges with infant-like horizontal CET and choanal orientation. As horizontal CET orientation is associated with increased OM incidence in infants and children until around age six, its appearance in Neanderthal adults strongly indicates persistence of high OM susceptibility at this time. This could have compromised fitness and disease load relative to sympatric modern humans, affecting Neanderthals' ability to compete within their ecological niche, and potentially contributing to their rapid extinction. Anat Rec, 302:2109-2125, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.}, }
@article {pmid31427508, year = {2019}, author = {Schmidt, P and Blessing, M and Rageot, M and Iovita, R and Pfleging, J and Nickel, KG and Righetti, L and Tennie, C}, title = {Birch tar production does not prove Neanderthal behavioral complexity.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {116}, number = {36}, pages = {17707-17711}, pmid = {31427508}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Behavior, Animal/*physiology ; *Betula ; Cognition/*physiology ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Birch tar production by Neanderthals-used for hafting tools-has been interpreted as one of the earliest manifestations of modern cultural behavior. This is because birch tar production per se was assumed to require a cognitively demanding setup, in which birch bark is heated in anaerobic conditions, a setup whose inherent complexity was thought to require modern levels of cognition and cultural transmission. Here we demonstrate that recognizable amounts of birch tar were likely a relatively frequent byproduct of burning birch bark (a natural tinder) under common, i.e., aerobic, conditions. We show that when birch bark burns close to a vertical to subvertical hard surface, such as an adjacent stone, birch tar is naturally deposited and can be easily scraped off the surface. The burning of birch bark near suitable surfaces provides useable quantities of birch tar in a single work session (3 h; including birch bark procurement). Chemical analysis of the resulting tar showed typical markers present in archaeological tar. Mechanical tests verify the tar's suitability for hafting and for hafted tools use. Given that similarly sized stones as in our experiment are frequently found in archaeological contexts associated with Neanderthals, the cognitively undemanding connection between burning birch bark and the production of birch tar would have been readily discoverable multiple times. Thus, the presence of birch tar alone cannot indicate the presence of modern cognition and/or cultural behaviors in Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid31421316, year = {2019}, author = {Zanolli, C and Biglari, F and Mashkour, M and Abdi, K and Monchot, H and Debue, K and Mazurier, A and Bayle, P and Le Luyer, M and Rougier, H and Trinkaus, E and Macchiarelli, R}, title = {A Neanderthal from the Central Western Zagros, Iran. Structural reassessment of the Wezmeh 1 maxillary premolar.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {135}, number = {}, pages = {102643}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102643}, pmid = {31421316}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Bicuspid/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Iran ; Maxilla ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Wezmeh Cave, in the Kermanshah region of Central Western Zagros, Iran, produced a Late Pleistocene faunal assemblage rich in carnivorans along with a human right maxillary premolar, Wezmeh 1, an unerupted tooth from an 8 ± 2 year-old individual. Uranium-series analyses of the fauna by alpha spectrometry provided age estimates between 70 and 11 ka. Crown dimensions place the tooth specimen at the upper limits of Late Pleistocene human ranges of variation. Wezmeh 1 metameric position (most likely a P[3]) remains uncertain and only its surficial morphology has been described so far. Accordingly, we used microfocus X-ray tomography (12.5 μm isotropic voxel size) to reassess the metameric position and taxonomic attribution of this specimen. We investigated its endostructural features and quantified crown tissue proportions. Topographic maps of enamel thickness (ET) distribution were also generated, and semilandmark-based geometric morphometric analyses of the enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) were performed. We compared Wezmeh 1 with unworn/slightly-moderately worn P[3] and P[4] of European Neanderthals, Middle Paleolithic modern humans from Qafzeh, an Upper Paleolithic premolar, and Holocene humans. The results confirm that Wezmeh 1 represents a P[3]. Based on its internal conformation and especially EDJ shape, Wezmeh 1 aligns closely with Neanderthals and is distinct from the fossil and extant modern human pattern of our comparative samples. Wezmeh 1 is thus the first direct evidence of Neanderthal presence on the western margin of the Iranian Plateau.}, }
@article {pmid31412053, year = {2019}, author = {Trinkaus, E and Samsel, M and Villotte, S}, title = {External auditory exostoses among western Eurasian late Middle and Late Pleistocene humans.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {8}, pages = {e0220464}, pmid = {31412053}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; Ear Diseases/*pathology ; Exostoses/*pathology ; Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {External auditory exostoses (EAE) have been noted among the Neandertals and a few other Pleistocene humans, but until recently they have been discussed primary as minor pathological lesions with possible auditory consequences. An assessment of available western Eurasian late Middle and Late Pleistocene human temporal bones with sufficiently preserved auditory canals (n = 77) provides modest levels of EAE among late Middle Pleistocene archaic humans (≈20%) and early modern humans (Middle Paleolithic: ≈25%; Early/Mid Upper Paleolithic: 20.8%; Late Upper Paleolithic: 9.5%). The Neandertals, however, exhibit an exceptionally high level of EAE (56.5%; 47.8% if two anomalous cases are considered normal). The levels of EAE for the early modern humans are well within recent human ranges of variation, frequencies which are low for equatorial inland and high latitude samples but occasionally higher elsewhere. The Early/Mid Upper Paleolithic frequency is nonetheless high for a high latitude sample under interpleniglacial conditions. Given the strong etiological and environmental associations of EAE development with exposure to cold water and/or damp wind chill, the high frequency of EAE among the Neandertals implies frequent aquatic resource exploitation, more frequent than the archeological and stable isotopic evidence for Middle Paleolithic/Neandertal littoral and freshwater resource foraging implies. As such, the Neandertal data parallel a similar pattern evident in eastern Eurasian archaic humans. Yet, factors in addition to cold water/wind exposure may well have contributed to their high EAE frequencies.}, }
@article {pmid31358177, year = {2019}, author = {Richard, M and Falguères, C and Valladas, H and Ghaleb, B and Pons-Branchu, E and Mercier, N and Richter, D and Conard, NJ}, title = {New electron spin resonance (ESR) ages from Geißenklösterle Cave: A chronological study of the Middle and early Upper Paleolithic layers.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {133}, number = {}, pages = {133-145}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.05.014}, pmid = {31358177}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Caves ; Dental Enamel/*chemistry ; *Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ; *Fossils ; Germany ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {Geißenklösterle Cave (Germany) is one of the most important Paleolithic sites in Europe, as it is characterized by human occupation during the Middle and early Upper Paleolithic. Aurignacian layers prior to 37-38 ka cal BP feature both musical and figurative art objects that are linked to the early arrival in Europe of Homo sapiens. Middle Paleolithic layers yielded lithic artifacts attributed to Homo neanderthalensis. Since human occupation at the site is attributed to both Neanderthals and modern humans, chronology is essential to clarify the issues of Neanderthal disappearance, modern human expansion in Europe, and the origin of the Aurignacian in Western Europe. Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating was performed on fossil tooth enamel collected from the Middle Paleolithic layers, which are beyond the radiocarbon dating range, and from the nearly sterile 'transitional' geological horizon (GH) 17 and the lower Aurignacian deposits, to cross-check ESR ages with previous radiocarbon, thermoluminescence and ESR age results. The Middle Paleolithic layers were dated between 94 ± 10 ka (GH 21) and 55 ± 6 ka (GH 18) by ESR on tooth enamel. Mean ages for GH 17, at 46 ± 3 ka, and for the lower Aurignacian layers, at 37 ± 3 ka, are in agreement with previous dating results, thus supporting the reliability of ESR chronology for the base of the sequence where dating comparisons are not possible. These results suggest that Neanderthals occupied the site from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 to the second half of MIS 3 and confirm the antiquity of early Aurignacian deposits. The presence of an almost sterile layer that separates Middle and Upper Paleolithic occupations could be related to the abandonment of the site by Neanderthals, possibly during Heinrich Stadial 5 (ca. 49-47 ka), thus before the arrival of H. sapiens in the area around 42 ka cal BP. These dates for the Middle Paleolithic of the Swabian Jura represent an important contribution to the prehistory of the region, where nearly all of the excavations were conducted decades ago and prior to the development of reliable radiometric dating beyond the range of radiocarbon.}, }
@article {pmid31341308, year = {2019}, author = {El-Showk, S}, title = {Neanderthal clues to brain evolution in humans.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {571}, number = {7766}, pages = {S10-S11}, pmid = {31341308}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; }, }
@article {pmid31336034, year = {2020}, author = {Bräuer, G and Pitsios, T and Säring, D and von Harling, M and Jessen, F and Kroll, A and Groden, C}, title = {Virtual Reconstruction and Comparative Analyses of the Middle Pleistocene Apidima 2 Cranium (Greece).}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {303}, number = {5}, pages = {1374-1392}, doi = {10.1002/ar.24225}, pmid = {31336034}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Greece ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; }, abstract = {The Apidima 2 fossil cranium from South Peloponnese is one of the most important hominin specimens from Southeast Europe. Nevertheless, there has been continuous controversy as to whether it represents a so-called Preneandertal/Homo heidelbergensis such as, for example, the Petralona cranium from Northern Greece or a more derived Neandertal. Recent absolute dating evidence alone cannot clarify the issue because both classifications would be possible during the respective Middle Pleistocene time span. Since only limited data were available on the cranium, there have been repeated claims for the need of a broader comparative study of the hominin. The present article presents a CT-based virtual reconstruction including corrections of postmortem fractures and deformation as well as detailed metrical and morphological analyses of the specimen. Endocranial capacity could be estimated for the first time based on virtual reconstruction. Our multivariate analyses of metric data from the face and vault revealed close affinities to early and later Neandertals, especially showing the derived facial morphometrics. In addition, comparative analyses of Apidima 2 were done for many derived Neandertal features. Here again, a significant number of Neandertal features could be found in the Apidima cranium but no conditions common in Preneandertals. In agreement with a later Middle Pleistocene age Apidima is currently the earliest evidence of a hominin in Europe with such a derived Neandertal facial morphology. The place of Apidima in the complex process of Neandertal evolution as well as its taxonomic classification are discussed as well. Anat Rec, 303:1374-1392, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.}, }
@article {pmid31314755, year = {2019}, author = {Pitarch Martí, A and d'Errico, F and Turq, A and Lebraud, E and Discamps, E and Gravina, B}, title = {Provenance, modification and use of manganese-rich rocks at Le Moustier (Dordogne, France).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {7}, pages = {e0218568}, pmid = {31314755}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; *Fossils ; France ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Manganese ; *Minerals ; *Neanderthals ; Technology/*history ; }, abstract = {The use of colouring materials by Neanderthals has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. Here we present a taphonomic, technological, chemical-mineralogical and functional analysis of fifty-four manganese rich lumps recovered during past and on-going excavations at the lower rockshelter of Le Moustier (Dordogne, France). We compare compositional data for archaeological specimens with the same information for twelve potential geological sources. Morphometric analysis shows that material from Peyrony's excavations before the First World War provides a highly biased picture of the importance of these materials for Mousterian groups. These early excavations almost exclusively recovered large modified pieces, while Mn-rich lumps from the on-going excavations predominantly consist of small pieces, only half of which bear traces of modification. We estimate that at least 168 pieces were not recovered during early work at the site. Neanderthals developed a dedicated technology for processing Mn-rich fragments, which involved a variety of tools and motions. Processing techniques were adapted to the size and density of the raw material, and evidence exists for the successive or alternating use of different techniques. Morphological, textural and chemical differences between geological and archaeological samples suggest that Neanderthals did not collect Mn-rich lumps at the outcrops we sampled. The association and variability in Mn, Ni, As, Ba content, compared to that observed at the sampled outcrops, suggests that either the Le Moustier lumps come from a unique source with a broad variation in composition, associating Mn, Ni, As, Ba, or that they were collected at different sources, characterized either by Mn-Ni-As or Mn-Ba. In the latter case, changes in raw material composition across the stratigraphy support the idea that Neanderthal populations bearing different stone tool technologies collected Mn fragments from different outcrops. Our results favour a use of these materials for multiple utilitarian and symbolic purposes.}, }
@article {pmid31308224, year = {2019}, author = {Bokelmann, L and Hajdinjak, M and Peyrégne, S and Brace, S and Essel, E and de Filippo, C and Glocke, I and Grote, S and Mafessoni, F and Nagel, S and Kelso, J and Prüfer, K and Vernot, B and Barnes, I and Pääbo, S and Meyer, M and Stringer, C}, title = {A genetic analysis of the Gibraltar Neanderthals.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {116}, number = {31}, pages = {15610-15615}, pmid = {31308224}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 100713/Z/12/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *DNA, Ancient ; Gibraltar ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; *Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; }, abstract = {The Forbes' Quarry and Devil's Tower partial crania from Gibraltar are among the first Neanderthal remains ever found. Here, we show that small amounts of ancient DNA are preserved in the petrous bones of the 2 individuals despite unfavorable climatic conditions. However, the endogenous Neanderthal DNA is present among an overwhelming excess of recent human DNA. Using improved DNA library construction methods that enrich for DNA fragments carrying deaminated cytosine residues, we were able to sequence 70 and 0.4 megabase pairs (Mbp) nuclear DNA of the Forbes' Quarry and Devil's Tower specimens, respectively, as well as large parts of the mitochondrial genome of the Forbes' Quarry individual. We confirm that the Forbes' Quarry individual was a female and the Devil's Tower individual a male. We also show that the Forbes' Quarry individual is genetically more similar to the ∼120,000-y-old Neanderthals from Scladina Cave in Belgium (Scladina I-4A) and Hohlenstein-Stadel Cave in Germany, as well as to a ∼60,000- to 70,000-y-old Neanderthal from Russia (Mezmaiskaya 1), than to a ∼49,000-y-old Neanderthal from El Sidrón (El Sidrón 1253) in northern Spain and other younger Neanderthals from Europe and western Asia. This suggests that the Forbes' Quarry fossil predates the latter Neanderthals. The preservation of archaic human DNA in the warm coastal climate of Gibraltar, close to the shores of Africa, raises hopes for the future recovery of archaic human DNA from regions in which climatic conditions are less than optimal for DNA preservation.}, }
@article {pmid31292546, year = {2019}, author = {Harvati, K and Röding, C and Bosman, AM and Karakostis, FA and Grün, R and Stringer, C and Karkanas, P and Thompson, NC and Koutoulidis, V and Moulopoulos, LA and Gorgoulis, VG and Kouloukoussa, M}, title = {Apidima Cave fossils provide earliest evidence of Homo sapiens in Eurasia.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {571}, number = {7766}, pages = {500-504}, pmid = {31292546}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Caves ; *Fossils ; Greece ; Humans ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Principal Component Analysis ; Radiometric Dating ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Two fossilized human crania (Apidima 1 and Apidima 2) from Apidima Cave, southern Greece, were discovered in the late 1970s but have remained enigmatic owing to their incomplete nature, taphonomic distortion and lack of archaeological context and chronology. Here we virtually reconstruct both crania, provide detailed comparative descriptions and analyses, and date them using U-series radiometric methods. Apidima 2 dates to more than 170 thousand years ago and has a Neanderthal-like morphological pattern. By contrast, Apidima 1 dates to more than 210 thousand years ago and presents a mixture of modern human and primitive features. These results suggest that two late Middle Pleistocene human groups were present at this site-an early Homo sapiens population, followed by a Neanderthal population. Our findings support multiple dispersals of early modern humans out of Africa, and highlight the complex demographic processes that characterized Pleistocene human evolution and modern human presence in southeast Europe.}, }
@article {pmid31278514, year = {2019}, author = {Brzozowska, MM and Havula, E and Allen, RB and Cox, MP}, title = {Genetics, adaptation to environmental changes and archaic admixture in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus in Indigenous Australians.}, journal = {Reviews in endocrine &amp; metabolic disorders}, volume = {20}, number = {3}, pages = {321-332}, pmid = {31278514}, issn = {1573-2606}, mesh = {Australia ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/*genetics/*pathology ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Indigenous Peoples ; Obesity/genetics/pathology ; }, abstract = {Indigenous Australians are particularly affected by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) due to both their genetic susceptibility and a range of environmental and lifestyle risk factors. Recent genetic studies link predisposition to some diseases, including T2D, to alleles acquired from archaic hominins, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, which persist in the genomes of modern humans today. Indo-Pacific human populations, including Indigenous Australians, remain extremely underrepresented in genomic research with a paucity of data examining the impact of Denisovan or Neanderthal lineages on human phenotypes in Oceania. The few genetic studies undertaken emphasize the uniqueness and antiquity of Indigenous Australian genomes, with possibly the largest proportion of Denisovan ancestry of any population in the world. In this review, we focus on the potential contributions of ancient genes/pathways to modern human phenotypes, while also highlighting the evolutionary roles of genetic adaptation to dietary and environmental changes associated with an adopted Western lifestyle. We discuss the role of genetic and epigenetic factors in the pathogenesis of T2D in understudied Indigenous Australians, including the potential impact of archaic gene lineages on this disease. Finally, we propose that greater understanding of the underlying genetic predisposition may contribute to the clinical efficacy of diabetes management in Indigenous Australians. We suggest that improved identification of T2D risk variants in Oceania is needed. Such studies promise to clarify how genetic and phenotypic differences vary between populations and, crucially, provide novel targets for personalised medical therapies in currently marginalized groups.}, }
@article {pmid31258332, year = {2019}, author = {Williams, AC and Hill, LJ}, title = {Nicotinamide as Independent Variable for Intelligence, Fertility, and Health: Origin of Human Creative Explosions?.}, journal = {International journal of tryptophan research : IJTR}, volume = {12}, number = {}, pages = {1178646919855944}, pmid = {31258332}, issn = {1178-6469}, abstract = {Meat and nicotinamide acquisition was a defining force during the 2-million-year evolution of the big brains necessary for, anatomically modern, Homo sapiens to survive. Our next move was down the food chain during the Mesolithic 'broad spectrum', then horticultural, followed by the Neolithic agricultural revolutions and progressively lower average 'doses' of nicotinamide. We speculate that a fertility crisis and population bottleneck around 40 000 years ago, at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, was overcome by Homo (but not the Neanderthals) by concerted dietary change plus profertility genes and intense sexual selection culminating in behaviourally modern Homo sapiens. Increased reliance on the 'de novo' synthesis of nicotinamide from tryptophan conditioned the immune system to welcome symbionts, such as TB (that excrete nicotinamide), and to increase tolerance of the foetus and thereby fertility. The trade-offs during the warmer Holocene were physical and mental stunting and more infectious diseases and population booms and busts. Higher nicotinamide exposure could be responsible for recent demographic and epidemiological transitions to lower fertility and higher longevity, but with more degenerative and auto-immune disease.}, }
@article {pmid31242180, year = {2019}, author = {Ekshtain, R and Malinsky-Buller, A and Greenbaum, N and Mitki, N and Stahlschmidt, MC and Shahack-Gross, R and Nir, N and Porat, N and Bar-Yosef Mayer, DE and Yeshurun, R and Been, E and Rak, Y and Agha, N and Brailovsky, L and Krakovsky, M and Spivak, P and Ullman, M and Vered, A and Barzilai, O and Hovers, E}, title = {Persistent Neanderthal occupation of the open-air site of 'Ein Qashish, Israel.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {6}, pages = {e0215668}, pmid = {31242180}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Israel ; Mollusca/anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Over the last two decades, much of the recent efforts dedicated to the Levantine Middle Paleolithic has concentrated on the role of open-air sites in the settlement system in the region. Here focus on the site of 'Ein Qashish as a cases study. Located in present-day northern Israel, the area of this site is estimated to have been >1300 m2, of which ca. 670 were excavated. The site is located at the confluence of the Qishon stream with a small tributary running off the eastern flanks of the Mt. Carmel. At the area of this confluence, water channels and alluvial deposits created a dynamic depositional environment. Four Archaeological Units were identified in a 4.5-m thick stratigraphic sequence were dated by Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) to between-71 and 54 ka, and probably shorter time span-~70-~60 ka. Here we present the diverse material culture remains from the site (lithics, including refitted sequences; modified limestone pieces; molluscs; faunal remains) against their changing paleogeographic backdrop. Skeletal evidence suggests that these remains were associated with Neanderthals. The large-scale repeated accumulation of late Middle Paleolithic remains in the same place on the landscape provides a unique opportunity to address questions of occupation duration and intensity in open-air sites. We find that each occupation was of ephemeral nature, yet presents a range of activities, suggesting that the locale has been used as a generalized residential site rather than specialized task-specific ones. This role of 'Ein Qashish did not change through time, suggesting that during the late Middle Paleolithic settlement system in this part of the southern Levant were stable.}, }
@article {pmid31237235, year = {2019}, author = {Langley, SA and Miga, KH and Karpen, GH and Langley, CH}, title = {Haplotypes spanning centromeric regions reveal persistence of large blocks of archaic DNA.}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {8}, number = {}, pages = {}, pmid = {31237235}, issn = {2050-084X}, support = {R01 GM117420/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM119011/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {*Centromere ; *Chromosomes, Human ; DNA, Satellite/genetics ; *Genetic Variation ; *Haplotypes ; Humans ; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid ; }, abstract = {Despite critical roles in chromosome segregation and disease, the repetitive structure and vast size of centromeres and their surrounding heterochromatic regions impede studies of genomic variation. Here we report the identification of large-scale haplotypes (cenhaps) in humans that span the centromere-proximal regions of all metacentric chromosomes, including the arrays of highly repeated α-satellites on which centromeres form. Cenhaps reveal deep diversity, including entire introgressed Neanderthal centromeres and equally ancient lineages among Africans. These centromere-spanning haplotypes contain variants, including large differences in α-satellite DNA content, which may influence the fidelity and bias of chromosome transmission. The discovery of cenhaps creates new opportunities to investigate their contribution to phenotypic variation, especially in meiosis and mitosis, as well as to more incisively model the unexpectedly rich evolution of these challenging genomic regions.}, }
@article {pmid31203846, year = {2019}, author = {Fiorenza, L and Benazzi, S and Kullmer, O and Zampirolo, G and Mazurier, A and Zanolli, C and Macchiarelli, R}, title = {Dental macrowear and cortical bone distribution of the Neanderthal mandible from Regourdou (Dordogne, Southwestern France).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {132}, number = {}, pages = {174-188}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.05.005}, pmid = {31203846}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Diet ; France ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Mastication ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Tooth wear is an important feature for reconstructing diet, food processing and cultural habits of past human populations. In particular, occlusal wear facets can be extremely useful for detecting information about diet and non-masticatory behaviors. The aim of this study is to reconstruct the diet and cultural behavior of the Neanderthal specimen Regourdou 1 (Dordogne, Southern France) from the analysis of the macrowear pattern, using the occlusal fingerprint analysis method. In addition, we have also examined whether there is any association between the observed dental macrowear and mandibular bone distribution and root dentine thickness. The posterior dentition of Regourdou 1 is characterized by an asymmetric wear pattern, with the right side significantly more worn than the left. In contrast, the left lower P3 shows a more advanced wear than the right premolar, with unusual semicircular enamel wear facets. The results from occlusal fingerprint analysis of this unique pattern suggest tooth-tool uses for daily task activities. Moreover, the left buccal aspect of the mandibular cortical bone is thicker than its right counterpart, and the left P3 has a thicker radicular dentine layer than its antimere. These results show a certain degree of asymmetry in cortical bone topography and dentine tissue that could be associated with the observed dental macrowear pattern. The molar macrowear pattern also suggests that Regourdou 1 had a mixed diet typical of those populations living in temperate deciduous woodlands and Mediterranean habitats, including animal and plant foods. Although this study is limited to one Neanderthal individual, future analyses based on a larger sample may further assist us to better understand the existing relationship between mandibular architecture, occlusal wear and the masticatory apparatus in humans.}, }
@article {pmid31196864, year = {2019}, author = {Haber, M and Jones, AL and Connell, BA and Asan,  and Arciero, E and Yang, H and Thomas, MG and Xue, Y and Tyler-Smith, C}, title = {A Rare Deep-Rooting D0 African Y-Chromosomal Haplogroup and Its Implications for the Expansion of Modern Humans Out of Africa.}, journal = {Genetics}, volume = {212}, number = {4}, pages = {1421-1428}, pmid = {31196864}, issn = {1943-2631}, support = {//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 098051/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Chromosomes, Human, Y/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Haplotypes ; *Human Migration ; Humans ; Male ; Nigeria ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Present-day humans outside Africa descend mainly from a single expansion out ∼50,000-70,000 years ago, but many details of this expansion remain unclear, including the history of the male-specific Y chromosome at this time. Here, we reinvestigate a rare deep-rooting African Y-chromosomal lineage by sequencing the whole genomes of three Nigerian men described in 2003 as carrying haplogroup DE* Y chromosomes, and analyzing them in the context of a calibrated worldwide Y-chromosomal phylogeny. We confirm that these three chromosomes do represent a deep-rooting DE lineage, branching close to the DE bifurcation, but place them on the D branch as an outgroup to all other known D chromosomes, and designate the new lineage D0. We consider three models for the expansion of Y lineages out of Africa ∼50,000-100,000 years ago, incorporating migration back to Africa where necessary to explain present-day Y-lineage distributions. Considering both the Y-chromosomal phylogenetic structure incorporating the D0 lineage, and published evidence for modern humans outside Africa, the most favored model involves an origin of the DE lineage within Africa with D0 and E remaining there, and migration out of the three lineages (C, D, and FT) that now form the vast majority of non-African Y chromosomes. The exit took place 50,300-81,000 years ago (latest date for FT lineage expansion outside Africa - earliest date for the D/D0 lineage split inside Africa), and most likely 50,300-59,400 years ago (considering Neanderthal admixture). This work resolves a long-running debate about Y-chromosomal out-of-Africa/back-to-Africa migrations, and provides insights into the out-of-Africa expansion more generally.}, }
@article {pmid31185865, year = {2019}, author = {Shultz, DR and Montrey, M and Shultz, TR}, title = {Comparing fitness and drift explanations of Neanderthal replacement.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {286}, number = {1904}, pages = {20190907}, pmid = {31185865}, issn = {1471-2954}, mesh = {Animals ; *Genetic Drift ; Humans ; *Models, Theoretical ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Population Density ; Population Dynamics ; Stochastic Processes ; }, abstract = {There is a general consensus among archaeologists that replacement of Neanderthals by anatomically modern humans in Europe occurred around 40-35 ka. However, the causal mechanism for this replacement continues to be debated. Proposed models have featured either fitness advantages in favour of anatomically modern humans or invoked neutral drift under various preconditions. Searching for specific fitness advantages in the archaeological record has proven difficult, as these may be obscured, absent or subject to interpretation. To bridge this gap, we rigorously compare the system-level properties of fitness- and drift-based explanations of Neanderthal replacement. Our stochastic simulations and analytical predictions show that, although both fitness and drift can produce replacement, they present important differences in (i) required initial conditions, (ii) reliability, (iii) time to replacement, and (iv) path to replacement (population histories). These results present useful opportunities for comparison with archaeological and genetic data. We find greater agreement between the available empirical evidence and the system-level properties of replacement by differential fitness, rather than by neutral drift.}, }
@article {pmid31182208, year = {2019}, author = {Demuro, M and Arnold, LJ and Aranburu, A and Sala, N and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {New bracketing luminescence ages constrain the Sima de los Huesos hominin fossils (Atapuerca, Spain) to MIS 12.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {131}, number = {}, pages = {76-95}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.12.003}, pmid = {31182208}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Luminescence ; Paleontology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Recent chronological studies of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) hominin fossil site, Atapuerca, Spain, have established a close minimum age of at least 430 ka for sedimentary material immediately overlying the human remains. However, a firm maximum age limit still needs to be established for the SH fossils in order to better constrain the timing for the onset of Neandertal speciation. In the present study, we address this important chronological gap at SH by providing direct ages for the sediment deposits that host, and immediately underlie, the hominin fossils. Depositional ages were obtained using single-grain thermally-transferred optically stimulated luminescence (TT-OSL), a technique that has yielded reliable 'extended-range' luminescence chronologies at several independently dated Atapuerca sites. Four single-grain TT-OSL depositional ages of 453 ± 56 ka, 437 ± 38 ka, 457 ± 41 ka and 460 ± 39 ka were obtained for the red clay lithostratigraphic units (LU-5 and LU-6) found underlying and encasing the SH hominin bones. A Bayesian age-depth model was constructed using previously published chronologies, as well as the new single-grain TT-OSL ages for LU-5 and LU-6, in order to derive combined age estimates for individual lithostratigraphic units preserved at SH. The combined modeled ranges reveal that the hominin-bearing layer (LU-6) was deposited between 455 ± 17 ka and 440 ± 15 ka (mean lower and upper boundary 68.2% probability range ± 1σ uncertainty, respectively), with a mean age of 448 ± 15 ka. These new bracketing ages suggest that the hominin fossils at SH were most likely deposited within Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 12, enabling more precise temporal constraint on the early evolution of the Neandertal lineage. The SH fossils represent the oldest reliably dated hominin remains displaying Neandertal features across Eurasia. These Neandertal features are first observed in the facial skeleton, including the mandible and teeth, as well as the temporomandibular joint, and appear consistently across the SH collection. Our chronological findings suggest that the appearance of these Neandertal traits may have been associated with the climatic demise of MIS 12 and the ecological changes that occurred in Iberia during this period. Other Middle Pleistocene hominin fossils from Europe dated to MIS 12-11, or later, show different morphological trends, with some lacking Neandertal specializations. The latest SH dating results enable improved temporal correlations with these contrasting hominin records from Europe, and suggest a complex picture for hominin evolution during the Middle Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid31182199, year = {2019}, author = {Radović, P and Lindal, J and Mihailović, D and Roksandic, M}, title = {The first Neanderthal specimen from Serbia: Maxillary first molar from the Late Pleistocene of Pešturina Cave.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {131}, number = {}, pages = {139-151}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.03.018}, pmid = {31182199}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Maxilla ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Serbia ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals were the only human group in Europe throughout the Late Pleistocene until the arrival of modern humans, and while their presence has been confirmed in the surrounding regions, no Neanderthal fossils are known to date from the Central Balkans. Systematic excavations of Pešturina Cave (Serbia) resulted in the discovery of a permanent right M[1] (Pes-3). The specimen was recovered from stratigraphic Layer 4b with an estimated age of 102.4 ± 3.2 ka, associated with Mousterian artifacts. The exceptional state of preservation and minimal wear of the molar enabled a detailed description and comparative analysis of the inner and outer dental structure, including non-metric dental traits and morphometric features of the crown, roots, and dental tissues. The results of this study strongly support the identification of Pes-3 as Neanderthal. Non-metric traits of the occlusal surface of the crown, enamel-dentine junction, and roots are consistent with Neanderthal morphology. The crown shows morphometric features typical for Neanderthal M[1], such as a buccolingually skewed crown shape, internally compressed cusps, and a relatively large hypocone. The specimen also shows Neanderthal-like dental tissue proportions, characterized by relatively thin enamel and large coronal dentine and coronal pulp volumes. The discovery of the Pes-3 molar therefore confirms the presence of Neanderthals in the territory of Serbia and the Central Balkans at the end of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5c.}, }
@article {pmid31164119, year = {2019}, author = {Shebanits, K and Günther, T and Johansson, ACV and Maqbool, K and Feuk, L and Jakobsson, M and Larhammar, D}, title = {Copy number determination of the gene for the human pancreatic polypeptide receptor NPY4R using read depth analysis and droplet digital PCR.}, journal = {BMC biotechnology}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, pages = {31}, pmid = {31164119}, issn = {1472-6750}, mesh = {DNA Copy Number Variations/*genetics ; *Gene Dosage ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Genomics/methods ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods ; Receptors, Neuropeptide Y/*genetics ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Copy number variation (CNV) plays an important role in human genetic diversity and has been associated with multiple complex disorders. Here we investigate a CNV on chromosome 10q11.22 that spans NPY4R, the gene for the appetite-regulating pancreatic polypeptide receptor Y4. This genomic region has been challenging to map due to multiple repeated elements and its precise organization has not yet been resolved. Previous studies using microarrays were interpreted to show that the most common copy number was 2 per genome.<br><br>RESULTS: We have investigated 18 individuals from the 1000 Genomes project using the well-established method of read depth analysis and the new droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) method. We find that the most common copy number for NPY4R is 4. The estimated number of copies ranged from three to seven based on read depth analyses with Control-FREEC and CNVnator, and from four to seven based on ddPCR. We suggest that the difference between our results and those published previously can be explained by methodological differences such as reference gene choice, data normalization and method reliability. Three high-quality archaic human genomes (two Neanderthal and one Denisova) display four copies of the NPY4R gene indicating that a duplication occurred prior to the human-Neanderthal/Denisova split.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that ddPCR is a sensitive and reliable method for CNV determination, that it can be used for read depth calibration in CNV studies based on already available whole-genome sequencing data, and that further investigation of NPY4R copy number variation and its consequences are necessary due to the role of Y4 receptor in food intake regulation.}, }
@article {pmid31163991, year = {2019}, author = {Santander, C and Montinaro, F and Capelli, C}, title = {Searching for archaic contribution in Africa.}, journal = {Annals of human biology}, volume = {46}, number = {2}, pages = {129-139}, doi = {10.1080/03014460.2019.1624823}, pmid = {31163991}, issn = {1464-5033}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Black People/*genetics ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Context: Africa's role in the narrative of human evolution is indisputably emphasised in the emergence of Homo sapiens. However, once humans dispersed beyond Africa, the history of those who stayed remains vastly under-studied, lacking the proper attention the birthplace of both modern and archaic humans deserves. The sequencing of Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes has elucidated evidence of admixture between archaic and modern humans outside of Africa, but has not aided efforts in answering whether archaic admixture happened within Africa. Objectives: This article reviews the state of research for archaic introgression in African populations and discusses recent insights into this topic. Methods: Gathering published sources and recently released preprints, this review reports on the different methods developed for detecting archaic introgression. Particularly it discusses how relevant these are when implemented on African populations and what findings these studies have shown so far. Results: Methods for detecting archaic introgression have been predominantly developed and implemented on non-African populations. Recent preprints present new methods considering African populations. While a number of studies using these methods suggest archaic introgression in Africa, without an African archaic genome to validate these results, such findings remain as putative archaic introgression. Conclusion: In light of the caveats with implementing current archaic introgression detection methods in Africa, we recommend future studies to concentrate on unravelling the complicated demographic history of Africa through means of ancient DNA where possible and through more focused efforts to sequence modern DNA from more representative populations across the African continent.}, }
@article {pmid31155285, year = {2019}, author = {Silvert, M and Quintana-Murci, L and Rotival, M}, title = {Impact and Evolutionary Determinants of Neanderthal Introgression on Transcriptional and Post-Transcriptional Regulation.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {104}, number = {6}, pages = {1241-1250}, pmid = {31155285}, issn = {1537-6605}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological ; Adipogenesis ; Adipose Tissue/metabolism/pathology ; Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Genome, Human ; Genomics ; Humans ; MicroRNAs/genetics ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; *RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional ; Recombination, Genetic ; *Selection, Genetic ; T-Lymphocytes/metabolism/pathology ; *Transcription, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Archaic admixture is increasingly recognized as an important source of diversity in modern humans, and Neanderthal haplotypes cover 1%-3% of the genome of present-day Eurasians. Recent work has shown that archaic introgression has contributed to human phenotypic diversity, mostly through the regulation of gene expression. Yet the mechanisms through which archaic variants alter gene expression and the forces driving the introgression landscape at regulatory regions remain elusive. Here, we explored the impact of archaic introgression on transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. We focused on promoters and enhancers across 127 different tissues as well as on microRNA (miRNA)-mediated regulation. Although miRNAs themselves harbor few archaic variants, we found that some of these variants may have a strong impact on miRNA-mediated gene regulation. Enhancers were by far the regulatory elements most affected by archaic introgression: up to one-third of the tissues we tested presented significant enrichments. Specifically, we found strong enrichments of archaic variants in adipose-related tissues and primary T cells, even after accounting for various genomic and evolutionary confounders such as recombination rate and background selection. Interestingly, we identified signatures of adaptive introgression at enhancers of some key regulators of adipogenesis, raising the interesting hypothesis of a possible adaptation of early Eurasians to colder climates. Collectively, this study sheds new light on the mechanisms through which archaic admixture has impacted gene regulation in Eurasians and, more generally, increases our understanding of the contribution of Neanderthals to the regulation of acquired immunity and adipose homeostasis in modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid31141515, year = {2019}, author = {Degioanni, A and Bonenfant, C and Cabut, S and Condemi, S}, title = {Living on the edge: Was demographic weakness the cause of Neanderthal demise?.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {5}, pages = {e0216742}, pmid = {31141515}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Computer Simulation ; Demography/statistics &amp; numerical data ; Europe ; *Extinction, Biological ; Female ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Biological ; *Neanderthals/classification/genetics ; Population Dynamics/history ; Stochastic Processes ; }, abstract = {The causes of disappearance of the Neanderthals, the only human population living in Europe before the arrival of Homo sapiens, have been debated for decades by the scientific community. Different hypotheses have been advanced to explain this demise, such as cognitive, adaptive and cultural inferiority of Neanderthals. Here, we investigate the disappearance of Neanderthals by examining the extent of demographic changes needed over a period of 10,000 years (yrs) to lead to their extinction. In regard to such fossil populations, we inferred demographic parameters from present day and past hunter-gatherer populations, and from bio-anthropological rules. We used demographic modeling and simulations to identify the set of plausible demographic parameters of the Neanderthal population compatible with the observed dynamics, and to explore the circumstances under which they might have led to the disappearance of Neanderthals. A slight (<4%) but continuous decrease in the fertility rate of younger Neanderthal women could have had a significant impact on these dynamics, and could have precipitated their demise. Our results open the way to non-catastrophic events as plausible explanations for Neanderthal extinction.}, }
@article {pmid31136573, year = {2019}, author = {Durvasula, A and Sankararaman, S}, title = {A statistical model for reference-free inference of archaic local ancestry.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {15}, number = {5}, pages = {e1008175}, pmid = {31136573}, issn = {1553-7404}, support = {R00 GM111744/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM125055/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Genetics, Population/*methods ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Genomics/*methods ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Models, Statistical ; Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {Statistical analyses of genomic data from diverse human populations have demonstrated that archaic hominins, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, interbred or admixed with the ancestors of present-day humans. Central to these analyses are methods for inferring archaic ancestry along the genomes of present-day individuals (archaic local ancestry). Methods for archaic local ancestry inference rely on the availability of reference genomes from the ancestral archaic populations for accurate inference. However, several instances of archaic admixture lack reference archaic genomes, making it difficult to characterize these events. We present a statistical method that combines diverse population genetic summary statistics to infer archaic local ancestry without access to an archaic reference genome. We validate the accuracy and robustness of our method in simulations. When applied to genomes of European individuals, our method recovers segments that are substantially enriched for Neanderthal ancestry, even though our method did not have access to any Neanderthal reference genomes.}, }
@article {pmid31114607, year = {2019}, author = {Liu, C and Everall, I and Pantelis, C and Bousman, C}, title = {Interrogating the Evolutionary Paradox of Schizophrenia: A Novel Framework and Evidence Supporting Recent Negative Selection of Schizophrenia Risk Alleles.}, journal = {Frontiers in genetics}, volume = {10}, number = {}, pages = {389}, pmid = {31114607}, issn = {1664-8021}, abstract = {Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder with a worldwide prevalence of ∼1%. The high heritability and reduced fertility among schizophrenia patients have raised an evolutionary paradox: why has negative selection not eliminated schizophrenia associated alleles during evolution? To address this question, we examined evolutionary markers, known as modern-human-specific (MD) sites and archaic-human-specific sites, using existing genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from 34,241 individuals with schizophrenia and 45,604 healthy controls included in the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC). By testing the distribution of schizophrenia single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with risk and protective effects in the human-specific sites, we observed a negative selection of risk alleles for schizophrenia in modern humans relative to archaic humans (e.g., Neanderthal and Denisovans). Such findings indicate that risk alleles of schizophrenia have been gradually removed from the modern human genome due to negative selection pressure. This novel evidence contributes to our understanding of the genetic origins of schizophrenia.}, }
@article {pmid31113254, year = {2019}, author = {Ham, E and Underdown, SJ and Houldcroft, CJ}, title = {The relative roles of maternal survival and inter-personal violence as selection pressures on the persistence of Neanderthal hypercoagulability alleles in modern Europeans.}, journal = {Annals of human biology}, volume = {46}, number = {2}, pages = {99-108}, doi = {10.1080/03014460.2019.1622038}, pmid = {31113254}, issn = {1464-5033}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Europe ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Longevity/*genetics ; Mothers/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Neanderthals/genetics ; P-Selectin/*genetics/metabolism ; Physical Abuse/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/*genetics ; *Selection, Genetic ; Tanzania ; Thrombophilia/genetics ; White People ; }, abstract = {Background: Simonti et al. reported variation in the frequency of Neanderthal alleles found in modern humans and argued that they may have provided an evolutionary advantage. One such allele is SNP rs3917862, associated with hypercoagulability. rs3917862 can be deleterious, but can also help prevent blood loss. Aim: To investigate two possible selective pressure hypotheses for rs3917862 surviving to higher frequencies: deaths from interpersonal violent trauma and childbirth. Subjects and methods: Mortality data from modern hunter-gatherers models the living conditions and causes of death of humans and Neanderthals at the point of admixture. Results: National census data indicates a positive correlation between the presence of rs3917862 and decreased maternal mortality ratios. When the maternal mortality ratio is modelled using GDP, births attended by skilled assistants and the presence of rs3917862, women are 0.1% more likely to die in childbirth in populations lacking rs3917862. Deaths due to violence show no correlation with rs3917862. Conclusion: These findings challenge the idea that Neanderthal admixture has negatively impacted the overall health of modern humans. Maternal survival may have acted as a selective pressure for the persistence of hypercoagulability alleles in modern Europeans. Understanding the role of hypercoagulability in childbirth, and the role of rs3917862, could help to reduce maternal mortality ratios.}, }
@article {pmid31106274, year = {2019}, author = {Gómez-Robles, A}, title = {Dental evolutionary rates and its implications for the Neanderthal-modern human divergence.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {5}, number = {5}, pages = {eaaw1268}, pmid = {31106274}, issn = {2375-2548}, mesh = {Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; *Biological Evolution ; Computer Simulation ; DNA/analysis ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Phylogeny ; Principal Component Analysis ; Spain ; Tooth/*physiology ; }, abstract = {The origin of Neanderthal and modern human lineages is a matter of intense debate. DNA analyses have generally indicated that both lineages diverged during the middle period of the Middle Pleistocene, an inferred time that has strongly influenced interpretations of the hominin fossil record. This divergence time, however, is not compatible with the anatomical and genetic Neanderthal affinities observed in Middle Pleistocene hominins from Sima de los Huesos (Spain), which are dated to 430 thousand years (ka) ago. Drawing on quantitative analyses of dental evolutionary rates and Bayesian analyses of hominin phylogenetic relationships, I show that any divergence time between Neanderthals and modern humans younger than 800 ka ago would have entailed unexpectedly rapid dental evolution in early Neanderthals from Sima de los Huesos. These results support a pre-800 ka last common ancestor for Neanderthals and modern humans unless hitherto unexplained mechanisms sped up dental evolution in early Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid31095578, year = {2019}, author = {Morales, JI and Cebrià, A and Burguet-Coca, A and Fernández-Marchena, JL and García-Argudo, G and Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A and Soto, M and Talamo, S and Tejero, JM and Vallverdú, J and Fullola, JM}, title = {The Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition occupations from Cova Foradada (Calafell, NE Iberia).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {5}, pages = {e0215832}, pmid = {31095578}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Carnivory ; Caves ; Fossils ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {The Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe covers the last millennia of Neanderthal life together with the appearance and expansion of Modern Human populations. Culturally, it is defined by the Late Middle Paleolithic succession, and by Early Upper Paleolithic complexes like the Châtelperronian (southwestern Europe), the Protoaurignacian, and the Early Aurignacian. Up to now, the southern boundary for the transition has been established as being situated between France and Iberia, in the Cantabrian façade and Pyrenees. According to this, the central and southern territories of Iberia are claimed to have been the refuge of the last Neanderthals for some additional millennia after they were replaced by anatomically Modern Humans on the rest of the continent. In this paper, we present the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition sequence from Cova Foradada (Tarragona), a cave on the Catalan Mediterranean coastline. Archaeological research has documented a stratigraphic sequence containing a succession of very short-term occupations pertaining to the Châtelperronian, Early Aurignacian, and Gravettian. Cova Foradada therefore represents the southernmost Châtelperronian-Early Aurignacian sequence ever documented in Europe, significantly enlarging the territorial distribution of both cultures and providing an important geographical and chronological reference for understanding Neanderthal disappearance and the complete expansion of anatomically Modern Humans.}, }
@article {pmid31048924, year = {2019}, author = {Rhodes, SE and Starkovich, BM and Conard, NJ}, title = {Did climate determine Late Pleistocene settlement dynamics in the Ach Valley, SW Germany?.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {5}, pages = {e0215172}, pmid = {31048924}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Caves ; *Climate ; Ecosystem ; *Fossils ; Germany ; Humans ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/metabolism ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; }, abstract = {The loss of Neanderthal groups across Western and Central Europe during Oxygen Isotope Stage (OIS) 3 has held the attention of archaeologists for decades. The role that climatic change, genetic interbreeding, and interspecies competition played in the extinction of Neanderthal groups is still debated. Hohle Fels is one of several important Middle and Upper Paleolithic sites from the Ach Valley in southwestern Germany which documents the presence of Neanderthals and modern humans in the region. Chronological and stratigraphic records indicate that these two groups occupied the site with little to no overlap or interaction. This provides the opportunity to examine the behavioural variability of Swabian Neanderthal populations without the complication of cross-cultural influence. In this study we contribute a terrestrial paleoenvironmental record derived from the small mammal material from Hohle Fels Cave to the ever-growing archaeological record of this period. By reconstructing the climate and landscape of the Ach Valley during this time we can identify the effect that the OIS 3 environment had on the presence of Neanderthals in the region. Based on indicator taxa and the habitat weighing method, the small mammal record, which includes rodents, insectivores, and bats, from Hohle Fels shows that the earliest Neanderthal occupation took place on a landscape characterized by substantial woodland and forest, rivers and ponds, as well as moist meadows and grasslands. A gradual increase in cold tundra and arctic environments is clear towards the end of the Middle Paleolithic, extending to the end of the early Aurignacian which may correlate with the onset of the Heinrich 4 event (~42,000 kya). Our taphonomic analysis indicates the material was accumulated primarily by opportunistic predators such as the great grey owl, snowy owl, and European eagle owl, and therefore reflects the diversity of landscapes present around the site in the past. Importantly, at the time Neanderthals abandoned the Ach Valley we find no indication for dramatic climatic deterioration. Rather, we find evidence of a gradual cooling of the Swabian landscape which may have pushed Neanderthal groups out of the Ach Valley prior to the arrival of modern human Aurignacian groups.}, }
@article {pmid31034533, year = {2019}, author = {Letsinger, AC and Granados, JZ and Little, SE and Lightfoot, JT}, title = {Alleles associated with physical activity levels are estimated to be older than anatomically modern humans.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {4}, pages = {e0216155}, pmid = {31034533}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {*Alleles ; Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Black People/genetics ; Exercise/*physiology ; Gene Frequency ; Genetics, Population ; Humans ; Mutation/genetics ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; Time Factors ; White People/genetics ; Black or African American ; }, abstract = {The purpose of this study was to determine the estimated mutation age and conservation of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with physical activity (PA) in humans. All human SNPs found to be significantly associated with PA levels in the literature were cross-referenced with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Grand Opportunity Exome Sequencing Project to find estimated African-American (AA) and European-American (EA) mutation age. As a secondary measure of mutation age, SNPs were searched for in Hawk's mutation age prediction database which utilizes linkage equilibrium. To determine conservation among hominids, all SNPs were searched in the University of California, Santa Cruz Genome Browser, which contains Neanderthal and chimpanzee reference genomes. Six of the 104 SNPs associated with PA regulation were exon-located missense variants found in IFNAR2, PPARGC1A, PML, CTBP2, IL5RA, and APOE genes. The remaining 98 SNPs were located in non-protein coding regions. Average AA and EA estimated mutation age of the exon-located SNPs were 478.4 ± 327.5 kya and 542.1 ± 369.4 kya, respectively. There were four selective sweeps (suggestive of strong positive selection) of SNPs in humans when compared to Neanderthal or chimpanzee genomes. Exon-located PA candidate SNPs are older than the hypothesized emergence of anatomically modern humans. However, 95% of PA associated SNPs are found in intron and intergenic location. Across all SNPs, there seems to be a high level of conservation of alleles between humans, Neanderthals, and chimpanzees. However, the presence of four selective sweeps suggests there were selection pressures or drift unique to Homo sapiens that influenced the development of mutations associated with PA regulation.}, }
@article {pmid31025315, year = {2019}, author = {Bosman, AM and Harvati, K}, title = {A virtual assessment of the proposed suprainiac fossa on the early modern European calvaria from Cioclovina, Romania.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {169}, number = {3}, pages = {567-574}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23844}, pmid = {31025315}, issn = {1096-8644}, support = {//German Research Foundation/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Romania ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The calvaria from Cioclovina (Romania) has been argued to possess some traits commonly ascribed to individuals belonging to the Neanderthal lineage, including a suprainiac fossa. However, its supranuchal morphology has only been evaluated with a qualitative analysis of the ectocranial surface. We evaluate whether the morphology of the supranuchal area of this specimen is homologous to the Neanderthal condition.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We described in detail the external morphology, and, using computed tomography, investigated the internal morphology of the Cioclovina supranuchal area. We took measurements of the internal structures and calculated their relative contributions to total cranial vault thickness, which were compared to published data and evaluated with a principal component analysis (PCA).<br><br>RESULTS: The Cioclovina supranuchal region is characterized by superficial resorption present on the outer layer of the external table. Neither the diploic layer nor the external table decrease in relative thickness in the area above inion. In the PCA, Cioclovina falls within the convex hulls of recent modern Homo sapiens.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Our results show that the morphology of the Cioclovina supranuchal region does not correspond to the external and internal morphology of the typical Neanderthal suprainiac fossa. It cannot be characterized as a depression but rather as an area presenting superficial bone turnover. Together with earlier results, there is little phenotypic evidence that Cioclovina has high levels of Neanderthal ancestry. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of this quantitative method in assessing proposed Neanderthal-like suprainiac depressions in Upper Paleolithic and other fossil specimens.}, }
@article {pmid31017917, year = {2019}, author = {Leierer, L and Jambrina-Enríquez, M and Herrera-Herrera, AV and Connolly, R and Hernández, CM and Galván, B and Mallol, C}, title = {Insights into the timing, intensity and natural setting of Neanderthal occupation from the geoarchaeological study of combustion structures: A micromorphological and biomarker investigation of El Salt, unit Xb, Alcoy, Spain.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {4}, pages = {e0214955}, pmid = {31017917}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; *Fossils ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Middle Paleolithic lithic and faunal assemblages throughout Eurasia reflect short-term Neanderthal occupations, which suggest high group mobility. However, the timing of these short-term occupations, a key factor to assess group mobility and territorial range, remains unresolved. Anthropogenic combustion structures are prominent in the Middle Paleolithic record and conceal information on the timing and intensity and natural setting of their associated human occupations. This paper examines a concentration of eleven combustion structures from unit Xb of El Salt, a Middle Paleolithic site in Spain through a geoarchaeological approach, in search of temporal, human impact and paleoenvironmental indicators to assess the timing, intensity and natural setting of the associated human occupations. The study was conducted using micromorphology, lipid biomarker analysis and compound specific isotope analysis. Results show in situ hearths built on different diachronic topsoils rich in herbivore excrements and angiosperm plant residues with rare anthropogenic remains. These data are suggestive of low impact, short-term human occupations separated by relatively long periods of time, with possible indicators of seasonality. Results also show an absence of conifer biomarkers in the mentioned topsoils and presence of conifer charcoal among the fuel residues (ash), indicating that fire wood was brought to the site from elsewhere. A microscopic and molecular approach in the study of combustion structures allows us to narrow down the timescale of archaeological analysis and contributes valuable information towards an understanding of Neanderthal group mobility and settlement patterns.}, }
@article {pmid30981557, year = {2019}, author = {Jacobs, GS and Hudjashov, G and Saag, L and Kusuma, P and Darusallam, CC and Lawson, DJ and Mondal, M and Pagani, L and Ricaut, FX and Stoneking, M and Metspalu, M and Sudoyo, H and Lansing, JS and Cox, MP}, title = {Multiple Deeply Divergent Denisovan Ancestries in Papuans.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {177}, number = {4}, pages = {1010-1021.e32}, doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2019.02.035}, pmid = {30981557}, issn = {1097-4172}, mesh = {Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Biological Evolution ; Gene Flow ; Genetic Introgression/*genetics ; Genetic Variation/genetics ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Haplotypes/*genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Oceania ; }, abstract = {Genome sequences are known for two archaic hominins-Neanderthals and Denisovans-which interbred with anatomically modern humans as they dispersed out of Africa. We identified high-confidence archaic haplotypes in 161 new genomes spanning 14 island groups in Island Southeast Asia and New Guinea and found large stretches of DNA that are inconsistent with a single introgressing Denisovan origin. Instead, modern Papuans carry hundreds of gene variants from two deeply divergent Denisovan lineages that separated over 350 thousand years ago. Spatial and temporal structure among these lineages suggest that introgression from one of these Denisovan groups predominantly took place east of the Wallace line and continued until near the end of the Pleistocene. A third Denisovan lineage occurs in modern East Asians. This regional mosaic suggests considerable complexity in archaic contact, with modern humans interbreeding with multiple Denisovan groups that were geographically isolated from each other over deep evolutionary time.}, }
@article {pmid30975994, year = {2019}, author = {Rotival, M and Quach, H and Quintana-Murci, L}, title = {Defining the genetic and evolutionary architecture of alternative splicing in response to infection.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {1671}, pmid = {30975994}, issn = {2041-1723}, mesh = {Alternative Splicing/*immunology ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Black People/genetics ; Genetic Variation/immunology ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Immunity/*genetics ; Infections/*immunology ; Male ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Protein Isoforms/genetics/immunology ; Quantitative Trait Loci/immunology ; Selection, Genetic/*immunology ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Transcriptome/*immunology ; White People/genetics ; Exome Sequencing ; }, abstract = {Host and environmental factors contribute to variation in human immune responses, yet the genetic and evolutionary drivers of alternative splicing in response to infection remain largely uncharacterised. Leveraging 970 RNA-sequencing profiles of resting and stimulated monocytes from 200 individuals of African- and European-descent, we show that immune activation elicits a marked remodelling of the isoform repertoire, while increasing the levels of erroneous splicing. We identify 1,464 loci associated with variation in isoform usage (sQTLs), 9% of them being stimulation-specific, which are enriched in disease-related loci. Furthermore, we detect a longstanding increased plasticity of immune gene splicing, and show that positive selection and Neanderthal introgression have both contributed to diversify the splicing landscape of human populations. Together, these findings suggest that differential isoform usage has been an important substrate of innovation in the long-term evolution of immune responses and a more recent vehicle of population local adaptation.}, }
@article {pmid30943255, year = {2019}, author = {Moncel, MH and Fernandes, P and Willmes, M and James, H and Grün, R}, title = {Rocks, teeth, and tools: New insights into early Neanderthal mobility strategies in South-Eastern France from lithic reconstructions and strontium isotope analysis.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {4}, pages = {e0214925}, pmid = {30943255}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; *Climate ; *Fossils ; France ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/metabolism ; Strontium Isotopes/*analysis ; *Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals had complex land use patterns, adapting to diversified landscapes and climates. Over the past decade, considerable progress has been made in reconstructing the chronology, land use and subsistence patterns, and occupation types of sites in the Rhône Valley, southeast France. In this study, Neanderthal mobility at the site of Payre is investigated by combining information from lithic procurement analysis ("chaîne evolutive" and "chaîne opératoire" concepts) and strontium isotope analysis of teeth (childhood foraging area), from two units (F and G). Both units date to the transition from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 8 to MIS 7, and show similar environmental conditions, but represent contrasting occupation durations. Level Gb (unit G) represents a long-term year-round use, in contrast to short-term seasonal use of the cave in level Fb (unit F). For both levels, lithic material and food were generally collected from a local to semi-local region. However, in level Gb, lithic materials were mainly collected from colluviums and food collected in the valley, whereas in level Fb, lithic procurement focused primarily on alluvial deposits and food was collected from higher elevation plateaus. These procurement or exchange patterns might be related to flint availability, knapping advantages of alluvial flint or occupation duration. The site of Payre is located in a flint rich circulation corridor and the movement of groups or exchanges between groups were organized along a north-south axis on the plateaus or towards the east following the river. The ridges were widely used as they are rich in flint, whereas the Rhône Valley is not an important source of lithic raw materials. Compared to other western European Middle Palaeolithic sites, these results indicate that procurement strategies have a moderate link with occupation types and duration, and with lithic technology. The Sr isotope ratios broadly match the proposed foraging areas, with the Rhône Valley being predominantly used in unit G and the ridges and limestone plateaus in unit F. While lithic reconstructions and childhood foraging are not directly related this suggests that the three analysed Neanderthals spend their childhood in the same general area and supports the idea of mobile Neanderthals in the Rhône Valley and neighbouring higher elevation plateaus. The combination of reconstructing lithic raw material sources, provisioning strategies, and strontium isotope analyses provides new details on how Neanderthals at Payre practised land use and mobility in the Early Middle Palaeolithic.}, }
@article {pmid30942856, year = {2019}, author = {Harris, DN and Ruczinski, I and Yanek, LR and Becker, LC and Becker, DM and Guio, H and Cui, T and Chilton, FH and Mathias, RA and O'Connor, TD}, title = {Evolution of Hominin Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Metabolism: From Africa to the New World.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {11}, number = {5}, pages = {1417-1430}, pmid = {30942856}, issn = {1759-6653}, support = {R01 AT008621/AT/NCCIH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HL087698/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HL112064/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HL072518/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Fatty Acid Desaturases/*genetics/metabolism ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/*metabolism ; Hominidae/*genetics/metabolism ; Humans ; Indians, North American/genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; Siberia ; }, abstract = {The metabolic conversion of dietary omega-3 and omega-6 18 carbon (18C) to long chain (>20 carbon) polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) is vital for human life. The rate-limiting steps of this process are catalyzed by fatty acid desaturase (FADS) 1 and 2. Therefore, understanding the evolutionary history of the FADS genes is essential to our understanding of hominin evolution. The FADS genes have two haplogroups, ancestral and derived, with the derived haplogroup being associated with more efficient LC-PUFA biosynthesis than the ancestral haplogroup. In addition, there is a complex global distribution of these haplogroups that is suggestive of Neanderthal introgression. We confirm that Native American ancestry is nearly fixed for the ancestral haplogroup, and replicate a positive selection signal in Native Americans. This positive selection potentially continued after the founding of the Americas, although simulations suggest that the timing is dependent on the allele frequency of the ancestral Beringian population. We also find that the Neanderthal FADS haplotype is more closely related to the derived haplogroup and the Denisovan clusters closer to the ancestral haplogroup. Furthermore, the derived haplogroup has a time to the most recent common ancestor of 688,474 years before present. These results support an ancient polymorphism, as opposed to Neanderthal introgression, forming in the FADS region during the Pleistocene with possibly differential selection pressures on both haplogroups. The near fixation of the ancestral haplogroup in Native American ancestry calls for future studies to explore the potential health risk of associated low LC-PUFA levels in these populations.}, }
@article {pmid30904042, year = {2019}, author = {Poza-Rey, EM and Gómez-Robles, A and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Brain size and organization in the Middle Pleistocene hominins from Sima de los Huesos. Inferences from endocranial variation.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {129}, number = {}, pages = {67-90}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.01.006}, pmid = {30904042}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Brain/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Organ Size ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The Sima de los Huesos (SH) endocranial sample includes 16 complete or partial endocasts corresponding to European Middle Pleistocene hominins. Different anatomical and molecular studies have demonstrated that these hominins are phylogenetically related to Neanderthals, thus making them the earliest unquestionable representatives of the Neanderthal lineage. The description of endocranial variation in this population is fundamental to shedding light on the evolution of the Neanderthal brain. In this contribution, we analyze and describe endocranial variation in this sample, including aspects related to brain size (endocranial volume and encephalization) and brain organization (through qualitative descriptions and quantitative analyses). Our results indicate that the SH hominins show a transitional state between a primitive hominin endocranial configuration (which is found in Homo erectus and non-SH Middle Pleistocene Homo) and the derived configurations found in Neanderthals and modern humans, without a clear anticipation of classic Neanderthal endocranial traits. In comparison with other cranial and postcranial traits that show a fully Neanderthal or clear pre-Neanderthal condition in the SH collection, endocranial variation in these hominins is surprisingly primitive and shows no Neanderthal affinity. These results and the comparison with other cranial traits confirm that Neanderthals evolved in a mosaic fashion. Traits related to mastication (dental, facial and mandibular anatomy) led the Neanderthalization process, whereas neurocranial anatomy must have acquired a fully Neanderthal condition considerably later.}, }
@article {pmid30889271, year = {2019}, author = {Vyas, DN and Mulligan, CJ}, title = {Analyses of Neanderthal introgression suggest that Levantine and southern Arabian populations have a shared population history.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {169}, number = {2}, pages = {227-239}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23818}, pmid = {30889271}, issn = {1096-8644}, support = {BCS-1258965//National Science Foundation/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Arabia ; Gene Flow/genetics ; Gene Frequency/genetics ; *Genetics, Population ; History, Ancient ; Human Migration/*history ; Humans ; Middle East ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Modern humans are thought to have interbred with Neanderthals in the Near East soon after modern humans dispersed out of Africa. This introgression event likely took place in either the Levant or southern Arabia depending on the dispersal route out of Africa that was followed. In this study, we compare Neanderthal introgression in contemporary Levantine and southern Arabian populations to investigate Neanderthal introgression and to study Near Eastern population history.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed genotyping data on >400,000 autosomal SNPs from seven Levantine and five southern Arabian populations and compared these data to those from populations from around the world including Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes. We used f4 and D statistics to estimate and compare levels of Neanderthal introgression between Levantine, southern Arabian, and comparative global populations. We also identified 1,581 putative Neanderthal-introgressed SNPs within our dataset and analyzed their allele frequencies as a means to compare introgression patterns in Levantine and southern Arabian genomes.<br><br>RESULTS: We find that Levantine and southern Arabian populations have similar levels of Neanderthal introgression to each other but lower levels than other non-Africans. Furthermore, we find that introgressed SNPs have very similar allele frequencies in the Levant and southern Arabia, which indicates that Neanderthal introgression is similarly distributed in Levantine and southern Arabian genomes.<br><br>DISCUSSION: We infer that the ancestors of contemporary Levantine and southern Arabian populations received Neanderthal introgression prior to separating from each other and that there has been extensive gene flow between these populations.}, }
@article {pmid30872714, year = {2019}, author = {Wißing, C and Rougier, H and Baumann, C and Comeyne, A and Crevecoeur, I and Drucker, DG and Gaudzinski-Windheuser, S and Germonpré, M and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Krause, J and Matthies, T and Naito, YI and Posth, C and Semal, P and Street, M and Bocherens, H}, title = {Stable isotopes reveal patterns of diet and mobility in the last Neandertals and first modern humans in Europe.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {4433}, pmid = {30872714}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; Carbon Radioisotopes/*analysis ; Diet/statistics &amp; numerical data/*trends ; Dietary Proteins/analysis ; *Ecosystem ; Emigration and Immigration/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Nitrogen Radioisotopes/*analysis ; Sulfur Radioisotopes/*analysis ; }, abstract = {Correlating cultural, technological and ecological aspects of both Upper Pleistocene modern humans (UPMHs) and Neandertals provides a useful approach for achieving robust predictions about what makes us human. Here we present ecological information for a period of special relevance in human evolution, the time of replacement of Neandertals by modern humans during the Late Pleistocene in Europe. Using the stable isotopic approach, we shed light on aspects of diet and mobility of the late Neandertals and UPMHs from the cave sites of the Troisième caverne of Goyet and Spy in Belgium. We demonstrate that their diet was essentially similar, relying on the same terrestrial herbivores, whereas mobility strategies indicate considerable differences between Neandertal groups, as well as in comparison to UPMHs. Our results indicate that UPMHs exploited their environment to a greater extent than Neandertals and support the hypothesis that UPMHs had a substantial impact not only on the population dynamics of large mammals but also on the whole structure of the ecosystem since their initial arrival in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid30861048, year = {2019}, author = {Nowaczewska, W and Binkowski, M and Kubicka, AM and Piontek, J and Balzeau, A}, title = {Neandertal-like traits visible in the internal structure of non-supranuchal fossae of some recent Homo sapiens: The problem of their identification in hominins and phylogenetic implications.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {14}, number = {3}, pages = {e0213687}, pmid = {30861048}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical ; Australia ; Biological Evolution ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Phenotype ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Although recently the internal structure of the non-supranuchal fossa of Homo sapiens has been described and compared to that observed in the Neandertal suprainiac fossa, until now it has not been examined in any modern human children. In this study, the internal structure of this fossa in the occipital bones of three children (two aged 3‒4 years and one aged 5 years ± 16 months) and one adult individual representing recent Homo sapiens from Australia was analysed and compared to that of the Neandertal suprainiac fossa. In order to analyse the internal composition of the fossae of the examined specimens, initially, high-resolution micro-CT datasets were obtained for their occipital bones; next, 3D topographic maps of the variation in thickness of structural layers of the occipital bones were made and 2D virtual sections in the median region of these fossae were prepared. In the fossa of one immature individual, the thinning of the diploic layer characteristic of a Neandertal suprainiac fossa was firmly diagnosed. The other Neandertal-like trait, concerning the lack of substantial thinning of the external table of the bone in the region of the fossa, was established in two individuals (one child and one adult) due to the observation of an irregular pattern of the thickness of this table in the other specimens, suggesting the presence of an inflammatory process. Our study presents, for the first time, Neandertal-like traits (but not the whole set of features that justifies the autapomorphic status of the Neandertal supraniac fossa) in the internal structure of non-supranuchal fossae of some recent Homo sapiens. We discuss the phylogenetic implications of the results of our analysis and stress the reasons that use of the 3D topographic mapping method is important for the correct diagnosis of Neandertal traits of the internal structure of occipital fossae.}, }
@article {pmid30836076, year = {2019}, author = {Gunz, P and Tilot, AK and Wittfeld, K and Teumer, A and Shapland, CY and van Erp, TGM and Dannemann, M and Vernot, B and Neubauer, S and Guadalupe, T and Fernández, G and Brunner, HG and Enard, W and Fallon, J and Hosten, N and Völker, U and Profico, A and Di Vincenzo, F and Manzi, G and Kelso, J and St Pourcain, B and Hublin, JJ and Franke, B and Pääbo, S and Macciardi, F and Grabe, HJ and Fisher, SE}, title = {Neandertal Introgression Sheds Light on Modern Human Endocranial Globularity.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {29}, number = {5}, pages = {895}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2019.02.008}, pmid = {30836076}, issn = {1879-0445}, support = {U24 RR021992/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; U24 RR025736/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; U54 EB020403/EB/NIBIB NIH HHS/United States ; }, }
@article {pmid30825980, year = {2019}, author = {Pablos, A and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Maureille, B and Holliday, TW and Madelaine, S and Trinkaus, E and Couture-Veschambre, C}, title = {Neandertal foot remains from Regourdou 1 (Montignac-sur-Vézère, Dordogne, France).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {128}, number = {}, pages = {17-44}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.11.003}, pmid = {30825980}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Foot/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; France ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Regourdou is a well-known Middle Paleolithic site which has yielded the fossil remains of a minimum of two Neandertal individuals. The first individual (Regourdou 1) is represented by a partial skeleton while the second one is represented by a calcaneus. The foot remains of Regourdou 1 have been used in a number of comparative studies, but to date a full description and comparison of all the foot remains from the Regourdou 1 Neandertal, coming from the old excavations and from the recent reanalysis of the faunal remains, does not exist. Here, we describe and comparatively assess the Regourdou 1 tarsals, metatarsals and phalanges. They display traits observed in other Neandertal feet, which are different from some traits of the Sima de los Huesos (Atapuerca) hominins and of Middle Paleolithic, Upper Paleolithic and recent modern humans. These Neandertal features are: a rectangular talar trochlea with a large lateral malleolar facet, a broad talar head, a broad calcaneus with a projecting sustentaculum tali, a wide and wedged navicular with a projecting medial tubercle, large and wide bases of the lateral metatarsals, and mediolaterally expanded and robust phalanges that also show hallux valgus in a strongly built hallux.}, }
@article {pmid30804177, year = {2019}, author = {Haeusler, M and Trinkaus, E and Fornai, C and Müller, J and Bonneau, N and Boeni, T and Frater, N}, title = {Morphology, pathology, and the vertebral posture of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neandertal.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {116}, number = {11}, pages = {4923-4927}, pmid = {30804177}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Aged ; Animals ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Osteoarthritis/pathology/physiopathology ; Pelvis/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Posture ; Spinal Curvatures/physiopathology ; Spine/*pathology/physiopathology ; }, abstract = {Although the early postural reconstructions of the Neandertals as incompletely erect were rejected half a century ago, recent studies of Neandertal vertebral remains have inferred a hypolordotic, flat lower back and spinal imbalance for them, including the La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 skeleton. These studies form part of a persistent trend to view the Neandertals as less "human" than ourselves despite growing evidence for little if any differences in basic functional anatomy and behavioral capabilities. We have therefore reassessed the spinal posture of La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 using a new pelvic reconstruction to infer lumbar lordosis, interarticulation of lower lumbar (L4-S1) and cervical (C4-T2) vertebrae, and consideration of his widespread age-related osteoarthritis. La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 exhibits a pelvic incidence (and hence lumbar lordosis) similar to modern humans, articulation of lumbar and cervical vertebrae indicating pronounced lordosis, and Baastrup disease as a product of his advanced age, osteoarthritis, and lordosis. Our findings challenge the view of generally small spinal curvatures in Neandertals. Setting aside the developmentally abnormal Kebara 2 vertebral column, La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 is joined by other Neandertals with sufficient vertebral remains in providing them with a fully upright (and human) axial posture.}, }
@article {pmid30782806, year = {2019}, author = {Jaouen, K and Richards, MP and Le Cabec, A and Welker, F and Rendu, W and Hublin, JJ and Soressi, M and Talamo, S}, title = {Exceptionally high δ[15]N values in collagen single amino acids confirm Neandertals as high-trophic level carnivores.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {116}, number = {11}, pages = {4928-4933}, pmid = {30782806}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Amino Acids/*analysis ; Animals ; Carbon Isotopes/analysis ; Carnivora/*physiology ; Collagen/*chemistry ; *Food Chain ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Nitrogen Isotopes/*analysis ; }, abstract = {Isotope and archeological analyses of Paleolithic food webs have suggested that Neandertal subsistence relied mainly on the consumption of large herbivores. This conclusion was primarily based on elevated nitrogen isotope ratios in Neandertal bone collagen and has been significantly debated. This discussion relies on the observation that similar high nitrogen isotopes values could also be the result of the consumption of mammoths, young animals, putrid meat, cooked food, freshwater fish, carnivores, or mushrooms. Recently, compound-specific C and N isotope analyses of bone collagen amino acids have been demonstrated to add significantly more information about trophic levels and aquatic food consumption. We undertook single amino acid C and N isotope analysis on two Neandertals, which were characterized by exceptionally high N isotope ratios in their bulk bone or tooth collagen. We report here both C and N isotope ratios on single amino acids of collagen samples for these two Neandertals and associated fauna. The samples come from two sites dating to the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition period (Les Cottés and Grotte du Renne, France). Our results reinforce the interpretation of Neandertal dietary adaptations as successful top-level carnivores, even after the arrival of modern humans in Europe. They also demonstrate that high δ[15]N values of bone collagen can solely be explained by mammal meat consumption, as supported by archeological and zooarcheological evidence, without necessarily invoking explanations including the processing of food (cooking, fermenting), the consumption of mammoths or young mammals, or additional (freshwater fish, mushrooms) dietary protein sources.}, }
@article {pmid30777361, year = {2019}, author = {Martinón-Torres, M and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Martínez de Pinillos, M and Modesto-Mata, M and Xing, S and Martín-Francés, L and García-Campos, C and Wu, X and Liu, W}, title = {New permanent teeth from Gran Dolina-TD6 (Sierra de Atapuerca). The bearing of Homo antecessor on the evolutionary scenario of Early and Middle Pleistocene Europe.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {127}, number = {}, pages = {93-117}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.12.001}, pmid = {30777361}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Spain ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Here we analyze the unpublished hominin dental remains recovered from the late Early Pleistocene Gran Dolina-TD6.2 level of the Sierra de Atapuerca (northern Spain), as well as provide a reassessment of the whole TD6.2 hominin dental sample. Comparative descriptions of the outer enamel surface (OES) and the enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) are provided. Overall, the data presented here support the taxonomic validity of Homo antecessor, since this species presents a unique mosaic of traits. Homo antecessor displays several primitive features for the genus Homo as well as some traits exclusively shared with Early and Middle Pleistocene Eurasian hominins. Some of these Eurasian traits were retained by the Middle Pleistocene hominins of Europe, and subsequently became the typical condition of the Neanderthal lineage. Although other skeletal parts present resemblances with Homo sapiens, TD6.2 teeth do not show any synapomorphy with modern humans. In addition, TD6.2 teeth can be well differentiated from those of Asian Homo erectus. The dental evidence is compatible with previous hypothesis about H. antecessor belonging to the basal population from which H. sapiens, Homo neanderthalensis, and Denisovans emerged. Future findings and additional research may help to elucidate the precise phylogenetic link among them.}, }
@article {pmid30777356, year = {2019}, author = {Dinnis, R and Bessudnov, A and Reynolds, N and Devièse, T and Pate, A and Sablin, M and Sinitsyn, A and Higham, T}, title = {New data for the Early Upper Paleolithic of Kostenki (Russia).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {127}, number = {}, pages = {21-40}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.11.012}, pmid = {30777356}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; *Radiometric Dating ; Russia ; *Technology ; }, abstract = {Several questions remain regarding the timing and nature of the Neanderthal-anatomically modern human (AMH) transition in Europe. The situation in Eastern Europe is generally less clear due to the relatively few sites and a dearth of reliable radiocarbon dates. Claims have been made for both notably early AMH and notably late Neanderthal presence, as well as for early AMH (Aurignacian) dispersal into the region from Central/Western Europe. The Kostenki-Borshchevo complex (European Russia) of Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) sites offers high-quality data to address these questions. Here we revise the chronology and cultural status of the key sites of Kostenki 17 and Kostenki 14. The Kostenki 17/II lithic assemblage shares important features with Proto-Aurignacian material, strengthening an association with AMHs. New radiocarbon dates for Kostenki 17/II of ∼41-40 ka cal BP agree with new dates for the recently excavated Kostenki 14/IVw, which shows some similarities to Kostenki 17/II. Dates of ≥41 ka cal BP from other Kostenki sites cannot be linked to diagnostic archaeological material, and therefore cannot be argued to date AMH occupation. Kostenki 14's Layer in Volcanic Ash assemblage, on the other hand, compares to Early Aurignacian material. New radiocarbon dates targeting diagnostic lithics date to 39-37 ka cal BP. Overall, Kostenki's early EUP is in good agreement with the archaeological record further west. Our results are therefore consistent with models predicting interregional penecontemporaneity of diagnostic EUP assemblages. Most importantly, our work highlights ongoing challenges for reliably radiocarbon dating the period. Dates for Kostenki 14 agreed with the samples' chronostratigraphic positions, but standard pre-treatment methods consistently produced incorrect ages for Kostenki 17/II. Extraction of hydroxyproline from bone collagen using preparative high-performance liquid chromatography, however, yielded results consistent with the samples' chronostratigraphic position and with the layer's archaeological contents. This suggests that for some sites compound-specific techniques are required to build reliable radiocarbon chronologies.}, }
@article {pmid30773169, year = {2019}, author = {Buttura, RV and Ramalho, J and Lima, THA and Donadi, EA and Veiga-Castelli, LC and Mendes-Junior, CT and Castelli, EC}, title = {HLA-F displays highly divergent and frequent haplotype lineages associated with different mRNA expression levels.}, journal = {Human immunology}, volume = {80}, number = {2}, pages = {112-119}, doi = {10.1016/j.humimm.2018.10.016}, pmid = {30773169}, issn = {1879-1166}, mesh = {Animals ; Brazil ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Gene Frequency ; Genetics, Population ; Haplotypes ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/*genetics ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Promoter Regions, Genetic/*genetics ; RNA, Messenger/*genetics ; }, abstract = {HLA-F is one of the most conserved loci among the HLA gene family. The exact function of HLA-F is still under investigation. HLA-F might present tolerogenic features, participate in the stabilization of HLA molecules in open conformation, and also participate in the recycling of HLA molecules. Here we evaluate the variability and haplotype structure of the HLA-F distal promoter segment (from -1893 to -943) and how this segment is correlated with the coding region. Variability at the promoter segment was surveyed in 196 Brazilian samples using second-generation sequencing. The HLA-F promoter region presents two major haplotype lineages. Most of the variable sites are in perfect linkage and associated with a single promoter haplotype, here named F[∗]distal-C. This haplotype is associated with F[∗]01:01:02 alleles, while alleles from the F[∗]01:01:01 or F[∗]01:03 groups present closely related promoter sequences. F[∗]distal-C is quite frequent in Brazil and in worldwide populations, with frequencies ranging from 8.41% at the Iberian Population in Spain to 34.34% in Vietnam. F[∗]distal-C is also present in Neanderthal and Denisovan samples. In silico analyses demonstrated that F[∗]distal-C presents a different transcription factor binding profile compared with other HLA-F promoters. Moreover, individuals carrying this haplotype present higher HLA-F mRNA expression levels. Functional studies are required to define the exact mechanism underlying this higher HLA-F mRNA expression level associated with F[∗]distal-C and F[∗]01:01:02 alleles.}, }
@article {pmid30772945, year = {2019}, author = {James, WPT and Johnson, RJ and Speakman, JR and Wallace, DC and Frühbeck, G and Iversen, PO and Stover, PJ}, title = {Nutrition and its role in human evolution.}, journal = {Journal of internal medicine}, volume = {285}, number = {5}, pages = {533-549}, doi = {10.1111/joim.12878}, pmid = {30772945}, issn = {1365-2796}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Emigration and Immigration ; Hominidae/genetics/*physiology ; Humans ; Mutation ; *Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; }, abstract = {Our understanding of human evolution has improved rapidly over recent decades, facilitated by large-scale cataloguing of genomic variability amongst both modern and archaic humans. It seems clear that the evolution of the ancestors of chimpanzees and hominins separated 7-9 million years ago with some migration out of Africa by the earlier hominins; Homo sapiens slowly emerged as climate change resulted in drier, less forested African conditions. The African populations expanded and evolved in many different conditions with slow mutation and selection rates in the human genome, but with much more rapid mutation occurring in mitochondrial DNA. We now have evidence stretching back 300 000 years of humans in their current form, but there are clearly four very different large African language groups that correlate with population DNA differences. Then, about 50 000-100 000 years ago a small subset of modern humans also migrated out of Africa resulting in a persistent signature of more limited genetic diversity amongst non-African populations. Hybridization with archaic hominins occurred around this time such that all non-African modern humans possess some Neanderthal ancestry and Melanesian populations additionally possess some Denisovan ancestry. Human populations both within and outside Africa also adapted to diverse aspects of their local environment including altitude, climate, UV exposure, diet and pathogens, in some cases leaving clear signatures of patterns of genetic variation. Notable examples include haemoglobin changes conferring resistance to malaria, other immune changes and the skin adaptations favouring the synthesis of vitamin D. As humans migrated across Eurasia, further major mitochondrial changes occurred with some interbreeding with ancient hominins and the development of alcohol intolerance. More recently, an ability to retain lactase persistence into adulthood has evolved rapidly under the environmental stimulus of pastoralism with the ability to husband lactating ruminants. Increased amylase copy numbers seem to relate to the availability of starchy foods, whereas the capacity to desaturase and elongate monounsaturated fatty acids in different societies seems to be influenced by whether there is a lack of supply of readily available dietary sources of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The process of human evolution includes genetic drift and adaptation to local environments, in part through changes in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. These genetic changes may underlie susceptibilities to some modern human pathologies including folate-responsive neural tube defects, diabetes, other age-related pathologies and mental health disorders.}, }
@article {pmid30771245, year = {2019}, author = {Becam, G and Verna, C and Gómez-Robles, A and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Albessard, L and Arnaud, J and Frelat, MA and Madelaine, S and Schwab, C and Souday, C and Turq, A and Balzeau, A}, title = {Isolated teeth from La Ferrassie: Reassessment of the old collections, new remains, and their implications.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {169}, number = {1}, pages = {132-142}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23798}, pmid = {30771245}, issn = {1096-8644}, support = {IT1044-16//Gobierno Vasco/Eusko Jaurlaritza/International ; IT834-13//Gobierno Vasco/Eusko Jaurlaritza/International ; CGL2015-65387-C3-2-P-MINECO/FEDER-//Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnolog&#xed;a/International ; CGL2012-38434-C03-01//Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnolog&#xed;a/International ; //UMR 7194 CNRS-HNHP/UPVD/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Caves ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Dentin/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; France ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Odontometry ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: We provide the description and comparative analysis of six new teeth from the site of La Ferrassie. Our goal is to discuss their taxonomic attribution, and to provide an updated inventory of Neandertal and modern human remains from La Ferrassie in their associated archeological context.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We use external and internal anatomy, classic morphometrics, and geometric morphometrics. The teeth from La Ferrassie are compared to several samples of contemporary Neandertals and upper Paleolithic modern humans and to recent modern humans.<br><br>RESULTS: Three specimens are classified as Neandertals, two as modern humans, and one remains unclassified.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Based on the previously known fossil samples and the new teeth reported here, there are currently a minimum of four adult and five immature Neandertal individuals coming from the "Grand Abri" and a minimum of two modern human adult individuals: one from "Grand Abri" and one from "Grotte." It is noteworthy that the spatial distribution of the recovered Neandertal remains is not restricted to the area where the LF1-LF 8 were found but now covers the full extension of the excavated area. Moreover, while both Neandertal and modern human occupations have yielded isolated human remains, the partial-to-complete skeletons only belong to Neandertals. These considerations open new perspectives for the understanding of the occupation and use of the La Ferrassie site.}, }
@article {pmid30737446, year = {2019}, author = {Ríos, L and Kivell, TL and Lalueza-Fox, C and Estalrrich, A and García-Tabernero, A and Huguet, R and Quintino, Y and de la Rasilla, M and Rosas, A}, title = {Skeletal Anomalies in The Neandertal Family of El Sidrón (Spain) Support A Role of Inbreeding in Neandertal Extinction.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {1697}, pmid = {30737446}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {336301/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones/*abnormalities/diagnostic imaging ; Congenital Abnormalities/*diagnostic imaging/pathology ; Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Inbreeding ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Spain ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {Neandertals disappeared from the fossil record around 40,000 bp, after a demographic history of small and isolated groups with high but variable levels of inbreeding, and episodes of interbreeding with other Paleolithic hominins. It is reasonable to expect that high levels of endogamy could be expressed in the skeleton of at least some Neandertal groups. Genetic studies indicate that the 13 individuals from the site of El Sidrón, Spain, dated around 49,000 bp, constituted a closely related kin group, making these Neandertals an appropriate case study for the observation of skeletal signs of inbreeding. We present the complete study of the 1674 identified skeletal specimens from El Sidrón. Altogether, 17 congenital anomalies were observed (narrowing of the internal nasal fossa, retained deciduous canine, clefts of the first cervical vertebra, unilateral hypoplasia of the second cervical vertebra, clefting of the twelfth thoracic vertebra, diminutive thoracic or lumbar rib, os centrale carpi and bipartite scaphoid, tripartite patella, left foot anomaly and cuboid-navicular coalition), with at least four individuals presenting congenital conditions (clefts of the first cervical vertebra). At 49,000 years ago, the Neandertals from El Sidrón, with genetic and skeletal evidence of inbreeding, could be representative of the beginning of the demographic collapse of this hominin phenotype.}, }
@article {pmid30721683, year = {2019}, author = {Sherwood, CC and Bradley, BJ}, title = {Brain Evolution: Mapping the Inner Neandertal.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {29}, number = {3}, pages = {R95-R97}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2018.12.024}, pmid = {30721683}, issn = {1879-0445}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Brain ; Genome ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Human populations that migrated out of Africa interbred with Neandertals. A new study assesses the effects of Neandertal gene variants on brain shape in modern humans, providing insights into the genomic basis of the uniquely globular human brain.}, }
@article {pmid30700871, year = {2019}, author = {Douka, K and Slon, V and Jacobs, Z and Ramsey, CB and Shunkov, MV and Derevianko, AP and Mafessoni, F and Kozlikin, MB and Li, B and Grün, R and Comeskey, D and Devièse, T and Brown, S and Viola, B and Kinsley, L and Buckley, M and Meyer, M and Roberts, RG and Pääbo, S and Kelso, J and Higham, T}, title = {Age estimates for hominin fossils and the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic at Denisova Cave.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {565}, number = {7741}, pages = {640-644}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-018-0870-z}, pmid = {30700871}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; *Caves ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Deer ; Femur/chemistry ; *Fossils ; Geologic Sediments/chemistry ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Oxygen Isotopes ; *Radiometric Dating ; Siberia ; Time Factors ; Tooth/chemistry ; }, abstract = {Denisova Cave in the Siberian Altai (Russia) is a key site for understanding the complex relationships between hominin groups that inhabited Eurasia in the Middle and Late Pleistocene epoch. DNA sequenced from human remains found at this site has revealed the presence of a hitherto unknown hominin group, the Denisovans[1,2], and high-coverage genomes from both Neanderthal and Denisovan fossils provide evidence for admixture between these two populations[3]. Determining the age of these fossils is important if we are to understand the nature of hominin interaction, and aspects of their cultural and subsistence adaptations. Here we present 50 radiocarbon determinations from the late Middle and Upper Palaeolithic layers of the site. We also report three direct dates for hominin fragments and obtain a mitochondrial DNA sequence for one of them. We apply a Bayesian age modelling approach that combines chronometric (radiocarbon, uranium series and optical ages), stratigraphic and genetic data to calculate probabilistically the age of the human fossils at the site. Our modelled estimate for the age of the oldest Denisovan fossil suggests that this group was present at the site as early as 195,000 years ago (at 95.4% probability). All Neanderthal fossils-as well as Denisova 11, the daughter of a Neanderthal and a Denisovan[4]-date to between 80,000 and 140,000 years ago. The youngest Denisovan dates to 52,000-76,000 years ago. Direct radiocarbon dating of Upper Palaeolithic tooth pendants and bone points yielded the earliest evidence for the production of these artefacts in northern Eurasia, between 43,000 and 49,000 calibrated years before present (taken as AD 1950). On the basis of current archaeological evidence, it may be assumed that these artefacts are associated with the Denisovan population. It is not currently possible to determine whether anatomically modern humans were involved in their production, as modern-human fossil and genetic evidence of such antiquity has not yet been identified in the Altai region.}, }
@article {pmid30651539, year = {2019}, author = {Mondal, M and Bertranpetit, J and Lao, O}, title = {Approximate Bayesian computation with deep learning supports a third archaic introgression in Asia and Oceania.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, pages = {246}, pmid = {30651539}, issn = {2041-1723}, abstract = {Since anatomically modern humans dispersed Out of Africa, the evolutionary history of Eurasian populations has been marked by introgressions from presently extinct hominins. Some of these introgressions have been identified using sequenced ancient genomes (Neanderthal and Denisova). Other introgressions have been proposed for still unidentified groups using the genetic diversity present in current human populations. We built a demographic model based on deep learning in an Approximate Bayesian Computation framework to infer the evolutionary history of Eurasian populations including past introgression events in Out of Africa populations fitting the current genetic evidence. In addition to the reported Neanderthal and Denisovan introgressions, our results support a third introgression in all Asian and Oceanian populations from an archaic population. This population is either related to the Neanderthal-Denisova clade or diverged early from the Denisova lineage. We propose the use of deep learning methods for clarifying situations with high complexity in evolutionary genomics.}, }
@article {pmid30647110, year = {2019}, author = {Petr, M and Pääbo, S and Kelso, J and Vernot, B}, title = {Limits of long-term selection against Neandertal introgression.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {116}, number = {5}, pages = {1639-1644}, pmid = {30647110}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Conserved Sequence/genetics ; DNA/genetics ; Europe ; Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Flow/genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; RNA, Untranslated/genetics ; Selection, Genetic/*genetics ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Several studies have suggested that introgressed Neandertal DNA was subjected to negative selection in modern humans. A striking observation in support of this is an apparent monotonic decline in Neandertal ancestry observed in modern humans in Europe over the past 45,000 years. Here, we show that this decline is an artifact likely caused by gene flow between modern human populations, which is not taken into account by statistics previously used to estimate Neandertal ancestry. When we apply a statistic that avoids assumptions about modern human demography by taking advantage of two high-coverage Neandertal genomes, we find no evidence for a change in Neandertal ancestry in Europe over the past 45,000 years. We use whole-genome simulations of selection and introgression to investigate a wide range of model parameters and find that negative selection is not expected to cause a significant long-term decline in genome-wide Neandertal ancestry. Nevertheless, these models recapitulate previously observed signals of selection against Neandertal alleles, in particular the depletion of Neandertal ancestry in conserved genomic regions. Surprisingly, we find that this depletion is strongest in regulatory and conserved noncoding regions and in the most conserved portion of protein-coding sequences.}, }
@article {pmid30589914, year = {2018}, author = {Velliky, EC and Porr, M and Conard, NJ}, title = {Ochre and pigment use at Hohle Fels cave: Results of the first systematic review of ochre and ochre-related artefacts from the Upper Palaeolithic in Germany.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {12}, pages = {e0209874}, pmid = {30589914}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {*Caves ; *Coloring Agents/chemistry/history ; *Culture ; Germany ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Paintings/*history ; }, abstract = {Though many European Upper Palaeolithic sites document early examples of symbolic material expressions (e.g., cave art, personal ornaments, figurines), there exist few reports on the use of earth pigments outside of cave art-and occasionally Neanderthal-contexts. Here, we present the first in-depth study of the diachronic changes in ochre use throughout an entire Upper Palaeolithic sequence at Hohle Fels cave, Germany, spanning from ca. 44,000-14,500 cal. yr. BP. A reassessment of the assemblage has yielded 869 individual ochre artefacts, of which 27 show traces of anthropogenic modification. The ochre artefacts are from all Upper Palaeolithic layers, stemming from the earliest Aurignacian horizons to the Holocene. This wide temporal spread demonstrates the long-term presence and continuity of ochre use in a part of Europe where it has not been systematically reported before. The anthropogenic modifications present on the ochre artefacts from the Gravettian and Magdalenian are consistent with pigment powder production, whereas the only modified piece from the Aurignacian displays a possible engraved motif. The non-modified artefacts show that more hematite-rich specular ochres as well as fine-grained deep red iron oxide clays were preferred during the Gravettian and Magdalenian, while the Aurignacian layers contain a broader array of colours and textures. Furthermore, numerous other artefacts such as faunal elements, personal ornaments, shells, and an ochre grindstone further strengthen the conclusion that ochre behaviours were well established during the onset of the Aurignacian and subsequently flourished throughout the Upper Palaeolithic at Hohle Fels cave.}, }
@article {pmid30573755, year = {2018}, author = {Van Laer, B and Kapp, U and Soler-Lopez, M and Moczulska, K and Pääbo, S and Leonard, G and Mueller-Dieckmann, C}, title = {Molecular comparison of Neanderthal and Modern Human adenylosuccinate lyase.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {18008}, pmid = {30573755}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Adenylosuccinate Lyase/*chemistry/*genetics ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Catalysis ; Catalytic Domain ; Crystallization ; Enzyme Stability ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Humans ; Models, Molecular ; Mutation, Missense ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Protein Conformation ; Social Change ; Temperature ; }, abstract = {The availability of genomic data from extinct homini such as Neanderthals has caused a revolution in palaeontology allowing the identification of modern human-specific protein substitutions. Currently, little is known as to how these substitutions alter the proteins on a molecular level. Here, we investigate adenylosuccinate lyase, a conserved enzyme involved in purine metabolism for which several substitutions in the modern human protein (hADSL) have been described to affect intelligence and behaviour. During evolution, modern humans acquired a specific substitution (Ala429Val) in ADSL distinguishing it from the ancestral variant present in Neanderthals (nADSL). We show here that despite this conservative substitution being solvent exposed and located distant from the active site, there is a difference in thermal stability, but not enzymology or ligand binding between nADSL and hADSL. Substitutions near residue 429 which do not profoundly affect enzymology were previously reported to cause neurological symptoms in humans. This study also reveals that ADSL undergoes conformational changes during catalysis which, together with the crystal structure of a hitherto undetermined product bound conformation, explains the molecular origin of disease for several modern human ADSL mutants.}, }
@article {pmid30566634, year = {2019}, author = {Reher, D and Key, FM and Andrés, AM and Kelso, J}, title = {Immune Gene Diversity in Archaic and Present-day Humans.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, pages = {232-241}, pmid = {30566634}, issn = {1759-6653}, mesh = {Animals ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate/*genetics ; *Major Histocompatibility Complex ; Neanderthals/*genetics/immunology ; }, abstract = {Genome-wide analyses of two Neandertals and a Denisovan have shown that these archaic humans had lower genetic heterozygosity than present-day people. A similar reduction in genetic diversity of protein-coding genes (gene diversity) was found in exome sequences of three Neandertals. Reduced gene diversity, particularly in genes involved in immunity, may have important functional consequences. In fact, it has been suggested that reduced diversity in immune genes may have contributed to Neandertal extinction. We therefore explored gene diversity in different human groups, and at different time points on the Neandertal lineage, with a particular focus on the diversity of genes involved in innate immunity and genes of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC).We find that the two Neandertals and a Denisovan have similar gene diversity, all significantly lower than any present-day human. This is true across gene categories, with no gene set showing an excess decrease in diversity compared with the genome-wide average. Innate immune-related genes show a similar reduction in diversity to other genes, both in present-day and archaic humans. There is also no observable decrease in gene diversity over time in Neandertals, suggesting that there may have been no ongoing reduction in gene diversity in later Neandertals, although this needs confirmation with a larger sample size. In both archaic and present-day humans, genes with the highest levels of diversity are enriched for MHC-related functions. In fact, in archaic humans the MHC genes show evidence of having retained more diversity than genes involved only in the innate immune system.}, }
@article {pmid30566479, year = {2018}, author = {Mohammed Ismail, W and Pagel, KA and Pejaver, V and Zhang, SV and Casasa, S and Mort, M and Cooper, DN and Hahn, MW and Radivojac, P}, title = {The sequencing and interpretation of the genome obtained from a Serbian individual.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {12}, pages = {e0208901}, pmid = {30566479}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Ethnicity/*genetics ; Female ; *Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; *Genetic Variation ; *Genome, Human ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Serbia/ethnology ; }, abstract = {Recent genetic studies and whole-genome sequencing projects have greatly improved our understanding of human variation and clinically actionable genetic information. Smaller ethnic populations, however, remain underrepresented in both individual and large-scale sequencing efforts and hence present an opportunity to discover new variants of biomedical and demographic significance. This report describes the sequencing and analysis of a genome obtained from an individual of Serbian origin, introducing tens of thousands of previously unknown variants to the currently available pool. Ancestry analysis places this individual in close proximity to Central and Eastern European populations; i.e., closest to Croatian, Bulgarian and Hungarian individuals and, in terms of other Europeans, furthest from Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish, Sicilian and Baltic individuals. Our analysis confirmed gene flow between Neanderthal and ancestral pan-European populations, with similar contributions to the Serbian genome as those observed in other European groups. Finally, to assess the burden of potentially disease-causing/clinically relevant variation in the sequenced genome, we utilized manually curated genotype-phenotype association databases and variant-effect predictors. We identified several variants that have previously been associated with severe early-onset disease that is not evident in the proband, as well as putatively impactful variants that could yet prove to be clinically relevant to the proband over the next decades. The presence of numerous private and low-frequency variants, along with the observed and predicted disease-causing mutations in this genome, exemplify some of the global challenges of genome interpretation, especially in the context of under-studied ethnic groups.}, }
@article {pmid30566085, year = {2018}, author = {Murphy, E and Benítez-Burraco, A}, title = {Paleo-oscillomics: inferring aspects of Neanderthal language abilities from gene regulation of neural oscillations.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {96}, number = {}, pages = {111-124}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.96010}, pmid = {30566085}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Computational Biology ; *Cultural Evolution ; DNA Methylation/genetics ; Genetic Techniques ; *Language ; *Neanderthals/genetics/physiology ; Nervous System Physiological Phenomena/genetics ; Speech/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Language seemingly evolved from changes in brain anatomy and wiring. We argue that language evolution can be better understood if particular changes in phasal and cross-frequency coupling properties of neural oscillations, resulting in core features of language, are considered. Because we cannot track the oscillatory activity of the brain from extinct hominins, we used our current understanding of the language oscillogenome (that is, the set of genes responsible for basic aspects of the oscillatory activity relevant for language) to infer some properties of the Neanderthal oscillome. We have found that several candidates for the language oscillogenome show differences in their methylation patterns between Neanderthals and humans. We argue that differences in their expression levels could be informative of differences in cognitive functions important for language.}, }
@article {pmid30564397, year = {2018}, author = {Savriama, Y and Valtonen, M and Kammonen, JI and Rastas, P and Smolander, OP and Lyyski, A and Häkkinen, TJ and Corfe, IJ and Gerber, S and Salazar-Ciudad, I and Paulin, L and Holm, L and Löytynoja, A and Auvinen, P and Jernvall, J}, title = {Bracketing phenogenotypic limits of mammalian hybridization.}, journal = {Royal Society open science}, volume = {5}, number = {11}, pages = {180903}, pmid = {30564397}, issn = {2054-5703}, abstract = {An increasing number of mammalian species have been shown to have a history of hybridization and introgression based on genetic analyses. Only relatively few fossils, however, preserve genetic material, and morphology must be used to identify the species and determine whether morphologically intermediate fossils could represent hybrids. Because dental and cranial fossils are typically the key body parts studied in mammalian palaeontology, here we bracket the potential for phenotypically extreme hybridizations by examining uniquely preserved cranio-dental material of a captive hybrid between grey and ringed seals. We analysed how distinct these species are genetically and morphologically, how easy it is to identify the hybrids using morphology and whether comparable hybridizations happen in the wild. We show that the genetic distance between these species is more than twice the modern human-Neanderthal distance, but still within that of morphologically similar species pairs known to hybridize. By contrast, morphological and developmental analyses show grey and ringed seals to be highly disparate, and that the hybrid is a predictable intermediate. Genetic analyses of the parent populations reveal introgression in the wild, suggesting that grey-ringed seal hybridization is not limited to captivity. Taken together, we postulate that there is considerable potential for mammalian hybridization between phenotypically disparate taxa.}, }
@article {pmid30564067, year = {2018}, author = {Benítez-Burraco, A}, title = {Differences in the Neanderthal BRCA2 gene might be related to their distinctive cognitive profile.}, journal = {Hereditas}, volume = {155}, number = {}, pages = {38}, pmid = {30564067}, issn = {1601-5223}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain/growth &amp; development ; *Cognition ; *Genes, BRCA2 ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The unique divergence of the BRCA2 gene in Neanderthals compared to modern humans has been hypothesized to account for a differential susceptibility to cancer. However, the role of the gene in brain development and its connection with autism suggest that these differences might be (also) related to the more encapsulated nature of the Neanderthal cognition and their (inferred) autistic-like features.}, }
@article {pmid30554901, year = {2019}, author = {Gunz, P and Tilot, AK and Wittfeld, K and Teumer, A and Shapland, CY and van Erp, TGM and Dannemann, M and Vernot, B and Neubauer, S and Guadalupe, T and Fernández, G and Brunner, HG and Enard, W and Fallon, J and Hosten, N and Völker, U and Profico, A and Di Vincenzo, F and Manzi, G and Kelso, J and St Pourcain, B and Hublin, JJ and Franke, B and Pääbo, S and Macciardi, F and Grabe, HJ and Fisher, SE}, title = {Neandertal Introgression Sheds Light on Modern Human Endocranial Globularity.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {29}, number = {1}, pages = {120-127.e5}, pmid = {30554901}, issn = {1879-0445}, support = {U24 RR021992/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; U24 RR025736/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; U54 EB020403/EB/NIBIB NIH HHS/United States ; UL1 TR001414/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Female ; Fossils ; Humans ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Netherlands ; Phenotype ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {One of the features that distinguishes modern humans from our extinct relatives and ancestors is a globular shape of the braincase [1-4]. As the endocranium closely mirrors the outer shape of the brain, these differences might reflect altered neural architecture [4, 5]. However, in the absence of fossil brain tissue, the underlying neuroanatomical changes as well as their genetic bases remain elusive. To better understand the biological foundations of modern human endocranial shape, we turn to our closest extinct relatives: the Neandertals. Interbreeding between modern humans and Neandertals has resulted in introgressed fragments of Neandertal DNA in the genomes of present-day non-Africans [6, 7]. Based on shape analyses of fossil skull endocasts, we derive a measure of endocranial globularity from structural MRI scans of thousands of modern humans and study the effects of introgressed fragments of Neandertal DNA on this phenotype. We find that Neandertal alleles on chromosomes 1 and 18 are associated with reduced endocranial globularity. These alleles influence expression of two nearby genes, UBR4 and PHLPP1, which are involved in neurogenesis and myelination, respectively. Our findings show how integration of fossil skull data with archaic genomics and neuroimaging can suggest developmental mechanisms that may contribute to the unique modern human endocranial shape.}, }
@article {pmid30478305, year = {2019}, author = {Villanea, FA and Schraiber, JG}, title = {Multiple episodes of interbreeding between Neanderthal and modern humans.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {3}, number = {1}, pages = {39-44}, pmid = {30478305}, issn = {2397-334X}, support = {R35 GM124745/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Gene Flow ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Models, Theoretical ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans overlapped geographically for a period of over 30,000 years following human migration out of Africa. During this period, Neanderthals and humans interbred, as evidenced by Neanderthal portions of the genome carried by non-African individuals today. A key observation is that the proportion of Neanderthal ancestry is ~12-20% higher in East Asian individuals relative to European individuals. Here, we explore various demographic models that could explain this observation. These include distinguishing between a single admixture event and multiple Neanderthal contributions to either population, and the hypothesis that reduced Neanderthal ancestry in modern Europeans resulted from more recent admixture with a ghost population that lacked a Neanderthal ancestry component (the 'dilution' hypothesis). To summarize the asymmetric pattern of Neanderthal allele frequencies, we compiled the joint fragment frequency spectrum of European and East Asian Neanderthal fragments and compared it with both analytical theory and data simulated under various models of admixture. Using maximum-likelihood and machine learning, we found that a simple model of a single admixture did not fit the empirical data, and instead favour a model of multiple episodes of gene flow into both European and East Asian populations. These findings indicate a longer-term, more complex interaction between humans and Neanderthals than was previously appreciated.}, }
@article {pmid30462354, year = {2019}, author = {Becam, G and Chevalier, T}, title = {Neandertal features of the deciduous and permanent teeth from Portel-Ouest Cave (Ariège, France).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {168}, number = {1}, pages = {45-69}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23719}, pmid = {30462354}, issn = {1096-8644}, support = {//Association des Membres des Palmes Acad&#xe9;miques des Pyr&#xe9;n&#xe9;es-Orientales/International ; //Mus&#xe9;um national d'Histoire naturelle de Paris/International ; //UMR 7194, laboratoire Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Pr&#xe9;historique/International ; }, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Caves ; Child ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; Dental Enamel Hypoplasia/pathology ; Fossils ; France ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; Tooth, Deciduous/anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: We describe 14 unpublished and nine published teeth from the Mousterian level of Portel-Ouest (Ariège, France), dated to 44 ka. In a comparative context, we explore the taxonomical affinities of those teeth with Neandertals and modern humans which are both known to exist at that time. We further make some paleobiological inferences about this human group.<br><br>METHODS: The comparative analysis of Neandertals and modern humans is based on nonmetric traits at the outer enamel surface and the enamel-dentine junction, crown diameters and three-dimensional (3D) enamel thickness measurements of lower permanent teeth. The crown and roots are explored in detail based on the &#x3bc;CT-scan data to identify the multiple criteria involved in the paleobiological approach.<br><br>RESULTS: Nonmetric traits and 3D enamel thickness tend to be more similar to Neandertals than modern humans, notably for C1 , P4 , and M2 (included in all analyses) as well as volume of the pulp cavity in roots of the anterior permanent teeth. The Portel-Ouest sample corresponds to a minimum of seven juveniles, one or two adolescents and one adult, which exhibit recurrent linear enamel hypoplasia (up to five events for one individual), the torsiversion of one anterior tooth and irregular oblique wear in some anterior deciduous teeth.<br><br>DISCUSSION: This morphological study confirms that the remains from Portel-Ouest are Neandertals, associated with a Mousterian complex. Furthermore, we found the expected pattern of mortality and stress for a Neandertal group, that is, various age categories and developmental defects (nonexclusive to Neandertals), while adults are underrepresented and juveniles are overrepresented. Further excavations would contribute finding new remains and maybe complete this demographic profile.}, }
@article {pmid30429606, year = {2018}, author = {Beier, J and Anthes, N and Wahl, J and Harvati, K}, title = {Similar cranial trauma prevalence among Neanderthals and Upper Palaeolithic modern humans.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {563}, number = {7733}, pages = {686-690}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-018-0696-8}, pmid = {30429606}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Adult ; Age Determination by Skeleton ; Animals ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic/epidemiology/*history/pathology ; Child ; Female ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Incidence ; Life Style/history ; Male ; *Neanderthals ; Prevalence ; Sex Determination by Skeleton ; Skull/*pathology ; Uncertainty ; Violence/history ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals are commonly depicted as leading dangerous lives and permanently struggling for survival. This view largely relies on the high incidences of trauma that have been reported[1,2] and have variously been attributed to violent social behaviour[3,4], highly mobile hunter-gatherer lifestyles[2] or attacks by carnivores[5]. The described Neanderthal pattern of predominantly cranial injuries is further thought to reflect violent encounters with large prey mammals, resulting from the use of close-range hunting weapons[1]. These interpretations directly shape our understanding of Neanderthal lifestyles, health and hunting abilities, yet mainly rest on descriptive, case-based evidence. Quantitative, population-level studies of traumatic injuries are rare. Here we reassess the hypothesis of higher cranial trauma prevalence among Neanderthals using a population-level approach-accounting for preservation bias and other contextual data-and an exhaustive fossil database. We show that Neanderthals and early Upper Palaeolithic anatomically modern humans exhibit similar overall incidences of cranial trauma, which are higher for males in both taxa, consistent with patterns shown by later populations of modern humans. Beyond these similarities, we observed species-specific, age-related variation in trauma prevalence, suggesting that there were differences in the timing of injuries during life or that there was a differential mortality risk of trauma survivors in the two groups. Finally, our results highlight the importance of preservation bias in studies of trauma prevalence.}, }
@article {pmid30410429, year = {2018}, author = {Michalak, P and Kang, L}, title = {Unique divergence of the breast cancer 2 (BRCA2) gene in Neanderthals.}, journal = {Hereditas}, volume = {155}, number = {}, pages = {34}, pmid = {30410429}, issn = {1601-5223}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; BRCA2 Protein/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; }, abstract = {Unique divergence of the BRCA2, a tumor suppressor gene, in Neanderthals relative to other primates, including modern humans, is highlighted. This divergence with potentially pathogenic consequences raises a question about cancer susceptibility in the archaic species that was replaced by modern humans about 40,000 years ago.}, }
@article {pmid30402544, year = {2018}, author = {Smith, TM and Austin, C and Green, DR and Joannes-Boyau, R and Bailey, S and Dumitriu, D and Fallon, S and Grün, R and James, HF and Moncel, MH and Williams, IS and Wood, R and Arora, M}, title = {Wintertime stress, nursing, and lead exposure in Neanderthal children.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {4}, number = {10}, pages = {eaau9483}, pmid = {30402544}, issn = {2375-2548}, support = {DP2 ES025453/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; K99 HD087523/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; R01 ES026033/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; T90 DE026110/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Environmental Exposure/*adverse effects ; *Fossils ; Lead/*toxicity ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Radiometric Dating ; Seasons ; Tooth/drug effects/*growth &amp; development/pathology ; }, abstract = {Scholars endeavor to understand the relationship between human evolution and climate change. This is particularly germane for Neanderthals, who survived extreme Eurasian environmental variation and glaciations, mysteriously going extinct during a cool interglacial stage. Here, we integrate weekly records of climate, tooth growth, and metal exposure in two Neanderthals and one modern human from southeastern France. The Neanderthals inhabited cooler and more seasonal periods than the modern human, evincing childhood developmental stress during wintertime. In one instance, this stress may have included skeletal mobilization of elemental stores and weight loss; this individual was born in the spring and appears to have weaned 2.5 years later. Both Neanderthals were exposed to lead at least twice during the deep winter and/or early spring. This multidisciplinary approach elucidates direct relationships between ancient environments and hominin paleobiology.}, }
@article {pmid30386687, year = {2018}, author = {Akhtari, FS and Havener, TM and Fukudo, M and Jack, JR and McLeod, HL and Wiltshire, T and Motsinger-Reif, AA}, title = {The influence of Neanderthal alleles on cytotoxic response.}, journal = {PeerJ}, volume = {6}, number = {}, pages = {e5691}, pmid = {30386687}, issn = {2167-8359}, support = {R01 CA161608/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {Various studies have shown that people of Eurasian origin contain traces of DNA inherited from interbreeding with Neanderthals. Recent studies have demonstrated that these Neanderthal variants influence a range of clinically important traits and diseases. Thus, understanding the genetic factors responsible for the variability in individual response to drug or chemical exposure is a key goal of pharmacogenomics and toxicogenomics, as dose responses are clinically and epidemiologically important traits. It is well established that ethnic and racial differences are important in dose response traits, but to our knowledge the influence of Neanderthal ancestry on response to xenobiotics is unknown. Towards this aim, we examined if Neanderthal ancestry plays a role in cytotoxic response to anti-cancer drugs and toxic environmental chemicals. We identified common Neanderthal variants in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) derived from the globally diverse 1000 Genomes Project and Caucasian cell lines from the Children's Hospital of Oakland Research Institute. We analyzed the effects of these Neanderthal alleles on cytotoxic response to 29 anti-cancer drugs and 179 environmental chemicals at varying concentrations using genome-wide data. We identified and replicated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from these association results, including a SNP in the SNORD-113 cluster. Our results also show that the Neanderthal alleles cumulatively lead to increased sensitivity to both the anti-cancer drugs and the environmental chemicals. Our results demonstrate the influence of Neanderthal ancestry-informative markers on cytotoxic response. These results could be important in identifying biomarkers for personalized medicine or in dissecting the underlying etiology of dose response traits.}, }
@article {pmid30377294, year = {2018}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Barash, A and García-Martínez, D and Arlegi, M and Kramer, P and Bastir, M and Been, E}, title = {3D virtual reconstruction of the Kebara 2 Neandertal thorax.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {4387}, pmid = {30377294}, issn = {2041-1723}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Humans ; *Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Organ Size ; Principal Component Analysis ; Thorax/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The size and shape of the Neandertal thorax has been debated since the first discovery of Neandertal ribs more than 150 years ago, with workers proposing different interpretations ranging from a Neandertal thoracic morphology that is indistinguishable from modern humans, to one that was significantly different from them. Here, we provide a virtual 3D reconstruction of the thorax of the adult male Kebara 2 Neandertal. Our analyses reveal that the Kebara 2 thorax is significantly different but not larger from that of modern humans, wider in its lower segment, which parallels his wide bi-iliac breadth, and with a more invaginated vertebral column. Kinematic analyses show that rib cages that are wider in their lower segment produce greater overall size increments (respiratory capacity) during inspiration. We hypothesize that Neandertals may have had a subtle, but somewhat different breathing mechanism compared to modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid30359256, year = {2018}, author = {de Filippo, C and Meyer, M and Prüfer, K}, title = {Quantifying and reducing spurious alignments for the analysis of ultra-short ancient DNA sequences.}, journal = {BMC biology}, volume = {16}, number = {1}, pages = {121}, pmid = {30359256}, issn = {1741-7007}, mesh = {Animals ; *Base Sequence ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; Fossils ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Sequence Alignment/*methods ; Spain ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The study of ancient DNA is hampered by degradation, resulting in short DNA fragments. Advances in laboratory methods have made it possible to retrieve short DNA fragments, thereby improving access to DNA preserved in highly degraded, ancient material. However, such material contains large amounts of microbial contamination in addition to DNA fragments from the ancient organism. The resulting mixture of sequences constitutes a challenge for computational analysis, since microbial sequences are hard to distinguish from the ancient sequences of interest, especially when they are short.<br><br>RESULTS: Here, we develop a method to quantify spurious alignments based on the presence or absence of rare variants. We find that spurious alignments are enriched for mismatches and insertion/deletion differences and lack substitution patterns typical of ancient DNA. The impact of spurious alignments can be reduced by filtering on these features and by imposing a sample-specific minimum length cutoff. We apply this approach to sequences from four ~&#x2009;430,000-year-old Sima de los Huesos hominin remains, which contain particularly short DNA fragments, and increase the amount of usable sequence data by 17-150%. This allows us to place a third specimen from the site on the Neandertal lineage.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our method maximizes the sequence data amenable to genetic analysis from highly degraded ancient material and avoids pitfalls that are associated with the analysis of ultra-short DNA sequences.}, }
@article {pmid30351468, year = {2019}, author = {Pablos, A and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {A Neandertal foot phalanx from the Galería de las Estatuas site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {168}, number = {1}, pages = {222-228}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23729}, pmid = {30351468}, issn = {1096-8644}, support = {//Fundaci&#xf3;n Atapuerca/International ; //Junta de Castilla y Le&#xf3;n/International ; CGL2015-65387-C3-2-P MINECO/FEDER//Ministerio de Econom&#xed;a y Competitividad/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Anthropometry ; Fossils ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Toe Phalanges/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The Galería de las Estatuas site (GE), a new Mousterian site at the Sierra de Atapuerca site complex (Spain), has revealed a Late Pleistocene detrital sequence with at least five lithostratigraphic units. These units have yielded evidence of Mousterian occupations with sporadic carnivore activity, and have provided datings of 80-112 ka BP using single-grain optically stimulated luminescence. This places the sequence at the end of MIS5 and beginning of the MIS4. We described here a complete adult human distal foot phalanx (GE-1573) recovered during the 2017 field season in the interface between lithostratigraphic units 3 and 4 (107-112 ka BP) in the GE-I test pit.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHOD: This phalanx (GE-1573) probably corresponds to the fifth toe from the right side due to the medial deviation of the distal tuberosity. We compared the metric variables of this phalanx to several fossil and recent Homo samples.<br><br>RESULTS: Neandertals display foot phalanges that are broader and more robust than those of recent humans. Despite the scarcity of well-identified distal phalanges in the Homo fossil record, the GE-1573 phalanx is broad, long and robust when compared with recent and Upper Paleolithic modern humans.<br><br>DISCUSSION: These traits, which align the GE-1573 foot phalanx with the Neandertal morphology, are consistent with the stratigraphic context, likely corresponding to one of the oldest Late Neandertals found inland on the Iberian Peninsula. Additionally, it provides the first evidence of a Neandertal human fossil in a stratigraphic context in the Sierra de Atapuerca.}, }
@article {pmid30332432, year = {2018}, author = {Cortés-Sánchez, M and Riquelme-Cantal, JA and Simón-Vallejo, MD and Parrilla Giráldez, R and Odriozola, CP and Calle Román, L and Carrión, JS and Monge Gómez, G and Rodríguez Vidal, J and Moyano Campos, JJ and Rico Delgado, F and Nieto Julián, JE and Antón García, D and Martínez-Aguirre, MA and Jiménez Barredo, F and Cantero-Chinchilla, FN}, title = {Pre-Solutrean rock art in southernmost Europe: Evidence from Las Ventanas Cave (Andalusia, Spain).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {10}, pages = {e0204651}, pmid = {30332432}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Art/*history ; Caves ; Coloring Agents/chemistry/history ; Engraving and Engravings/history ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Radiometric Dating ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The south of Iberia conserves an important group of Palaeolithic rock art sites. The graphisms have been mostly attributed to the Solutrean and Magdalenian periods, while the possibility that older remains exist has provoked extensive debate. This circumstance has been linked to both the cited periods, until recently, due to the transition from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic in the extreme southwest of Europe as well as the non-existence of some of the early periods of Palaeolithic art documented in northern Iberia. This study presents the results of interdisciplinary research conducted in Las Ventanas Cave. These results enabled us to identify a new Palaeolithic rock art site. The technical, stylistic and temporal traits point to certain similarities with the range of exterior deep engravings in Cantabrian Palaeolithic rock art. Ventanas appears to corroborate the age attributed to those kinds of graphic expression and points to the early arrival of the Upper Palaeolithic in the south of Iberia. Importantly, the results provide information on the pre-Solutrean date attributed to trilinear hind figures. These findings challenge the supposed Neanderthal survival idea at one of the main late Middle Palaeolithic southern Iberian sites (Carigüela) and, due to the parallels between them and an engraving attributed to this period in Gibraltar, it raises the possibility of interaction between modern humans and Neanderthals in the extreme southwest of Europe.}, }
@article {pmid30327578, year = {2018}, author = {Williams, AC and Hill, LJ}, title = {Nicotinamide's Ups and Downs: Consequences for Fertility, Development, Longevity and Diseases of Poverty and Affluence.}, journal = {International journal of tryptophan research : IJTR}, volume = {11}, number = {}, pages = {1178646918802289}, pmid = {30327578}, issn = {1178-6469}, abstract = {To further explore the role of dietary nicotinamide in both brain development and diseases, particularly those of ageing. Articles cover neurodegenerative disease and cancer. Also discussed are the effects of nicotinamide, contained in meat and supplements and derived from symbionts, on the major transitions of disease and fertility from ancient times up to the present day. A key role for the tryptophan - NAD 'de novo' and immune tolerance pathway are discussed at length in the context of fertility and longevity and the transitions from immune paresis to Treg-mediated immune tolerance and then finally to intolerance and their associated diseases. Abstract: Nicotinamide in human evolution increased cognitive power in a positive feedback loop originally involving hunting. As the precursor to metabolic master molecule NAD it is, as vitamin B3, vital for health. Paradoxically, a lower dose on a diverse plant then cereal-based diet fuelled population booms from the Mesolithic onwards, by upping immune tolerance of the foetus. Increased tolerance of risky symbionts, whether in the gut or TB, that excrete nicotinamide co-evolved as buffers for when diet was inadequate. High biological fertility, despite disease trade-offs, avoided the extinction of Homo sapiens and heralded the dawn of a conscious, creative, and pro-fertility culture. Nicotinamide equity now would stabilise populations and prevent NAD-based diseases of poverty and affluence.}, }
@article {pmid30310091, year = {2018}, author = {Gravina, B and Bachellerie, F and Caux, S and Discamps, E and Faivre, JP and Galland, A and Michel, A and Teyssandier, N and Bordes, JG}, title = {No Reliable Evidence for a Neanderthal-Châtelperronian Association at La Roche-à-Pierrot, Saint-Césaire.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {15134}, pmid = {30310091}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Europe ; Fossils ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The demise of Neanderthals and their interaction with dispersing anatomically modern human populations remain some of the most contentious issues in palaeoanthropology. The Châtelperronian, now generally recognized as the first genuine Upper Palaeolithic industry in Western Europe and commonly attributed to the Neanderthals, plays a pivotal role in these debates. The Neanderthal authorship of this techno-complex is based on reported associations of Neanderthal skeletal material with Châtelperronian assemblages at only two sites, La Roche-à-Pierrot (Saint-Césaire) and the Grotte du Renne (Arcy-sur-Cure). The reliability of such an association has, however, been the subject of heated controversy. Here we present a detailed taphonomic, spatial and typo-technological reassessment of the level (EJOP sup) containing the Neanderthal skeletal material at Saint-Césaire. Our assessment of a new larger sample of lithic artifacts, combined with a systematic refitting program and spatial projections of diagnostic artifacts, produced no reliable evidence for a Neanderthal-Châtelperronian association at the site. These results significantly impact current models concerning the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition in Western Europe and force a critical reappraisal of who exactly were the makers of the Châtelperronian.}, }
@article {pmid30309914, year = {2018}, author = {Hoffmann, DL and Standish, CD and García-Diez, M and Pettitt, PB and Milton, JA and Zilhão, J and Alcolea-González, JJ and Cantalejo-Duarte, P and Collado, H and de Balbín, R and Lorblanchet, M and Ramos-Muñoz, J and Weniger, GC and Pike, AWG}, title = {Response to Comment on "U-Th dating of carbonate crusts reveals Neandertal origin of Iberian cave art".}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {362}, number = {6411}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1126/science.aau1736}, pmid = {30309914}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Carbonates ; *Caves ; *Neanderthals ; Reproducibility of Results ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Slimak et al challenge the reliability of our oldest (>65,000 years) U-Th dates on carbonates associated with cave paintings in Spain. They cite a supposed lack of parietal art for the 25,000 years following this date, along with potential methodological issues relating to open-system behavior and corrections to detrital or source water [230]Th. We show that their criticisms are unfounded.}, }
@article {pmid30301990, year = {2018}, author = {}, title = {Neanderthal liaisons bestowed virus-fighting genes on humans.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {562}, number = {7726}, pages = {166}, doi = {10.1038/d41586-018-06940-x}, pmid = {30301990}, issn = {1476-4687}, }
@article {pmid30293985, year = {2018}, author = {Rodríguez, W and Mazet, O and Grusea, S and Arredondo, A and Corujo, JM and Boitard, S and Chikhi, L}, title = {The IICR and the non-stationary structured coalescent: towards demographic inference with arbitrary changes in population structure.}, journal = {Heredity}, volume = {121}, number = {6}, pages = {663-678}, pmid = {30293985}, issn = {1365-2540}, mesh = {*Demography ; Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; *Population Density ; }, abstract = {In the last years, a wide range of methods allowing to reconstruct past population size changes from genome-wide data have been developed. At the same time, there has been an increasing recognition that population structure can generate genetic data similar to those produced under models of population size change. Recently, Mazet et al. (Heredity 116:362-371, 2016) showed that, for any model of population structure, it is always possible to find a panmictic model with a particular function of population size changes, having exactly the same distribution of T2 (the coalescence time for a sample of size two) as that of the structured model. They called this function IICR (Inverse Instantaneous Coalescence Rate) and showed that it does not necessarily correspond to population size changes under non-panmictic models. Besides, most of the methods used to analyse data under models of population structure tend to arbitrarily fix that structure and to minimise or neglect population size changes. Here, we extend the seminal work of Herbots (PhD thesis, University of London, 1994) on the structured coalescent and propose a new framework, the Non-Stationary Structured Coalescent (NSSC) that incorporates demographic events (changes in gene flow and/or deme sizes) to models of nearly any complexity. We show how to compute the IICR under a wide family of stationary and non-stationary models. As an example we address the question of human and Neanderthal evolution and discuss how the NSSC framework allows to interpret genomic data under this new perspective.}, }
@article {pmid30290142, year = {2018}, author = {Enard, D and Petrov, DA}, title = {Evidence that RNA Viruses Drove Adaptive Introgression between Neanderthals and Modern Humans.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {175}, number = {2}, pages = {360-371.e13}, pmid = {30290142}, issn = {1097-4172}, support = {R01 GM100366/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R35 GM118165/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Haplotypes ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic/*genetics ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; RNA Viruses/*genetics/pathogenicity ; Selection, Genetic/genetics ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals and modern humans interbred at least twice in the past 100,000 years. While there is evidence that most introgressed DNA segments from Neanderthals to modern humans were removed by purifying selection, less is known about the adaptive nature of introgressed sequences that were retained. We hypothesized that interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans led to (1) the exposure of each species to novel viruses and (2) the exchange of adaptive alleles that provided resistance against these viruses. Here, we find that long, frequent-and more likely adaptive-segments of Neanderthal ancestry in modern humans are enriched for proteins that interact with viruses (VIPs). We found that VIPs that interact specifically with RNA viruses were more likely to belong to introgressed segments in modern Europeans. Our results show that retained segments of Neanderthal ancestry can be used to detect ancient epidemics.}, }
@article {pmid30290135, year = {2018}, author = {Huerta-Sánchez, E and Casey, FP}, title = {Simultaneous Viral Exposure and Protection from Neanderthal Introgression.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {175}, number = {2}, pages = {306-307}, doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2018.09.019}, pmid = {30290135}, issn = {1097-4172}, support = {R35 GM128946/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Genome ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; *RNA Viruses ; }, abstract = {In this issue, Enard and Petrov present intriguing results on the possibility of genetic traces left behind in our genomes from adaptation to past viral epidemics that may have been initiated by interaction with Neanderthal archaic hominins. The work highlights how powerful infectious agents can act as a selective force to shape our genetic makeup.}, }
@article {pmid30287834, year = {2018}, author = {Jones, JR and Richards, MP and Straus, LG and Reade, H and Altuna, J and Mariezkurrena, K and Marín-Arroyo, AB}, title = {Changing environments during the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in the eastern Cantabrian Region (Spain): direct evidence from stable isotope studies on ungulate bones.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {14842}, pmid = {30287834}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {H2020-MSCA-IF-2014-656122)//European Commission (EC)/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; *Bone and Bones ; Deer ; *Environment ; *Fossils ; Geography ; Geologic Sediments ; Horses ; *Isotopes ; *Mammals ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Environmental change has been proposed as a factor that contributed to the extinction of the Neanderthals in Europe during MIS3. Currently, the different local environmental conditions experienced at the time when Anatomically Modern Humans (AMH) met Neanderthals are not well known. In the Western Pyrenees, particularly, in the eastern end of the Cantabrian coast of the Iberian Peninsula, extensive evidence of Neanderthal and subsequent AMH activity exists, making it an ideal area in which to explore the palaeoenvironments experienced and resources exploited by both human species during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition. Red deer and horse were analysed using bone collagen stable isotope analysis to reconstruct environmental conditions across the transition. A shift in the ecological niche of horses after the Mousterian demonstrates a change in environment, towards more open vegetation, linked to wider climatic change. In the Mousterian, Aurignacian and Gravettian, high inter-individual nitrogen ranges were observed in both herbivores. This could indicate that these individuals were procured from areas isotopically different in nitrogen. Differences in sulphur values between sites suggest some variability in the hunting locations exploited, reflecting the human use of different parts of the landscape. An alternative and complementary explanation proposed is that there were climatic fluctuations within the time of formation of these archaeological levels, as observed in pollen, marine and ice cores.}, }
@article {pmid30281595, year = {2018}, author = {Zanolli, C and Martinón-Torres, M and Bernardini, F and Boschian, G and Coppa, A and Dreossi, D and Mancini, L and Martínez de Pinillos, M and Martín-Francés, L and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Tozzi, C and Tuniz, C and Macchiarelli, R}, title = {The Middle Pleistocene (MIS 12) human dental remains from Fontana Ranuccio (Latium) and Visogliano (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), Italy. A comparative high resolution endostructural assessment.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {10}, pages = {e0189773}, pmid = {30281595}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology ; Dental Pulp Cavity/anatomy &amp; histology ; Dentin/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology/history ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Italy ; Neanderthals ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Root/anatomy &amp; histology ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {The penecontemporaneous Middle Pleistocene sites of Fontana Ranuccio (Latium) and Visogliano (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), set c. 450 km apart in central and northeastern Italy, respectively, have yielded some among the oldest human fossil remains testifying to a peopling phase of the Italian Peninsula broadly during the glacial MIS 12, a stage associated with one among the harshest climatic conditions in the Northern hemisphere during the entire Quaternary period. Together with the large samples from Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos, Spain, and Caune de l'Arago at Tautavel, France, the remains from Fontana Ranuccio and Visogliano are among the few mid-Middle Pleistocene dental assemblages from Western Europe available for investigating the presence of an early Neanderthal signature in their inner structure. We applied two- three-dimensional techniques of virtual imaging and geometric morphometrics to the high-resolution X-ray microtomography record of the dental remains from these two Italian sites and compared the results to the evidence from a selected number of Pleistocene and extant human specimens/samples from Europe and North Africa. Depending on their preservation quality and on the degree of occlusal wear, we comparatively assessed: (i) the crown enamel and radicular dentine thickness topographic variation of a uniquely represented lower incisor; (ii) the lateral crown tissue proportions of premolars and molars; (iii) the enamel-dentine junction, and (iv) the pulp cavity morphology of all available specimens. Our analyses reveal in both samples a Neanderthal-like inner structural signal, for some aspects also resembling the condition shown by the contemporary assemblage from Atapuerca SH, and clearly distinct from the recent human figures. This study provides additional evidence indicating that an overall Neanderthal morphological dental template was preconfigured in Western Europe at least 430 to 450 ka ago.}, }
@article {pmid30281589, year = {2018}, author = {Martín-Francés, L and Martinón-Torres, M and Martínez de Pinillos, M and García-Campos, C and Modesto-Mata, M and Zanolli, C and Rodríguez, L and Bermúdez de Castro, JM}, title = {Tooth crown tissue proportions and enamel thickness in Early Pleistocene Homo antecessor molars (Atapuerca, Spain).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {10}, pages = {e0203334}, pmid = {30281589}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Crowns ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals ; Paleodontology ; Phylogeny ; Spain ; Tooth Crown/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Tooth crown tissue proportions and enamel thickness distribution are considered reliable characters for inferring taxonomic identity, phylogenetic relationships, dietary and behavioural adaptations in fossil and extant hominids. While most Pleistocene hominins display variations from thick to hyper-thick enamel, Neanderthals exhibit relatively thinner. However, the chronological and geographical origin for the appearance of this typical Neanderthal condition is still unknown. The European late Early Pleistocene species Homo antecessor (Gran Dolina-TD6 site, Sierra de Atapuerca) represents an opportunity to investigate the appearance of the thin condition in the fossil record. In this study, we aim to test the hypothesis if H. antecessor molars approximates the Neanderthal condition for tissue proportions and enamel thickness. To do so, for the first time we characterised the molar inner structural organization in this Early Pleistocene hominin taxon (n = 17) and compared it to extinct and extant populations of the genus Homo from African, Asian and European origin (n = 355). The comparative sample includes maxillary and mandibular molars belonging to H. erectus, East and North African Homo, European Middle Pleistocene Homo, Neanderthals, and fossil and extant H. sapiens. We used high-resolution images to investigate the endostructural configuration of TD6 molars (tissue proportions, enamel thickness and distribution). TD6 permanent molars tend to exhibit on average thick absolute and relative enamel in 2D and 3D estimates, both in the complete crown and the lateral enamel. This condition is shared with the majority of extinct and extant hominin sample, except for Neanderthals and some isolated specimens. However, while the total crown percentage of dentine in TD6 globally resembles the low modern values, the lateral crown percentage of dentine tends to be much higher, closer to the Neanderthal signal. Similarly, the H. antecessor molar enamel distribution maps reveal a relative distribution pattern that is more similar to the Neanderthal condition (with the thickest enamel more spread at the periphery of the occlusal basin) rather than that of other fossil specimens and modern humans (with thicker cuspal enamel). Future studies on European Middle Pleistocene populations will provide more insights into the evolutionary trajectory of the typical Neanderthal dental structural organization.}, }
@article {pmid30278065, year = {2018}, author = {Hoover, KC}, title = {Intragenus (Homo) variation in a chemokine receptor gene (CCR5).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {10}, pages = {e0204989}, pmid = {30278065}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Gene Expression Regulation ; *Genetic Variation ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Receptors, CCR5/*genetics ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Humans have a comparatively higher rate of more polymorphisms in regulatory regions of the primate CCR5 gene, an immune system gene with both general and specific functions. This has been interpreted as allowing flexibility and diversity of gene expression in response to varying disease loads. A broad expression repertoire is useful to humans-the only globally distributed primate-due to our unique adaptive pattern that increased pathogen exposure and disease loads (e.g., sedentism, subsistence practices). The main objective of the study was to determine if the previously observed human pattern of increased variation extended to other members of our genus, Homo. The data for this study are mined from the published genomes of extinct hominins (four Neandertals and two Denisovans), an ancient human (Ust'-Ishim), and modern humans (1000 Genomes). An average of 15 polymorphisms per individual were found in human populations (with a total of 262 polymorphisms). There were 94 polymorphisms identified across extinct Homo (an average of 13 per individual) with 41 previously observed in modern humans and 53 novel polymorphisms (32 in Denisova and 21 in Neandertal). Neither the frequency nor distribution of polymorphisms across gene regions exhibit significant differences within the genus Homo. Thus, humans are not unique with regards to the increased frequency of regulatory polymorphisms and the evolution of variation patterns across CCR5 gene appears to have originated within the genus. A broader evolutionary perspective on regulatory flexibility may be that it provided an advantage during the transition to confrontational foraging (and later hunting) that altered human-environment interaction as well as during migration to Eurasia and encounters with novel pathogens.}, }
@article {pmid30271997, year = {2018}, author = {García-Martínez, D and Torres-Tamayo, N and Torres-Sánchez, I and García-Río, F and Rosas, A and Bastir, M}, title = {Ribcage measurements indicate greater lung capacity in Neanderthals and Lower Pleistocene hominins compared to modern humans.}, journal = {Communications biology}, volume = {1}, number = {}, pages = {117}, pmid = {30271997}, issn = {2399-3642}, abstract = {Our most recent fossil relatives, the Neanderthals, had a large brain and a very heavy body compared to modern humans. This type of body requires high levels of energetic intake. While food (meat and fat consumption) is a source of energy, oxygen via respiration is also necessary for metabolism. We would therefore expect Neanderthals to have large respiratory capacities. Here we estimate the pulmonary capacities of Neanderthals, based on costal measurements and physiological data from a modern human comparative sample. The Kebara 2 male had a lung volume of about 9.04 l; Tabun C1, a female individual, a lung volume of 5.85 l; and a Neanderthal from the El Sidrón site, a lung volume of 9.03 l. These volumes are approximately 20% greater than the corresponding volumes of modern humans of the same body size and sex. These results show that the Neanderthal body was highly sensitive to energy supply.}, }
@article {pmid30263956, year = {2018}, author = {Karakostis, FA and Hotz, G and Tourloukis, V and Harvati, K}, title = {Evidence for precision grasping in Neandertal daily activities.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {4}, number = {9}, pages = {eaat2369}, pmid = {30263956}, issn = {2375-2548}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hand Strength/*physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Neandertal manual activities, as previously reconstructed from their robust hand skeletons, are thought to involve systematic power grasping rather than precise hand movements. However, this interpretation is at odds with increasing archeological evidence for sophisticated cultural behavior. We reevaluate the manipulative behaviors of Neandertals and early modern humans using a historical reference sample with extensive genealogical and lifelong occupational documentation, in combination with a new and precise three-dimensional multivariate analysis of hand muscle attachments. Results show that Neandertal muscle marking patterns overlap exclusively with documented lifelong precision workers, reflecting systematic precision grasping consistent with the use of their associated cultural remains. Our findings challenge the established interpretation of Neandertal behavior and establish a solid link between biological and cultural remains in the fossil record.}, }
@article {pmid30237321, year = {2018}, author = {Slimak, L and Fietzke, J and Geneste, JM and Ontañón, R}, title = {Comment on "U-Th dating of carbonate crusts reveals Neandertal origin of Iberian cave art".}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {361}, number = {6408}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1126/science.aau1371}, pmid = {30237321}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Archaeology ; Carbonates ; *Caves ; Fossils ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {Hoffmann et al (Reports, 23 February 2018, p. 912) report the discovery of parietal art older than 64,800 years and attributed to Neanderthals, at least 25 millennia before the oldest parietal art ever found. Instead, critical evaluation of their geochronological data seems to provide stronger support for an age of 47,000 years, which is much more consistent with the archaeological background in hand.}, }
@article {pmid30230470, year = {2018}, author = {Charlier, P and Coppens, Y and Héry-Arnaud, G and Hassin, J}, title = {[A biological anthropology of the disappearance of the Neandertal Man: recent data].}, journal = {Medecine sciences : M/S}, volume = {34}, number = {8-9}, pages = {745-748}, doi = {10.1051/medsci/20183408024}, pmid = {30230470}, issn = {1958-5381}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology/*methods ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; *Extinction, Biological ; Female ; Fossils ; Humans ; Male ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {What could have been the causes of the disappearance of Neanderthals? We will try here to make a synthesis between one of the fundamental questions of biological anthropology relating to human evolution (hypotheses on the causes of the extinction of Neanderthals) and evolutionary bio-medical concepts, some of which have recently been reformulated thanks to the progress of paleogenomics (ancestral inheritance of the current human immune system, paleo-microbiology, host-pathogen relationship…).}, }
@article {pmid30226838, year = {2018}, author = {Skov, L and Hui, R and Shchur, V and Hobolth, A and Scally, A and Schierup, MH and Durbin, R}, title = {Detecting archaic introgression using an unadmixed outgroup.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {14}, number = {9}, pages = {e1007641}, pmid = {30226838}, issn = {1553-7404}, support = {207492/Z/17/Z/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; WT207492/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; WT206194/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Black People/genetics ; Fossils ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic/*genetics ; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander/genetics ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Human populations outside of Africa have experienced at least two bouts of introgression from archaic humans, from Neanderthals and Denisovans. In Papuans there is prior evidence of both these introgressions. Here we present a new approach to detect segments of individual genomes of archaic origin without using an archaic reference genome. The approach is based on a hidden Markov model that identifies genomic regions with a high density of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) not seen in unadmixed populations. We show using simulations that this provides a powerful approach to identifying segments of archaic introgression with a low rate of false detection, given data from a suitable outgroup population is available, without the archaic introgression but containing a majority of the variation that arose since initial separation from the archaic lineage. Furthermore our approach is able to infer admixture proportions and the times both of admixture and of initial divergence between the human and archaic populations. We apply the model to detect archaic introgression in 89 Papuans and show how the identified segments can be assigned to likely Neanderthal or Denisovan origin. We report more Denisovan admixture than previous studies and find a shift in size distribution of fragments of Neanderthal and Denisovan origin that is compatible with a difference in admixture time. Furthermore, we identify small amounts of Denisova ancestry in South East Asians and South Asians.}, }
@article {pmid30209350, year = {2018}, author = {Clyde, D}, title = {The girl with Neanderthal and Denisovan parents.}, journal = {Nature reviews. Genetics}, volume = {19}, number = {11}, pages = {668-669}, doi = {10.1038/s41576-018-0054-6}, pmid = {30209350}, issn = {1471-0064}, mesh = {Female ; Male ; Fathers ; Genome ; Mothers ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Parents ; Animals ; }, }
@article {pmid30201119, year = {2018}, author = {Conde-Valverde, M and Quam, R and Martínez, I and Arsuaga, JL and Daura, J and Sanz, M and Zilhão, J}, title = {The bony labyrinth in the Aroeira 3 Middle Pleistocene cranium.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {124}, number = {}, pages = {105-116}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.08.003}, pmid = {30201119}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Biological Evolution ; Ear, Inner/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Portugal ; }, abstract = {The discovery of a partial cranium at the site of Aroeira (Portugal) dating to 389-436 ka augments the current sample of Middle Pleistocene European crania and makes this specimen penecontemporaneous with the fossils from the geographically close Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos (SH) and Arago sites. A recent study of the cranium documented a unique combination of primitive and derived features. The Aroeira 3 cranium preserves the right temporal bone, including the petrosal portion. Virtual reconstruction of the bony labyrinth from μCT scans provides an opportunity to examine its morphology. A series of standard linear and angular measures of the semicircular canals and cochlea in Aroeira 3 were compared with other fossil hominins and recent humans. Our analysis has revealed the absence of derived Neandertal features in Aroeira 3. In particular, the specimen lacks both the derived canal proportions and the low position of the posterior canal, two of the most diagnostic features of the Neandertal bony labyrinth, and Aroeira 3 is more primitive in these features than the Atapuerca (SH) sample. One potentially derived feature (low shape index of the cochlear basal turn) is shared between Aroeira 3 and the Atapuerca (SH) hominins, but is absent in Neandertals. The results of our study provide new insights into Middle Pleistocene population dynamics close to the origin of the Neandertal clade. In particular, the contrasting inner ear morphology between Aroeira 3 and the Atapuerca (SH) hominins suggests a degree of demographic isolation, despite the close geographic proximity and similar age of these two sites.}, }
@article {pmid30177445, year = {2018}, author = {Goldfield, AE and Booton, R and Marston, JM}, title = {Modeling the role of fire and cooking in the competitive exclusion of Neanderthals.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {124}, number = {}, pages = {91-104}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.07.006}, pmid = {30177445}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Cooking ; *Extinction, Biological ; *Fires ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {The Neanderthal body was more robust and energetically costly than the bodies of anatomically modern humans (AMH). Different metabolic budgets between competing populations of Neanderthals and AMH may have been a factor in the varied ranges of behavior and timelines for Neanderthal extinction that we see in the Paleolithic archaeological record. This paper uses an adaptation of the Lotka-Volterra model to determine whether metabolic differences alone could have accounted for Neanderthal extinction. In addition, we use a modeling approach to investigate Neanderthal fire use, evidence for which is much debated and is variable throughout different climatic phases of the Middle Paleolithic. The increased caloric yield from a cooked versus a raw diet may have played an important role in population competition between Neanderthals and AMH. We arrive at two key conclusions. First, given differences in metabolic budget between Neanderthals and AMH and their dependence on similar or overlapping food resources, Neanderthal extinction is likely inevitable over the long term. Second, the rate of Neanderthal extinction increases as the frequency of AMH fire use increases. Results highlight the importance of understanding the variable behaviors at play on a regional scale in order to understand global Neanderthal extinction. We also emphasize the importance of understanding the role of fire use in the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition.}, }
@article {pmid30173883, year = {2018}, author = {Aubert, M and Brumm, A and Huntley, J}, title = {Early dates for 'Neanderthal cave art' may be wrong.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {125}, number = {}, pages = {215-217}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.08.004}, pmid = {30173883}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Caves ; *Neanderthals/psychology ; *Paintings ; *Radiometric Dating/statistics &amp; numerical data ; }, }
@article {pmid30153108, year = {2018}, author = {Delpiano, D and Heasley, K and Peresani, M}, title = {Assessing Neanderthal land use and lithic raw material management in Discoid technology.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {96}, number = {}, pages = {89-110}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.96006}, pmid = {30153108}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Italy ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; *Technology ; Territoriality ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal groups developed different models of mobility and exploitation of resources across their territory: these differences can be linked to various knapping methods and are probably related to adaptative strategies and responses at many ecological and cultural levels. Neanderthals associated with Discoid knapping are known to depend on an opportunistic exploitation of lithic raw materials for daily food procurement and be more mobile than others using different technologies. However, we have no defined data for most of the geographical contexts where this technocomplex was found. This study analyzes the southern Alpine site of Grotta di Fumane, where the final Mousterian is characterized by the succession of well defined cultural entities. Unit A9 presents with entirely Discoid technology and is embedded between fully Levallois levels. The level was recently extensively investigated for almost 68m[2] on 9,000 lithic pieces. To study the lithic assemblage of Unit A9 we applied a techno-economical analysis designed to infer the spatial fragmentation of the reduction sequences, and results were corroborated through the characterization of cortex and raw materials based on geological surveys and experimental comparisons. Results show that raw materials collected within a radius of 5km, by far the most frequently used, exhibit complete and ordinary reduction sequences, which were further attested by multiple refittings. Beyond this area, semi-local raw materials (5-10 km) are introduced to perform specific tasks, and are reduced according to their different physical qualities. These data, combined with the presence of lithotypes and fossils collected from longer distances (ten to hundreds of kilometers), and to the recycling of old patinated artifacts, indicate a complex and diversified behavior encompassing both: a) opportunistic and daily residential exploitation within a local territory; b) logistical planning of the economical organization in the semi-local to exotic territory according to quality and distance of available raw materials sources.}, }
@article {pmid30135579, year = {2018}, author = {Slon, V and Mafessoni, F and Vernot, B and de Filippo, C and Grote, S and Viola, B and Hajdinjak, M and Peyrégne, S and Nagel, S and Brown, S and Douka, K and Higham, T and Kozlikin, MB and Shunkov, MV and Derevianko, AP and Kelso, J and Meyer, M and Prüfer, K and Pääbo, S}, title = {The genome of the offspring of a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {561}, number = {7721}, pages = {113-116}, pmid = {30135579}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {324139/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; 694707/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; 715069/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Fathers ; Female ; Gene Flow/genetics ; Genome ; Genomics ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic/*genetics ; Male ; Mothers ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals and Denisovans are extinct groups of hominins that separated from each other more than 390,000 years ago[1,2]. Here we present the genome of 'Denisova 11', a bone fragment from Denisova Cave (Russia)[3] and show that it comes from an individual who had a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father. The father, whose genome bears traces of Neanderthal ancestry, came from a population related to a later Denisovan found in the cave[4-6]. The mother came from a population more closely related to Neanderthals who lived later in Europe[2,7] than to an earlier Neanderthal found in Denisova Cave[8], suggesting that migrations of Neanderthals between eastern and western Eurasia occurred sometime after 120,000 years ago. The finding of a first-generation Neanderthal-Denisovan offspring among the small number of archaic specimens sequenced to date suggests that mixing between Late Pleistocene hominin groups was common when they met.}, }
@article {pmid30135563, year = {2018}, author = {Srinivasan, S and Bettella, F and Frei, O and Hill, WD and Wang, Y and Witoelar, A and Schork, AJ and Thompson, WK and Davies, G and Desikan, RS and Deary, IJ and Melle, I and Ueland, T and Dale, AM and Djurovic, S and Smeland, OB and Andreassen, OA}, title = {Enrichment of genetic markers of recent human evolution in educational and cognitive traits.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {12585}, pmid = {30135563}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {223273//Norges Forskningsr&#x00E5;d (Research Council of Norway)/International ; 2016-064//Ministry of Health and Care Services | Helse S&#x00F8;r-&#x00D8;st RHF (Southern and Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority)/International ; Disconnected mind grant//Age UK/International ; 225989//Norges Forskningsr&#x00E5;d (Research Council of Norway)/International ; MR/K026992/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; MR/K026992/1//Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)/International ; 248778//Norges Forskningsr&#x00E5;d (Research Council of Norway)/International ; }, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Brain/metabolism ; Cognition/physiology ; Educational Status ; Female ; Genetic Markers/genetics ; Genome/genetics ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Intelligence/*genetics ; Male ; Multifactorial Inheritance/genetics ; Phenotype ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; }, abstract = {Higher cognitive functions are regarded as one of the main distinctive traits of humans. Evidence for the cognitive evolution of human beings is mainly based on fossil records of an expanding cranium and an increasing complexity of material culture artefacts. However, the molecular genetic factors involved in the evolution are still relatively unexplored. Here, we investigated whether genomic regions that underwent positive selection in humans after divergence from Neanderthals are enriched for genetic association with phenotypes related to cognitive functions. We used genome wide association data from a study of college completion (N = 111,114), one of educational attainment (N = 293,623) and two different studies of general cognitive ability (N = 269,867 and 53,949). We found nominally significant polygenic enrichment of associations with college completion (p = 0.025), educational attainment (p = 0.043) and general cognitive ability (p = 0.015 and 0.025, respectively), suggesting that variants influencing these phenotypes are more prevalent in evolutionarily salient regions. The enrichment remained significant after controlling for other known genetic enrichment factors, and for affiliation to genes highly expressed in the brain. These findings support the notion that phenotypes related to higher order cognitive skills typical of humans have a recent genetic component that originated after the separation of the human and Neanderthal lineages.}, }
@article {pmid30135540, year = {2018}, author = {Warren, M}, title = {Mum's a Neanderthal, Dad's a Denisovan: First discovery of an ancient-human hybrid.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {560}, number = {7719}, pages = {417-418}, doi = {10.1038/d41586-018-06004-0}, pmid = {30135540}, issn = {1476-4687}, }
@article {pmid30026576, year = {2018}, author = {Sorensen, AC and Claud, E and Soressi, M}, title = {Neandertal fire-making technology inferred from microwear analysis.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {10065}, pmid = {30026576}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {PGW-13-42//Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research)/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Artifacts ; *Fires ; Fossils ; France ; Friction ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Iron ; Manganese Compounds ; Microscopy ; Minerals ; *Neanderthals ; Oxides ; Sulfides ; Technology/*history ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {Fire use appears to have been relatively common among Neandertals in the Middle Palaeolithic. However, the means by which Neandertals procured their fire-either through the collection of natural fire, or by producing it themselves using tools-is still a matter of debate. We present here the first direct artefactual evidence for regular, systematic fire production by Neandertals. From archaeological layers attributed to late Mousterian industries at multiple sites throughout France, primarily to the Mousterian of Acheulean Tradition (MTA) technoculture (ca. 50,000 years BP), we identify using microwear analysis dozens of late Middle Palaeolithic bifacial tools that exhibit macroscopic and microscopic traces suggesting repeated percussion and/or forceful abrasion with a hard mineral material. Both the locations and nature of the polish and associated striations are comparable to those obtained experimentally by obliquely percussing fragments of pyrite (FeS2) against the flat/convex sides of a biface to make fire. The striations within these discrete use zones are always oriented roughly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tool, allowing us to rule out taphonomic origins for these traces. We therefore suggest that the occasional use of bifaces as 'strike-a-lights' was a technocultural feature shared among the late Neandertals in France.}, }
@article {pmid30022013, year = {2018}, author = {Dolgova, O and Lao, O}, title = {Evolutionary and Medical Consequences of Archaic Introgression into Modern Human Genomes.}, journal = {Genes}, volume = {9}, number = {7}, pages = {}, pmid = {30022013}, issn = {2073-4425}, abstract = {The demographic history of anatomically modern humans (AMH) involves multiple migration events, population extinctions and genetic adaptations. As genome-wide data from complete genome sequencing becomes increasingly abundant and available even from extinct hominins, new insights of the evolutionary history of our species are discovered. It is currently known that AMH interbred with archaic hominins once they left the African continent. Current non-African human genomes carry fragments of archaic origin. This review focuses on the fitness consequences of archaic interbreeding in current human populations. We discuss new insights and challenges that researchers face when interpreting the potential impact of introgression on fitness and testing hypotheses about the role of selection within the context of health and disease.}, }
@article {pmid30002396, year = {2018}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Sala, N and Núñez-Lahuerta, C and Sanchis, A and Arlegi, M and Rios-Garaizar, J}, title = {First data of Neandertal bird and carnivore exploitation in the Cantabrian Region (Axlor; Barandiaran excavations; Dima, Biscay, Northern Iberian Peninsula).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {10551}, pmid = {30002396}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Body Remains ; Carnivory/*physiology ; Crows ; Eagles ; Europe ; Fossils ; Humans ; Lynx ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Wolves ; }, abstract = {Neandertals were top predators who basically relied on middle- to large-sized ungulates for dietary purposes, but there is growing evidence that supports their consumption of plants, leporids, tortoises, marine resources, carnivores and birds. The Iberian Peninsula has provided the most abundant record of bird exploitation for meat in Europe, starting in the Middle Pleistocene. However, the bird and carnivore exploitation record was hitherto limited to the Mediterranean area of the Iberian Peninsula. Here we present the first evidence of bird and carnivore exploitation by Neandertals in the Cantabrian region. We have found cut-marks in two golden eagles, one raven, one wolf and one lynx remain from the Mousterian levels of Axlor. The obtaining of meat was likely the primary purpose of the cut-marks on the golden eagle and lynx remains. Corvids, raptors, felids and canids in Axlor could have likely acted as commensals of the Neandertals, scavenging upon the carcasses left behind by these hunter-gatherers. This could have brought them closer to Neandertal groups who could have preyed upon them. These new results provide additional information on their dietary scope and indicate a more complex interaction between Neandertals and their environment.}, }
@article {pmid29983156, year = {2018}, author = {García-Martínez, D and Radovčić, D and Radovčić, J and Cofran, Z and Rosas, A and Bastir, M}, title = {Over 100 years of Krapina: New insights into the Neanderthal thorax from the study of rib cross-sectional morphology.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {122}, number = {}, pages = {124-132}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.05.009}, pmid = {29983156}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; Croatia ; Female ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Ribs/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Thorax/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The Krapina costal sample was studied by Gorjanović-Kramberger in the early twentieth century. He pointed out unique features in the sample such as the rounder rib cross-section, which was recently confirmed in other Neanderthal specimens. Round rib cross-sections are characteristic of Homo ergaster, suggesting this may be plesiomorphic for Pleistocene Homo, but it is unknown whether Homo antecessor also had this rib shape. Furthermore, the influence of allometry on the cross-sectional shape of ribs is still unknown. The large costal sample from Krapina allows us to address these issues. We quantified cross-section morphology at the midshaft throughout a closed curve of one landmark and nine sliding semilandmarks in the Krapina costal remains (n = 7), as well as in other Neanderthals (n = 50), H. antecessor (n = 3) and modern humans, both fossil (n = 12) and recent (n = 160). We used principal components analysis and mean comparisons to explore interspecific differences, regression analysis to investigate allometry, and partial least squares analysis to examine covariation of cross-section shape and overall rib morphology. Neanderthal cross-sections tended to be larger than those of recent humans except for the Krapina and Tabun remains. Regarding shape, inter-group differences were found only in the diaphragmatic thorax, where Neanderthal and H. antecessor ribs were statistically significantly rounder than those of modern humans. Allometry accounted for covariation of size on shape, but the Neandertal and modern human trajectories had different slopes. While our results based on the Krapina costal sample are similar to previous findings, we also make several new insights: 1) the cross-section morphology observed in Neanderthals was probably present in H. antecessor, albeit less marked; 2) the distinct roundness of Neanderthal cross-sections is not related to size; 3) rounder cross-sections are correlated with ribs presenting less curvature in cranial view and a low degree of torsion in recent humans. These results are important for the interpretation of fragmentary Neanderthal costal remains, and the fact that the differences are marked only in the diaphragmatic thorax could have implications for breathing kinematics.}, }
@article {pmid29942018, year = {2018}, author = {Hoffmann, DL and Standish, CD and Pike, AWG and García-Diez, M and Pettitt, PB and Angelucci, DE and Villaverde, V and Zapata, J and Milton, JA and Alcolea-González, J and Cantalejo-Duarte, P and Collado, H and de Balbín, R and Lorblanchet, M and Ramos-Muñoz, J and Weniger, GC and Zilhão, J}, title = {Dates for Neanderthal art and symbolic behaviour are reliable.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {2}, number = {7}, pages = {1044-1045}, doi = {10.1038/s41559-018-0598-z}, pmid = {29942018}, issn = {2397-334X}, mesh = {Animals ; Art ; Fossils ; *Neanderthals ; Paleontology ; }, }
@article {pmid29942012, year = {2018}, author = {Gaudzinski-Windheuser, S and Noack, ES and Pop, E and Herbst, C and Pfleging, J and Buchli, J and Jacob, A and Enzmann, F and Kindler, L and Iovita, R and Street, M and Roebroeks, W}, title = {Evidence for close-range hunting by last interglacial Neanderthals.}, journal = {Nature ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {2}, number = {7}, pages = {1087-1092}, doi = {10.1038/s41559-018-0596-1}, pmid = {29942012}, issn = {2397-334X}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Biological Evolution ; Diet ; Germany ; *Neanderthals ; *Tool Use Behavior ; Weapons ; }, abstract = {Animal resources have been part of hominin diets since around 2.5 million years ago, with sharp-edged stone tools facilitating access to carcasses. How exactly hominins acquired animal prey and how hunting strategies varied through time and space is far from clear. The oldest possible hunting weapons known from the archaeological record are 300,000 to 400,000-year-old sharpened wooden staves. These may have been used as throwing and/or close-range thrusting spears, but actual data on how such objects were used are lacking, as unambiguous lesions caused by such weapon-like objects are unknown for most of human prehistory. Here, we report perforations observed on two fallow deer skeletons from Neumark-Nord, Germany, retrieved during excavations of 120,000-year-old lake shore deposits with abundant traces of Neanderthal presence. Detailed studies of the perforations, including micro-computed tomography imaging and ballistic experiments, demonstrate that they resulted from the close-range use of thrusting spears. Such confrontational ways of hunting require close cooperation between participants, and over time may have shaped important aspects of hominin biology and behaviour.}, }
@article {pmid29937092, year = {2018}, author = {Li, J and Hong, X and Mesiano, S and Muglia, LJ and Wang, X and Snyder, M and Stevenson, DK and Shaw, GM}, title = {Natural Selection Has Differentiated the Progesterone Receptor among Human Populations.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {103}, number = {1}, pages = {45-57}, pmid = {29937092}, issn = {1537-6605}, support = {RC2 HL101748/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Female ; Genome-Wide Association Study/methods ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/*genetics ; Receptors, Progesterone/*genetics ; Selection, Genetic/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The progesterone receptor (PGR) plays a central role in maintaining pregnancy and is significantly associated with medical conditions such as preterm birth that affects 12.6% of all the births in U.S. PGR has been evolving rapidly since the common ancestor of human and chimpanzee, and we herein investigated evolutionary dynamics of PGR during recent human migration and population differentiation. Our study revealed substantial population differentiation at the PGR locus driven by natural selection, where very recent positive selection in East Asians has substantially decreased its genetic diversity by nearly fixing evolutionarily novel alleles. On the contrary, in European populations, the PGR locus has been promoted to a highly polymorphic state likely due to balancing selection. Integrating transcriptome data across multiple tissue types together with large-scale genome-wide association data for preterm birth, our study demonstrated the consequence of the selection event in East Asians on remodeling PGR expression specifically in the ovary and determined a significant association of early spontaneous preterm birth with the evolutionarily selected variants. To reconstruct its evolutionary trajectory on the human lineage, we observed substantial differentiation between modern and archaic humans at the PGR locus, including fixation of a deleterious missense allele in the Neanderthal genome that was later introgressed in modern human populations. Taken together, our study revealed substantial evolutionary innovation in PGR even during very recent human evolution, and its different forms among human populations likely result in differential susceptibility to progesterone-associated disease conditions including preterm birth.}, }
@article {pmid29931305, year = {2018}, author = {Prüfer, K}, title = {snpAD: an ancient DNA genotype caller.}, journal = {Bioinformatics (Oxford, England)}, volume = {34}, number = {24}, pages = {4165-4171}, pmid = {29931305}, issn = {1367-4811}, mesh = {Computational Biology ; *DNA, Ancient ; *Genome ; Genotype ; *Genotyping Techniques ; Humans ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; *Software ; }, abstract = {MOTIVATION: The study of ancient genomes can elucidate the evolutionary past. However, analyses are complicated by base-modifications in ancient DNA molecules that result in errors in DNA sequences. These errors are particularly common near the ends of sequences and pose a challenge for genotype calling.<br><br>RESULTS: I describe an iterative method that estimates genotype frequencies and errors along sequences to allow for accurate genotype calling from ancient sequences. The implementation of this method, called snpAD, performs well on high-coverage ancient data, as shown by simulations and by subsampling the data of a high-coverage Neandertal genome. Although estimates for low-coverage genomes are less accurate, I am able to derive approximate estimates of heterozygosity from several low-coverage Neandertals. These estimates show that low heterozygosity, compared to modern humans, was common among Neandertals.<br><br>The C++ code of snpAD is freely available at http://bioinf.eva.mpg.de/snpAD/.<br><br>SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.}, }
@article {pmid29930117, year = {2018}, author = {Cohen, J}, title = {Neanderthal brain organoids come to life.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {360}, number = {6395}, pages = {1284}, doi = {10.1126/science.360.6395.1284}, pmid = {29930117}, issn = {1095-9203}, }
@article {pmid29914355, year = {2018}, author = {Cserhati, MF and Mooter, ME and Peterson, L and Wicks, B and Xiao, P and Pauley, M and Guda, C}, title = {Motifome comparison between modern human, Neanderthal and Denisovan.}, journal = {BMC genomics}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, pages = {472}, pmid = {29914355}, issn = {1471-2164}, support = {P20 GM103427/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; P30 CA036727/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; 2P20GM103427//Nebraska INBRE/ ; 5P30CA036727//CCSG award/ ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Endogenous Retroviruses/genetics ; *Fossils ; *Genome ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Nucleotide Motifs/*genetics ; Phenotype ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Trans-Activators ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The availability of the genomes of two archaic humans, Neanderthal and Denisovan, and that of modern humans provides researchers an opportunity to investigate genetic differences between these three subspecies on a genome-wide scale. Here we describe an algorithm that predicts statistically significant motifs based on the difference between a given motif's actual and expected distributions. The algorithm was previously applied to plants but was modified for this work.<br><br>RESULTS: The result of applying the algorithm to the human, Neanderthal, and Denisovan genomes is a catalog of potential regulatory motifs in these three human subspecies. We examined the distributions of these motifs in genetic elements including human retroviruses, human accelerated regions, and human accelerated conserved noncoding sequences regions. Differences in these distributions could be the origin of differences in phenotype between the three subspecies. Twenty significant motifs common to all three genomes were found; thirty-three were found in endogenous retroviruses in Neanderthal and Denisovan. Ten of these motifs mapped to the 22&#xa0;bp core of MiR-1304. The core of this genetic element regulates the ENAM and AMTN genes, which take part in odontogenesis and whose 3' UTRs contained significant motifs. The introns of 20 genes were found to contain a large number of significant motifs, which were also overrepresented in 49 human accelerated regions. These genes include NAV2, SorCS2, TRAPPC9, GRID1, PRDM16, CAMTA1, and ASIC which are all involved in neuroregulation. Further analysis of these genes using the GO database indicates that many are associated with neurodevelopment. Also, varying numbers of significant motifs were found to occur in regions of the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes that are missing from the human genome, suggesting further functional differences between modern and archaic humans.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Although Neanderthal and Denisovan are now extinct, detailed examination of elements from their genomes can shed light on possible phenotypic and cognitive differences between these two archaic human subspecies and modern humans. Genetic similarities and differences between these three subspecies and other fossil hominids would also be of interest.}, }
@article {pmid29754744, year = {2018}, author = {García-Martínez, D and Campo Martín, M and González Martín, A and Cambra-Moo, &#xd3; and Barash, A and Bastir, M}, title = {Reevaluation of 'endocostal ossifications' on the Kebara 2 Neanderthal ribs.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {122}, number = {}, pages = {33-37}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.04.011}, pmid = {29754744}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; *Osteogenesis ; Ribs/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; }, }
@article {pmid29747567, year = {2018}, author = {Banerjee, N and Polushina, T and Bettella, F and Giddaluru, S and Steen, VM and Andreassen, OA and Le Hellard, S}, title = {Recently evolved human-specific methylated regions are enriched in schizophrenia signals.}, journal = {BMC evolutionary biology}, volume = {18}, number = {1}, pages = {63}, pmid = {29747567}, issn = {1471-2148}, support = {#2 T23273//Norges Forskningsr&#xe5;d/International ; SKGJ-MED-008//KG Jebsen Foundation/International ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Bipolar Disorder/genetics ; Body Height/genetics ; Body Mass Index ; DNA Methylation/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Female ; Genetic Markers ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genotype ; Humans ; Major Histocompatibility Complex/genetics ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Annotation ; Multifactorial Inheritance ; Phenotype ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; Schizophrenia/*genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: One explanation for the persistence of schizophrenia despite the reduced fertility of patients is that it is a by-product of recent human evolution. This hypothesis is supported by evidence suggesting that recently-evolved genomic regions in humans are involved in the genetic risk for schizophrenia. Using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of schizophrenia and 11 other phenotypes, we tested for enrichment of association with GWAS traits in regions that have undergone methylation changes in the human lineage compared to Neanderthals and Denisovans, i.e. human-specific differentially methylated regions (DMRs). We used analytical tools that evaluate polygenic enrichment of a subset of genomic variants against all variants.<br><br>RESULTS: Schizophrenia was the only trait in which DMR SNPs showed clear enrichment of association that passed the genome-wide significance threshold. The enrichment was not observed for Neanderthal or Denisovan DMRs. The enrichment seen in human DMRs is comparable to that for genomic regions tagged by Neanderthal Selective Sweep markers, and stronger than that for Human Accelerated Regions. The enrichment survives multiple testing performed through permutation (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;10,000) and bootstrapping (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;5000) in INRICH (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.01). Some enrichment of association with height was observed at the gene level.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Regions where DNA methylation modifications have changed during recent human evolution show enrichment of association with schizophrenia and possibly with height. Our study further supports the hypothesis that genetic variants conferring risk of schizophrenia co-occur in genomic regions that have changed as the human species evolved. Since methylation is an epigenetic mark, potentially mediated by environmental changes, our results also suggest that interaction with the environment might have contributed to that association.}, }
@article {pmid29739306, year = {2018}, author = {Akkuratov, EE and Gelfand, MS and Khrameeva, EE}, title = {Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry in Papuans: A functional study.}, journal = {Journal of bioinformatics and computational biology}, volume = {16}, number = {2}, pages = {1840011}, doi = {10.1142/S0219720018400115}, pmid = {29739306}, issn = {1757-6334}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Black People/genetics ; Bone Remodeling/genetics ; Cluster Analysis ; Genetics, Population ; *Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Multigene Family ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Papua New Guinea ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Transcription Factors/genetics ; }, abstract = {Sequencing of complete nuclear genomes of Neanderthal and Denisovan stimulated studies about their relationship with modern humans demonstrating, in particular, that DNA alleles from both Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes are present in genomes of modern humans. The Papuan genome is a unique object because it contains both Neanderthal and Denisovan alleles. Here, we have shown that the Papuan genomes contain different gene functional groups inherited from each of the ancient people. The Papuan genomes demonstrate a relative prevalence of Neanderthal alleles in genes responsible for the regulation of transcription and neurogenesis. The enrichment of specific functional groups with Denisovan alleles is less pronounced; these groups are responsible for bone and tissue remodeling. This analysis shows that introgression of alleles from Neanderthals and Denisovans to Papuans occurred independently and retention of these alleles may carry specific adaptive advantages.}, }
@article {pmid29728579, year = {2018}, author = {Wolf, D and Kolb, T and Alcaraz-Castaño, M and Heinrich, S and Baumgart, P and Calvo, R and Sánchez, J and Ryborz, K and Schäfer, I and Bliedtner, M and Zech, R and Zöller, L and Faust, D}, title = {Climate deteriorations and Neanderthal demise in interior Iberia.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {7048}, pmid = {29728579}, issn = {2045-2322}, abstract = {Time and circumstances for the disappearance of Neanderthals and its relationship with the advent of Modern Humans are not yet sufficiently resolved, especially in case of the Iberian Peninsula. Reconstructing palaeoenvironmental conditions during the last glacial period is crucial to clarifying whether climate deteriorations or competition and contacts with Modern Humans played the pivotal role in driving Neanderthals to extinction. A high-resolution loess record from the Upper Tagus Basin in central Spain demonstrates that the Neanderthal abandonment of inner Iberian territories 42 kyr ago coincided with the evolvement of hostile environmental conditions, while archaeological evidence testifies that this desertion took place regardless of modern humans' activities. According to stratigraphic findings and stable isotope analyses, this period corresponded to the driest environmental conditions of the last glacial apart from an even drier period linked to Heinrich Stadial 3. Our results show that during Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 4 and 2 climate deteriorations in interior Iberia temporally coincided with northern hemisphere cold periods (Heinrich stadials). Solely during the middle MIS 3, in a period surrounding 42 kyr ago, this relation seems not straightforward, which may demonstrate the complexity of terrestrial climate conditions during glacial periods.}, }
@article {pmid29718916, year = {2018}, author = {Majkić, A and d'Errico, F and Stepanchuk, V}, title = {Assessing the significance of Palaeolithic engraved cortexes. A case study from the Mousterian site of Kiik-Koba, Crimea.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {5}, pages = {e0195049}, pmid = {29718916}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {*Engraving and Engravings ; Europe, Eastern ; *Paleontology ; }, abstract = {Twenty-Seven Lower and Middle Paleolithic sites from Europe and the Middle East are reported in the literature to have yielded incised stones. At eleven of these sites incisions are present on flint cortexes. Even when it is possible to demonstrate that the engravings are ancient and human made, it is often difficult to distinguish incisions resulting from functional activities such as butchery or use as a cutting board, from those produced deliberately, and even more difficult to identify the scope of the latter. In this paper we present results of the analysis of an engraved cortical flint flake found at Kiik-Koba, a key Mousterian site from Crimea, and create an interpretative framework to guide the interpretation of incised cortexes. The frame of inference that we propose allows for a reasoned evaluation of the actions playing a role in the marking process and aims at narrowing down the interpretation of the evidence. The object comes from layer IV, the same layer in which a Neanderthal child burial was unearthed, which contains a para-Micoquian industry of Kiik-Koba type dated to between c.35 and 37 cal kyr BP. The microscopic analysis and 3D reconstruction of the grooves on the cortex of this small flint flake, demonstrate that the incisions represent a deliberate engraving made by a skilled craftsman, probably with two different points. The lines are nearly perfectly framed into the cortex, testifying of well controlled motions. This is especially the case considering the small size of the object, which makes this a difficult task. The production of the engraving required excellent neuromotor and volitional control, which implies focused attention. Evaluation of the Kiik-Koba evidence in the light of the proposed interpretative framework supports the view that the engraving was made with a representational intent.}, }
@article {pmid29709293, year = {2018}, author = {Terhune, CE and Ritzman, TB and Robinson, CA}, title = {Mandibular ramus shape variation and ontogeny in Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {121}, number = {}, pages = {55-71}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.03.009}, pmid = {29709293}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {As the interface between the mandible and cranium, the mandibular ramus is functionally significant and its morphology has been suggested to be informative for taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses. In primates, and particularly in great apes and humans, ramus morphology is highly variable, especially in the shape of the coronoid process and the relationship of the ramus to the alveolar margin. Here we compare ramus shape variation through ontogeny in Homo neanderthalensis to that of modern and fossil Homo sapiens using geometric morphometric analyses of two-dimensional semilandmarks and univariate measurements of ramus angulation and relative coronoid and condyle height. Results suggest that ramus, especially coronoid, morphology varies within and among subadult and adult modern human populations, with the Alaskan Inuit being particularly distinct. We also identify significant differences in overall anterosuperior ramus and coronoid shapes between H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis, both in adults and throughout ontogeny. These shape differences are subtle, however, and we therefore suggest caution when using ramus morphology to diagnose group membership for individual specimens of these taxa. Furthermore, we argue that these morphologies are unlikely to be representative of differences in masticatory biomechanics and/or paramasticatory behaviors between Neanderthals and modern humans, as has been suggested by previous authors. Assessments of ontogenetic patterns of shape change reveal that the typical Neanderthal ramus morphology is established early in ontogeny, and there is little evidence for divergent postnatal ontogenetic allometric trajectories between Neanderthals and modern humans as a whole. This analysis informs our understanding of intraspecific patterns of mandibular shape variation and ontogeny in H. sapiens and can shed further light on overall developmental and life history differences between H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis.}, }
@article {pmid29700382, year = {2018}, author = {Kochiyama, T and Ogihara, N and Tanabe, HC and Kondo, O and Amano, H and Hasegawa, K and Suzuki, H and Ponce de León, MS and Zollikofer, CPE and Bastir, M and Stringer, C and Sadato, N and Akazawa, T}, title = {Reconstructing the Neanderthal brain using computational anatomy.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {6296}, pmid = {29700382}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {R24 NS092988/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; U54 MH091657/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Algorithms ; Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Anthropology/*methods ; Cerebellum/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Climate Change ; Cognition ; Computational Biology/*methods ; Executive Function ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/*methods ; Linear Models ; Memory, Short-Term ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Social Skills ; Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {The present study attempted to reconstruct 3D brain shape of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens based on computational neuroanatomy. We found that early Homo sapiens had relatively larger cerebellar hemispheres but a smaller occipital region in the cerebrum than Neanderthals long before the time that Neanderthals disappeared. Further, using behavioural and structural imaging data of living humans, the abilities such as cognitive flexibility, attention, the language processing, episodic and working memory capacity were positively correlated with size-adjusted cerebellar volume. As the cerebellar hemispheres are structured as a large array of uniform neural modules, a larger cerebellum may possess a larger capacity for cognitive information processing. Such a neuroanatomical difference in the cerebellum may have caused important differences in cognitive and social abilities between the two species and might have contributed to the replacement of Neanderthals by early Homo sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid29685752, year = {2018}, author = {Power, RC and Salazar-García, DC and Rubini, M and Darlas, A and Harvati, K and Walker, M and Hublin, JJ and Henry, AG}, title = {Dental calculus indicates widespread plant use within the stable Neanderthal dietary niche.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {119}, number = {}, pages = {27-41}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.02.009}, pmid = {29685752}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Diet ; Europe ; *Feeding Behavior ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Paleodontology ; Plants ; }, abstract = {The ecology of Neanderthals is a pressing question in the study of hominin evolution. Diet appears to have played a prominent role in their adaptation to Eurasia. Based on isotope and zooarchaeological studies, Neanderthal diet has been reconstructed as heavily meat-based and generally similar across different environments. This image persists, despite recent studies suggesting more plant use and more variation. However, we have only a fragmentary picture of their dietary ecology, and how it may have varied among habitats, because we lack broad and environmentally representative information about their use of plants and other foods. To address the problem, we examined the plant microremains in Neanderthal dental calculus from five archaeological sites representing a variety of environments from the northern Balkans, and the western, central and eastern Mediterranean. The recovered microremains revealed the consumption of a variety of non-animal foods, including starchy plants. Using a modeling approach, we explored the relationships among microremains and environment, while controlling for chronology. In the process, we compared the effectiveness of various diversity metrics and their shortcomings for studying microbotanical remains, which are often morphologically redundant for identification. We developed Minimum Botanical Units as a new way of estimating how many plant types or parts are present in a microbotanical sample. In contrast to some previous work, we found no evidence that plant use is confined to the southern-most areas of Neanderthal distribution. Although interpreting the ecogeographic variation is limited by the incomplete preservation of dietary microremains, it is clear that plant exploitation was a widespread and deeply rooted Neanderthal subsistence strategy, even if they were predominately game hunters. Given the limited dietary variation across Neanderthal range in time and space in both plant and animal food exploitation, we argue that vegetal consumption was a feature of a generally static dietary niche.}, }
@article {pmid29681055, year = {2018}, author = {Profico, A and Schlager, S and Valoriani, V and Buzi, C and Melchionna, M and Veneziano, A and Raia, P and Moggi-Cecchi, J and Manzi, G}, title = {Reproducing the internal and external anatomy of fossil bones: Two new automatic digital tools.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {166}, number = {4}, pages = {979-986}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23493}, pmid = {29681055}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Anthropology, Physical/*methods ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology/*diagnostic imaging ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/*methods ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Lasers ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: We present two new automatic tools, developed under the R environment, to reproduce the internal and external structures of bony elements. The first method, Computer-Aided Laser Scanner Emulator (CA-LSE), provides the reconstruction of the external portions of a 3D mesh by simulating the action of a laser scanner. The second method, Automatic Segmentation Tool for 3D objects (AST-3D), performs the digital reconstruction of anatomical cavities.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present the application of CA-LSE and AST-3D methods to different anatomical remains, highly variable in terms of shape, size and structure: a modern human skull, a malleus bone, and a Neanderthal deciduous tooth. Both methods are developed in the R environment and embedded in the packages "Arothron" and "Morpho," where both the codes and the data are fully available.<br><br>RESULTS: The application of CA-LSE and AST-3D allows the isolation and manipulation of the internal and external components of the 3D virtual representation of complex bony elements. In particular, we present the output of the four case studies: a complete modern human endocast and the right maxillary sinus, the dental pulp of the Neanderthal tooth and the inner network of blood vessels of the malleus.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Both methods demonstrated to be much faster, cheaper, and more accurate than other conventional approaches. The tools we presented are available as add-ons in existing software within the R platform. Because of ease of application, and unrestrained availability of the methods proposed, these tools can be widely used by paleoanthropologists, paleontologists and anatomists.}, }
@article {pmid29668700, year = {2018}, author = {Marín-Arroyo, AB and Rios-Garaizar, J and Straus, LG and Jones, JR and de la Rasilla, M and González Morales, MR and Richards, M and Altuna, J and Mariezkurrena, K and Ocio, D}, title = {Chronological reassessment of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition and Early Upper Paleolithic cultures in Cantabrian Spain.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {4}, pages = {e0194708}, pmid = {29668700}, issn = {1932-6203}, abstract = {Methodological advances in dating the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition provide a better understanding of the replacement of local Neanderthal populations by Anatomically Modern Humans. Today we know that this replacement was not a single, pan-European event, but rather it took place at different times in different regions. Thus, local conditions could have played a role. Iberia represents a significant macro-region to study this process. Northern Atlantic Spain contains evidence of both Mousterian and Early Upper Paleolithic occupations, although most of them are not properly dated, thus hindering the chances of an adequate interpretation. Here we present 46 new radiocarbon dates conducted using ultrafiltration pre-treatment method of anthropogenically manipulated bones from 13 sites in the Cantabrian region containing Mousterian, Aurignacian and Gravettian levels, of which 30 are considered relevant. These dates, alongside previously reported ones, were integrated into a Bayesian age model to reconstruct an absolute timescale for the transitional period. According to it, the Mousterian disappeared in the region by 47.9-45.1ka cal BP, while the Châtelperronian lasted between 42.6k and 41.5ka cal BP. The Mousterian and Châtelperronian did not overlap, indicating that the latter might be either intrusive or an offshoot of the Mousterian. The new chronology also suggests that the Aurignacian appears between 43.3-40.5ka cal BP overlapping with the Châtelperronian, and ended around 34.6-33.1ka cal BP, after the Gravettian had already been established in the region. This evidence indicates that Neanderthals and AMH co-existed <1,000 years, with the caveat that no diagnostic human remains have been found with the latest Mousterian, Châtelperronian or earliest Aurignacian in Cantabrian Spain.}, }
@article {pmid29664998, year = {2018}, author = {Bible, RC and Peterson, AT}, title = {Compatible ecological niche signals between biological and archaeological datasets for late-surviving Neandertals.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {166}, number = {4}, pages = {968-974}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23482}, pmid = {29664998}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical ; Databases, Factual ; *Ecosystem ; Europe ; Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Research ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: To assess ecological niche similarity for biological and archaeological samples representing late-surviving Neandertals in Europe to evaluate the validity of combining these two types of data in ecological niche modeling analyses.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tests of niche conservatism were used to assess niche similarity and niche identity of samples of morphologically diagnostic Neandertal remains and Middle Paleolithic (MP) archaeological sites dating to the time period leading up to Neandertal extinction. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions for the Pre-H4 (43.3-40.2 ky cal BP) were used as environmental space analyses.<br><br>RESULTS: Null hypotheses of niche similarity and identity of the two types of samples could not be rejected.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: As primary and secondary evidence of Neandertal occurrence during the Pre-H4 show high levels of niche similarity and identity, combining the two types of occurrence data to create larger samples for niche analyses is justified without the concern that different environmental signals could complicate future research.}, }
@article {pmid29624658, year = {2018}, author = {García-Tabernero, A and Peña-Melián, A and Rosas, A}, title = {Primary visual cortex in neandertals as revealed from the occipital remains from the El Sidrón site, with emphasis on the new SD-2300 specimen.}, journal = {Journal of anatomy}, volume = {233}, number = {1}, pages = {33-45}, pmid = {29624658}, issn = {1469-7580}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology/*diagnostic imaging ; Occipital Lobe/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Species Specificity ; Visual Cortex/*anatomy &amp; histology/*diagnostic imaging ; }, abstract = {The comparative analysis of the endocranial surface of the El Sidrón new occipital fragment SD-2300 shows meaningful differences in the configuration of the occipital pole region between neandertals and anatomically modern humans (AMH). The particular asymmetries found in neandertals in the venous sinus drainage and the petalial patterns are recognizable in this new specimen as well. In addition, the supra- and infracalcarine fossae of the occipital pole region appear to deviate obliquely from the mid-line when compared with sapiens. Due to the excellent preservation conditions of SD-2300, the main sulci and gyri of the occipital pole area have been identified, this degree of detail being uncommon in a fossil specimen; in general, the gyrification pattern is similar to AMH, but with some notable differences. Particularly interesting is the description of the lunate and the calcarine sulci. The lunate sulcus is located close to the occipital pole, in a similar posterior position to in other Homo species. Regarding the calcarine sulcus, there are significant differences in the primary visual cortex, with the V1 area, or Brodmann area 17, being larger in Homo neanderthalensis than in Homo sapiens. This may lead to greater visual acuity in neandertals than in sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid29618551, year = {2018}, author = {Wroe, S and Parr, WCH and Ledogar, JA and Bourke, J and Evans, SP and Fiorenza, L and Benazzi, S and Hublin, JJ and Stringer, C and Kullmer, O and Curry, M and Rae, TC and Yokley, TR}, title = {Computer simulations show that Neanderthal facial morphology represents adaptation to cold and high energy demands, but not heavy biting.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {285}, number = {1876}, pages = {}, pmid = {29618551}, issn = {1471-2954}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological ; Animals ; Bite Force ; Climate ; Computer Simulation ; Face/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Nasal Cavity/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; }, abstract = {Three adaptive hypotheses have been forwarded to explain the distinctive Neanderthal face: (i) an improved ability to accommodate high anterior bite forces, (ii) more effective conditioning of cold and/or dry air and, (iii) adaptation to facilitate greater ventilatory demands. We test these hypotheses using three-dimensional models of Neanderthals, modern humans, and a close outgroup (Homo heidelbergensis), applying finite-element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This is the most comprehensive application of either approach applied to date and the first to include both. FEA reveals few differences between H. heidelbergensis, modern humans, and Neanderthals in their capacities to sustain high anterior tooth loadings. CFD shows that the nasal cavities of Neanderthals and especially modern humans condition air more efficiently than does that of H. heidelbergensis, suggesting that both evolved to better withstand cold and/or dry climates than less derived Homo We further find that Neanderthals could move considerably more air through the nasal pathway than could H. heidelbergensis or modern humans, consistent with the propositions that, relative to our outgroup Homo, Neanderthal facial morphology evolved to reflect improved capacities to better condition cold, dry air, and, to move greater air volumes in response to higher energetic requirements.}, }
@article {pmid29610322, year = {2018}, author = {Egeland, CP and Domínguez-Rodrigo, M and Pickering, TR and Menter, CG and Heaton, JL}, title = {Hominin skeletal part abundances and claims of deliberate disposal of corpses in the Middle Pleistocene.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {115}, number = {18}, pages = {4601-4606}, pmid = {29610322}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Cultural/*methods ; Archaeology ; Bone and Bones ; Burial/ethics/*history ; Cadaver ; Ceremonial Behavior ; Fossils/history ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*psychology ; Humans ; Machine Learning ; Neanderthals ; South Africa ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Humans are set apart from other organisms by the realization of their own mortality. Thus, determining the prehistoric emergence of this capacity is of significant interest to understanding the uniqueness of the human animal. Tracing that capacity chronologically is possible through archaeological investigations that focus on physical markers that reflect "mortality salience." Among these markers is the deliberate and culturally mediated disposal of corpses. Some Neandertal bone assemblages are among the earliest reasonable claims for the deliberate disposal of hominins, but even these are vigorously debated. More dramatic assertions center on the Middle Pleistocene sites of Sima de los Huesos (SH, Spain) and the Dinaledi Chamber (DC, South Africa), where the remains of multiple hominin individuals were found in deep caves, and under reported taphonomic circumstances that seem to discount the possibility that nonhominin actors and processes contributed to their formation. These claims, with significant implications for charting the evolution of the "human condition," deserve scrutiny. We test these assertions through machine-learning analyses of hominin skeletal part representation in the SH and DC assemblages. Our results indicate that nonanthropogenic agents and abiotic processes cannot yet be ruled out as significant contributors to the ultimate condition of both collections. This finding does not falsify hypotheses of deliberate disposal for the SH and DC corpses, but does indicate that the data also support partially or completely nonanthropogenic formational histories.}, }
@article {pmid29608725, year = {2018}, author = {Zehra, R and Abbasi, AA}, title = {Homo sapiens-Specific Binding Site Variants within Brain Exclusive Enhancers Are Subject to Accelerated Divergence across Human Population.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {10}, number = {3}, pages = {956-966}, pmid = {29608725}, issn = {1759-6653}, mesh = {Animals ; Binding Sites/genetics ; Brain/metabolism ; Enhancer Elements, Genetic/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Humans ; Primates/*genetics ; Species Specificity ; Transcription Factors/genetics ; }, abstract = {Empirical assessments of human accelerated noncoding DNA frgaments have delineated presence of many cis-regulatory elements. Enhancers make up an important category of such accelerated cis-regulatory elements that efficiently control the spatiotemporal expression of many developmental genes. Establishing plausible reasons for accelerated enhancer sequence divergence in Homo sapiens has been termed significant in various previously published studies. This acceleration by including closely related primates and archaic human data has the potential to open up evolutionary avenues for deducing present-day brain structure. This study relied on empirically confirmed brain exclusive enhancers to avoid any misjudgments about their regulatory status and categorized among them a subset of enhancers with an exceptionally accelerated rate of lineage specific divergence in humans. In this assorted set, 13 distinct transcription factor binding sites were located that possessed unique existence in humans. Three of 13 such sites belonging to transcription factors SOX2, RUNX1/3, and FOS/JUND possessed single nucleotide variants that made them unique to H. sapiens upon comparisons with Neandertal and Denisovan orthologous sequences. These variants modifying the binding sites in modern human lineage were further substantiated as single nucleotide polymorphisms via exploiting 1000 Genomes Project Phase3 data. Long range haplotype based tests laid out evidence of positive selection to be governing in African population on two of the modern human motif modifying alleles with strongest results for SOX2 binding site. In sum, our study acknowledges acceleration in noncoding regulatory landscape of the genome and highlights functional parts within it to have undergone accelerated divergence in present-day human population.}, }
@article {pmid29603507, year = {2018}, author = {Steinrücken, M and Spence, JP and Kamm, JA and Wieczorek, E and Song, YS}, title = {Model-based detection and analysis of introgressed Neanderthal ancestry in modern humans.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {27}, number = {19}, pages = {3873-3888}, pmid = {29603507}, issn = {1365-294X}, support = {R01 GM094402/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Chromosomes, Human, X/genetics ; Computer Simulation ; Genetic Load ; *Genetics, Population ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic ; Markov Chains ; *Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Population Density ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Genetic evidence has revealed that the ancestors of modern human populations outside Africa and their hominin sister groups, notably Neanderthals, exchanged genetic material in the past. The distribution of these introgressed sequence tracts along modern-day human genomes provides insight into the selective forces acting on them and the role of introgression in the evolutionary history of hominins. Studying introgression patterns on the X-chromosome is of particular interest, as sex chromosomes are thought to play a special role in speciation. Recent studies have developed methods to localize introgressed ancestries, reporting long regions that are depleted of Neanderthal introgression and enriched in genes, suggesting negative selection against the Neanderthal variants. On the other hand, enriched Neanderthal ancestry in hair- and skin-related genes suggests that some introgressed variants facilitated adaptation to new environments. Here, we present a model-based introgression detection method called dical-admix. We demonstrate its efficiency and accuracy through extensive simulations and apply it to detect tracts of Neanderthal introgression in modern human individuals from the 1000 Genomes Project. Our findings are largely concordant with previous studies, consistent with weak selection against Neanderthal ancestry. We find evidence that selection against Neanderthal ancestry was due to higher genetic load in Neanderthals resulting from small effective population size, rather than widespread Dobzhansky-Müller incompatibilities (DMIs) that could contribute to reproductive isolation. Moreover, we confirm the previously reported low level of introgression on the X-chromosome, but find little evidence that DMIs contributed to this pattern.}, }
@article {pmid29590205, year = {2018}, author = {Rios-Garaizar, J and López-Bultó, O and Iriarte, E and Pérez-Garrido, C and Piqué, R and Aranburu, A and Iriarte-Chiapusso, MJ and Ortega-Cordellat, I and Bourguignon, L and Garate, D and Libano, I}, title = {A Middle Palaeolithic wooden digging stick from Aranbaltza III, Spain.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {3}, pages = {e0195044}, pmid = {29590205}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; *Fossils ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Paleontology ; Spain ; Technology/*instrumentation ; *Wood ; }, abstract = {Aranbaltza is an archaeological complex formed by at least three open-air sites. Between 2014 and 2015 a test excavation carried out in Aranbaltza III revealed the presence of a sand and clay sedimentary sequence formed in floodplain environments, within which six sedimentary units have been identified. This sequence was formed between 137-50 ka, and includes several archaeological horizons, attesting to the long-term presence of Neanderthal communities in this area. One of these horizons, corresponding with Unit 4, yielded two wooden tools. One of these tools is a beveled pointed tool that was shaped through a complex operational sequence involving branch shaping, bark peeling, twig removal, shaping, polishing, thermal exposition and chopping. A use-wear analysis of the tool shows it to have traces related with digging soil so it has been interpreted as representing a digging stick. This is the first time such a tool has been identified in a European Late Middle Palaeolithic context; it also represents one of the first well-preserved Middle Palaeolithic wooden tool found in southern Europe. This artefact represents one of the few examples available of wooden tool preservation for the European Palaeolithic, allowing us to further explore the role wooden technologies played in Neanderthal communities.}, }
@article {pmid29590013, year = {2018}, author = {Rosas, A and Ríos, L and Estalrrich, A and Liversidge, H and García-Tabernero, A and Huguet, R and Cardoso, H and Bastir, M and Lalueza-Fox, C and de la Rasilla, M and Dean, C}, title = {Response to Comment on "The growth pattern of Neandertals, reconstructed from a juvenile skeleton from El Sidrón (Spain)".}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {359}, number = {6380}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1126/science.aar3820}, pmid = {29590013}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Brain ; *Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Male ; *Neanderthals ; Skeleton ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The comment by DeSilva challenges our suggestion that brain growth of the El Sidrón J1 Neandertal was still incomplete at 7.7 years of age. Evidence suggests that endocranial volume is likely to represent less than 90% adult size at El Sidrón as well as Neandertal male plus Krapina samples, in line with further evidence from endocranial surface histology and dural sinus groove size.}, }
@article {pmid29590012, year = {2018}, author = {DeSilva, JM}, title = {Comment on "The growth pattern of Neandertals, reconstructed from a juvenile skeleton from El Sidrón (Spain)".}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {359}, number = {6380}, pages = {}, doi = {10.1126/science.aar3611}, pmid = {29590012}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Skeleton ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Rosas et al (Reports, 22 September 2017, p. 1282) calculate El Sidrón J1 to have reached only 87.5% of its adult brain size. This finding is based on an overestimation of Neandertal brain size. Pairwise comparisons with a larger sample of Neandertal fossils reveal that it is unlikely that the brain of El Sidrón would have grown appreciably larger.}, }
@article {pmid29562232, year = {2018}, author = {Hajdinjak, M and Fu, Q and Hübner, A and Petr, M and Mafessoni, F and Grote, S and Skoglund, P and Narasimham, V and Rougier, H and Crevecoeur, I and Semal, P and Soressi, M and Talamo, S and Hublin, JJ and Gušić, I and Kućan, &#x17d; and Rudan, P and Golovanova, LV and Doronichev, VB and Posth, C and Krause, J and Korlević, P and Nagel, S and Nickel, B and Slatkin, M and Patterson, N and Reich, D and Prüfer, K and Meyer, M and Pääbo, S and Kelso, J}, title = {Reconstructing the genetic history of late Neanderthals.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {555}, number = {7698}, pages = {652-656}, pmid = {29562232}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; }, mesh = {Africa/ethnology ; Animals ; Bone and Bones ; DNA, Ancient/analysis ; Europe/ethnology ; Female ; Gene Flow ; Genetics, Population ; Genome/*genetics ; Genomics ; Humans ; Hypochlorous Acid ; Male ; Neanderthals/*classification/*genetics ; *Phylogeny ; Siberia/ethnology ; Tooth ; }, abstract = {Although it has previously been shown that Neanderthals contributed DNA to modern humans, not much is known about the genetic diversity of Neanderthals or the relationship between late Neanderthal populations at the time at which their last interactions with early modern humans occurred and before they eventually disappeared. Our ability to retrieve DNA from a larger number of Neanderthal individuals has been limited by poor preservation of endogenous DNA and contamination of Neanderthal skeletal remains by large amounts of microbial and present-day human DNA. Here we use hypochlorite treatment of as little as 9 mg of bone or tooth powder to generate between 1- and 2.7-fold genomic coverage of five Neanderthals who lived around 39,000 to 47,000 years ago (that is, late Neanderthals), thereby doubling the number of Neanderthals for which genome sequences are available. Genetic similarity among late Neanderthals is well predicted by their geographical location, and comparison to the genome of an older Neanderthal from the Caucasus indicates that a population turnover is likely to have occurred, either in the Caucasus or throughout Europe, towards the end of Neanderthal history. We find that the bulk of Neanderthal gene flow into early modern humans originated from one or more source populations that diverged from the Neanderthals that were studied here at least 70,000 years ago, but after they split from a previously sequenced Neanderthal from Siberia around 150,000 years ago. Although four of the Neanderthals studied here post-date the putative arrival of early modern humans into Europe, we do not detect any recent gene flow from early modern humans in their ancestry.}, }
@article {pmid29554122, year = {2018}, author = {Schlager, S and Profico, A and Di Vincenzo, F and Manzi, G}, title = {Retrodeformation of fossil specimens based on 3D bilateral semi-landmarks: Implementation in the R package "Morpho".}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {13}, number = {3}, pages = {e0194073}, pmid = {29554122}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Body Weights and Measures/methods ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Gorilla gorilla/anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology/*methods ; Skull/chemistry ; }, abstract = {Many fossil specimens exhibit deformations caused by taphonomic processes. Due to these deformations, even important specimens have to be excluded from morphometric analyses, impoverishing an already poor paleontological record. Techniques to retrodeform and virtually restore damaged (i.e. deformed) specimens are available, but these methods genenerally imply the use of a sparse set of bilateral landmarks, ignoring the fact that the distribution and amount of control points directly affects the result of the retrodeformation. We propose a method developed in the R environment and available in the R-package "Morpho" that, in addition to the landmark configurations, also allows using a set of semi-landmarks homogeneously distributed along curves and on surfaces. We evaluated the outcome of the retrodeformation, regarding the number of semi-landmarks used and its robustness against asymmetric noise, based on simulations using a virtually deformed gorilla cranium. Finally, we applied the method to a well-known Neanderthal cranium that exhibits signs of taphonomically induced asymmetry.}, }
@article {pmid29551270, year = {2018}, author = {Browning, SR and Browning, BL and Zhou, Y and Tucci, S and Akey, JM}, title = {Analysis of Human Sequence Data Reveals Two Pulses of Archaic Denisovan Admixture.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {173}, number = {1}, pages = {53-61.e9}, pmid = {29551270}, issn = {1097-4172}, support = {R01 GM110068/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; Exome Sequencing ; }, abstract = {Anatomically modern humans interbred with Neanderthals and with a related archaic population known as Denisovans. Genomes of several Neanderthals and one Denisovan have been sequenced, and these reference genomes have been used to detect introgressed genetic material in present-day human genomes. Segments of introgression also can be detected without use of reference genomes, and doing so can be advantageous for finding introgressed segments that are less closely related to the sequenced archaic genomes. We apply a new reference-free method for detecting archaic introgression to 5,639 whole-genome sequences from Eurasia and Oceania. We find Denisovan ancestry in populations from East and South Asia and Papuans. Denisovan ancestry comprises two components with differing similarity to the sequenced Altai Denisovan individual. This indicates that at least two distinct instances of Denisovan admixture into modern humans occurred, involving Denisovan populations that had different levels of relatedness to the sequenced Altai Denisovan. VIDEO ABSTRACT.}, }
@article {pmid29544621, year = {2018}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Quam, R and Sala, N and Bardey, M and Ohman, JC and Balzeau, A}, title = {La Ferrassie 1: New perspectives on a "classic" Neandertal.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {117}, number = {}, pages = {13-32}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.12.004}, pmid = {29544621}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone Diseases/diagnostic imaging/*pathology ; Ear Ossicles/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; Fractures, Bone/diagnostic imaging/pathology ; France ; Male ; *Neanderthals/abnormalities/anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleopathology ; Ribs/anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; Spine/abnormalities/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The La Ferrassie 1 (LF1) skeleton, discovered over a century ago, is one of the most important Neandertal individuals both for its completeness and due to the role it has played historically in the interpretation of Neandertal anatomy and lifeways. Here we present new skeletal remains from this individual, which include a complete right middle ear ossicular chain (malleus, incus, and stapes), three vertebral fragments, and two costal remains. Additionally, the study of the skeleton has allowed us to identify new pathological lesions, including a congenital variant in the atlas, a greenstick fracture of the left clavicle, and a lesion in a mid-thoracic rib of unknown etiology. In addition, we have quantified the amount of vertebral pathology, which is greater than previously appreciated. We have complemented the paleopathological analysis with a taphonomic analysis to identify any potential perimortem fractures. The taphonomic analysis indicates that no surface alteration is present in the LF1 skeleton and that the breakage pattern is that of bone that has lost collagen, which would be consistent with the intentional burial of this individual proposed by previous researchers. In this study, we used CT and microCT scans in order to discover new skeletal elements to better characterize the pathological lesions and to quantify the fracture orientation of those bones in which the current plaster reconstruction did not allow its direct visualization, which underlines the broad potential of imaging technologies in paleoanthropological research. A century after its discovery, LF1 is still providing new insights into Neandertal anatomy and behavior.}, }
@article {pmid29544620, year = {2018}, author = {Rodríguez, L and Carretero, JM and García-González, R and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Cross-sectional properties of the lower limb long bones in the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos sample (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {117}, number = {}, pages = {1-12}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.11.007}, pmid = {29544620}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Female ; Femur/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Fibula/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Male ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Paleontology ; Spain ; Tibia/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; }, abstract = {The recovery to date of three complete and five partial femora, seven complete tibiae, and four complete fibulae from the Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos site provides an opportunity to analyze the biomechanical cross-sectional properties in this Middle Pleistocene population and to compare them with those of other fossil hominins and recent modern humans. We have performed direct comparisons of the cross-sectional geometric parameters and reduced major axis (RMA) regression lines among different samples. We have determined that Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos (SH) fossils have significantly thicker cortices than those of recent modern humans for the three leg bones at all diaphyseal levels, except that of the femur at 35% of biomechanical length. The SH bones are similar to those of Neandertals and Middle Pleistocene humans and different from Homo sapiens in their diaphyseal cross-sectional shape and strength parameters. When standardized by estimated body size, both the SH and Neandertal leg bones have in general greater strength than those of H. sapiens from the early modern (EMH), Upper Paleolithic (UP), and recent populations (RH). The Sima de los Huesos human leg bones have, in general terms, an ancestral pattern similar to that of Pleistocene humans and differing from H. sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid29531093, year = {2018}, author = {}, title = {Correction for Hoffecker, The complexity of Neanderthal technology.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {115}, number = {13}, pages = {E3066}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1803330115}, pmid = {29531093}, issn = {1091-6490}, }
@article {pmid29507889, year = {2018}, author = {Hoffmann, DL and Angelucci, DE and Villaverde, V and Zapata, J and Zilhão, J}, title = {Symbolic use of marine shells and mineral pigments by Iberian Neandertals 115,000 years ago.}, journal = {Science advances}, volume = {4}, number = {2}, pages = {eaar5255}, pmid = {29507889}, issn = {2375-2548}, mesh = {Animal Shells/*chemistry ; Animals ; Aquatic Organisms/*chemistry ; Minerals/*chemistry ; Neanderthals ; Spain ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Cueva de los Aviones (southeast Spain) is a site of the Neandertal-associated Middle Paleolithic of Europe. It has yielded ochred and perforated marine shells, red and yellow colorants, and shell containers that feature residues of complex pigmentatious mixtures. Similar finds from the Middle Stone Age of South Africa have been widely accepted as archaeological proxies for symbolic behavior. U-series dating of the flowstone capping the Cueva de los Aviones deposit shows that the symbolic finds made therein are 115,000 to 120,000 years old and predate the earliest known comparable evidence associated with modern humans by 20,000 to 40,000 years. Given our findings, it is possible that the roots of symbolic material culture may be found among the common ancestor of Neandertals and modern humans, more than half-a-million years ago.}, }
@article {pmid29496322, year = {2019}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Holliday, T and Madelaine, S and Couture-Veschambre, C and Maureille, B}, title = {The costal skeleton of the Regourdou 1 Neandertal.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {130}, number = {}, pages = {151-171}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.12.005}, pmid = {29496322}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Ribs/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The morphology and size of the Neandertal thorax is a subject of growing interest due to its link to general aspects of body size and shape, including physiological aspects related to bioenergetics and activity budgets. However, the number of well-preserved adult Neandertal costal remains is still low. The recent finding of new additional costal remains from the Regourdou 1 (R1) skeleton has rendered this skeleton as one of the most complete Neandertal costal skeletons with a minimum of 18 ribs represented, five of which are complete or virtually complete. Here we describe for the first time all the rib remains from R1 and compare them to a large modern Euroamerican male sample as well as to other published Neandertal individuals. The costal skeleton of this individual shows significant metric and morphological differences from our modern human male comparative sample. The perceived differences include: dorsoventrally large 1st and 2nd ribs, 3rd ribs with a very closed dorsal curvature and large maximum diameters at the posterior angle, a large tubercle-iliocostal line distance in the 4th rib, thick shafts at the dorsal end of its 6th ribs, thick mid-shafts of the 8th ribs, large articular tubercles at the 9th ribs, and thick shafts of the 11th and 12th ribs. Here we also describe a new mesosternal fragment: the left lateral half of sternebral segments 4 and 5. This portion reveals that the mesosternum of R1 had a sternal foramen in its inferiormost preserved sternal segment and supports previous estimation of the total length of this mesosternum. The new costal remains from R1 support the view that Neandertals, when compared with modern humans, show a significantly different thorax, consistent with differences found in other anatomical regions such as the vertebral column and pelvis.}, }
@article {pmid29477182, year = {2018}, author = {Warren, KA and Ritzman, TB and Humphreys, RA and Percival, CJ and Hallgrímsson, B and Ackermann, RR}, title = {Craniomandibular form and body size variation of first generation mouse hybrids: A model for hominin hybridization.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {116}, number = {}, pages = {57-74}, pmid = {29477182}, issn = {1095-8606}, support = {R01 DE019638/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Body Size/genetics ; Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/genetics/*physiology ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Mice/*anatomy &amp; histology/genetics/*physiology ; *Models, Animal ; Phenotype ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Hybridization occurs in a number of mammalian lineages, including among primate taxa. Analyses of ancient genomes have shown that hybridization between our lineage and other archaic hominins in Eurasia occurred numerous times in the past. However, we still have limited empirical data on what a hybrid skeleton looks like, or how to spot patterns of hybridization among fossils for which there are no genetic data. Here we use experimental mouse models to supplement previous studies of primates. We characterize size and shape variation in the cranium and mandible of three wild-derived inbred mouse strains and their first generation (F1) hybrids. The three parent taxa in our analysis represent lineages that diverged over approximately the same period as the human/Neanderthal/Denisovan lineages and their hybrids are variably successful in the wild. Comparisons of body size, as quantified by long bone measurements, are also presented to determine whether the identified phenotypic effects of hybridization are localized to the cranium or represent overall body size changes. The results indicate that hybrid cranial and mandibular sizes, as well as limb length, exceed that of the parent taxa in all cases. All three F1 hybrid crosses display similar patterns of size and form variation. These results are generally consistent with earlier studies on primates and other mammals, suggesting that the effects of hybridization may be similar across very different scenarios of hybridization, including different levels of hybrid fitness. This paper serves to supplement previous studies aimed at identifying F1 hybrids in the fossil record and to introduce further research that will explore hybrid morphologies using mice as a proxy for better understanding hybridization in the hominin fossil record.}, }
@article {pmid29472483, year = {2018}, author = {Hoffmann, DL and Standish, CD and García-Diez, M and Pettitt, PB and Milton, JA and Zilhão, J and Alcolea-González, JJ and Cantalejo-Duarte, P and Collado, H and de Balbín, R and Lorblanchet, M and Ramos-Muñoz, J and Weniger, GC and Pike, AWG}, title = {U-Th dating of carbonate crusts reveals Neandertal origin of Iberian cave art.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {359}, number = {6378}, pages = {912-915}, doi = {10.1126/science.aap7778}, pmid = {29472483}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Cultural ; Carbonates/chemistry ; Caves ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Paintings/*history ; Spain ; Thorium/analysis ; Uranium/analysis ; }, abstract = {The extent and nature of symbolic behavior among Neandertals are obscure. Although evidence for Neandertal body ornamentation has been proposed, all cave painting has been attributed to modern humans. Here we present dating results for three sites in Spain that show that cave art emerged in Iberia substantially earlier than previously thought. Uranium-thorium (U-Th) dates on carbonate crusts overlying paintings provide minimum ages for a red linear motif in La Pasiega (Cantabria), a hand stencil in Maltravieso (Extremadura), and red-painted speleothems in Ardales (Andalucía). Collectively, these results show that cave art in Iberia is older than 64.8 thousand years (ka). This cave art is the earliest dated so far and predates, by at least 20 ka, the arrival of modern humans in Europe, which implies Neandertal authorship.}, }
@article {pmid29447762, year = {2018}, author = {Li, F and Kuhn, SL and Chen, F and Wang, Y and Southon, J and Peng, F and Shan, M and Wang, C and Ge, J and Wang, X and Yun, T and Gao, X}, title = {The easternmost Middle Paleolithic (Mousterian) from Jinsitai Cave, North China.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {114}, number = {}, pages = {76-84}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.10.004}, pmid = {29447762}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Caves ; China ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Technology ; }, abstract = {The dispersal of Neanderthals and their genetic and cultural interactions with anatomically modern humans and other hominin populations in Eurasia are critical issues in human evolution research. Neither Neanderthal fossils nor typical Mousterian assemblages have been reported in East Asia to date. Here we report on artifact assemblages comparable to western Eurasian Middle Paleolithic (Mousterian) at Jinsitai, a cave site in North China. The lithic industry at Jinsitai appeared at least 47-42 ka and persisted until around 40-37 ka. These findings expand the geographic range of the Mousterian-like industries at least 2000 km further to the east than what has been previously recognized. This discovery supplies a missing part of the picture of Middle Paleolithic distribution in Eurasia and also demonstrates the makers' capacity to adapt to diverse geographic regions and habitats of Eurasia.}, }
@article {pmid29447761, year = {2018}, author = {Kivell, TL and Rosas, A and Estalrrich, A and Huguet, R and García-Tabernero, A and Ríos, L and de la Rasilla, M}, title = {New Neandertal wrist bones from El Sidrón, Spain (1994-2009).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {114}, number = {}, pages = {45-75}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.09.007}, pmid = {29447761}, issn = {1095-8606}, support = {336301/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Carpal Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Wrist/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Twenty-nine carpal bones of Homo neanderthalensis have been recovered from the site of El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain) during excavations between 1994 and 2009, alongside ∼2500 other Neandertal skeletal elements dated to ∼49,000 years ago. All bones of the wrist are represented, including adult scaphoids (n = 6), lunates (n = 2), triquetra (n = 4), pisiforms (n = 2), trapezia (n = 2), trapezoids (n = 5), capitates (n = 5), and hamates (n = 2), as well as one fragmentary and possibly juvenile scaphoid. Several of these carpals appear to belong to the complete right wrist of a single individual. Here we provide qualitative and quantitative morphological descriptions of these carpals, within a comparative context of other European and Near Eastern Neandertals, early and recent Homo sapiens, and other fossil hominins, including Homo antecessor, Homo naledi, and australopiths. Overall, the El Sidrón carpals show characteristics that typically distinguish Neandertals from H. sapiens, such as a relatively flat first metacarpal facet on the trapezium and a more laterally oriented second metacarpal facet on the capitate. However, there are some distinctive features of the El Sidrón carpals compared with most other Neandertals. For example, the tubercle of the trapezium is small with limited projection, while the scaphoid tubercle and hamate hamulus are among the largest seen in other Neandertals. Furthermore, three of the six adult scaphoids show a distinctive os-centrale portion, while another is a bipartite scaphoid with a truncated tubercle. The high frequency of rare carpal morphologies supports other evidence of a close genetic relationship among the Neandertals found at El Sidrón.}, }
@article {pmid29446440, year = {2018}, author = {Marom, A and Rak, Y}, title = {Mechanical implications of the mandibular coronoid process morphology in Neandertals.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {166}, number = {2}, pages = {401-407}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23440}, pmid = {29446440}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Anthropometry ; Finite Element Analysis ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Mastication/physiology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Temporal Muscle/physiology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Among the diagnostic features of the Neandertal mandible are the broad base of the coronoid process and its straight posterior margin. The adaptive value of these (and other) anatomical features has been linked to the Neandertal's need to cope with a large gape. The present study aims to test this hypothesis with regard to the morphology of the coronoid process.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: This admittedly simple, intuitive hypothesis was tested here via a comparative finite-element study of the primitive versus modified state of the coronoid process, using two-dimensional models of the mandible.<br><br>RESULTS: Our simulations demonstrate that a large gape has an unfavorable effect on the primitive state of the coronoid process: the diagonal, almost horizontal, component of the temporalis muscle resultant (relative to the long axis of the coronoid process) bends the process in the sagittal plane. Furthermore, we show that the modification of the coronoid process morphology alone reduces the process' bending in a wide gape increasing the compression to tension ratio.<br><br>DISCUSSION: These results provide indirect evidence in support of the hypothesis that the modification of the coronoid process in Neandertals is necessary for enabling their mandible to cope with a large gape.}, }
@article {pmid29440434, year = {2018}, author = {Hoffecker, JF}, title = {The complexity of Neanderthal technology.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {115}, number = {9}, pages = {1959-1961}, pmid = {29440434}, issn = {1091-6490}, }
@article {pmid29432163, year = {2018}, author = {Aranguren, B and Revedin, A and Amico, N and Cavulli, F and Giachi, G and Grimaldi, S and Macchioni, N and Santaniello, F}, title = {Wooden tools and fire technology in the early Neanderthal site of Poggetti Vecchi (Italy).}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {115}, number = {9}, pages = {2054-2059}, pmid = {29432163}, issn = {1091-6490}, abstract = {Excavations for the construction of thermal pools at Poggetti Vecchi (Grosseto, Tuscany, central Italy) exposed a series of wooden tools in an open-air stratified site referable to late Middle Pleistocene. The wooden artifacts were uncovered, together with stone tools and fossil bones, largely belonging to the straight-tusked elephant Paleoloxodon antiquus The site is radiometrically dated to around 171,000 y B.P., and hence correlated with the early marine isotope stage 6 [Benvenuti M, et al. (2017) Quat Res 88:327-344]. The sticks, all fragmentary, are made from boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) and were over 1 m long, rounded at one end and pointed at the other. They have been partially charred, possibly to lessen the labor of scraping boxwood, using a technique so far not documented at the time. The wooden artifacts have the size and features of multipurpose tools known as "digging sticks," which are quite commonly used by foragers. This discovery from Poggetti Vecchi provides evidence of the processing and use of wood by early Neanderthals, showing their ability to use fire in tool making from very tough wood.}, }
@article {pmid29417989, year = {2018}, author = {Hanegraef, H and Martinón-Torres, M and Martínez de Pinillos, M and Martín-Francés, L and Vialet, A and Arsuaga, JL and Bermúdez de Castro, JM}, title = {Dentine morphology of Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos lower molars: Evolutionary implications through three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {166}, number = {2}, pages = {276-295}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23428}, pmid = {29417989}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; Dentin/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Molar/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Odontometry/methods ; Principal Component Analysis ; Spain ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the affinities of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) population in relation to Homo neanderthalensis, Arago, and early and contemporary Homo sapiens. By characterizing SH intra-population variation, we test current models to explain the Neanderthal origins.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three-dimensional reconstructions of dentine surfaces of lower first and second molars were produced by micro-computed tomography. Landmarks and sliding semilandmarks were subjected to generalized Procrustes analysis and principal components analysis.<br><br>RESULTS: SH is often similar in shape to Neanderthals, and both groups are generally discernible from Homo sapiens. For example, the crown height of SH and Neanderthals is lower than for modern humans. Differences in the presence of a mid-trigonid crest are also observed, with contemporary Homo sapiens usually lacking this feature. Although SH and Neanderthals show strong affinities, they can be discriminated based on certain traits. SH individuals are characterized by a lower intra-population variability, and show a derived dental reduction in lower second molars compared to Neanderthals. SH also differs in morphological features from specimens that are often classified as Homo heidelbergensis, such as a lower crown height and less pronounced mid-trigonid crest in the Arago fossils.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Our results are compatible with the idea that multiple evolutionary lineages or populations coexisted in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene, with the SH paradigm phylogenetically closer to Homo neanderthalensis. Further research could support the possibility of SH as a separate taxon. Alternatively, SH could be a subspecies of Neanderthals, with the variability of this clade being remarkably higher than previously thought.}, }
@article {pmid29409727, year = {2018}, author = {Naskar, T and Faruq, M and Banerjee, P and Khan, M and Midha, R and Kumari, R and Devasenapathy, S and Prajapati, B and Sengupta, S and Jain, D and Mukerji, M and Singh, NC and Sinha, S}, title = {Ancestral Variations of the PCDHG Gene Cluster Predispose to Dyslexia in a Multiplex Family.}, journal = {EBioMedicine}, volume = {28}, number = {}, pages = {168-179}, pmid = {29409727}, issn = {2352-3964}, mesh = {Alleles ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Basal Ganglia/metabolism ; Base Sequence ; Cadherins/chemistry/*genetics ; Chromosome Segregation/genetics ; Dyslexia/*genetics ; Family ; Genes, Dominant ; *Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; *Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Inheritance Patterns/genetics ; Models, Molecular ; *Multigene Family ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; Protein Isoforms/chemistry/genetics ; Species Specificity ; Structural Homology, Protein ; }, abstract = {Dyslexia is a heritable neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in reading and writing. In this study, we describe the identification of a set of 17 polymorphisms located across 1.9Mb region on chromosome 5q31.3, encompassing genes of the PCDHG cluster, TAF7, PCDH1 and ARHGAP26, dominantly inherited with dyslexia in a multi-incident family. Strikingly, the non-risk form of seven variations of the PCDHG cluster, are preponderant in the human lineage, while risk alleles are ancestral and conserved across Neanderthals to non-human primates. Four of these seven ancestral variations (c.460A>C [p.Ile154Leu], c.541G>A [p.Ala181Thr], c.2036G>C [p.Arg679Pro] and c.2059A>G [p.Lys687Glu]) result in amino acid alterations. p.Ile154Leu and p.Ala181Thr are present at EC2: EC3 interacting interface of γA3-PCDH and γA4-PCDH respectively might affect trans-homophilic interaction and hence neuronal connectivity. p.Arg679Pro and p.Lys687Glu are present within the linker region connecting trans-membrane to extracellular domain. Sequence analysis indicated the importance of p.Ile154, p.Arg679 and p.Lys687 in maintaining class specificity. Thus the observed association of PCDHG genes encoding neural adhesion proteins reinforces the hypothesis of aberrant neuronal connectivity in the pathophysiology of dyslexia. Additionally, the striking conservation of the identified variants indicates a role of PCDHG in the evolution of highly specialized cognitive skills critical to reading.}, }
@article {pmid29383489, year = {2018}, author = {Yew, CW and Lu, D and Deng, L and Wong, LP and Ong, RT and Lu, Y and Wang, X and Yunus, Y and Aghakhanian, F and Mokhtar, SS and Hoque, MZ and Voo, CL and Abdul Rahman, T and Bhak, J and Phipps, ME and Xu, S and Teo, YY and Kumar, SV and Hoh, BP}, title = {Genomic structure of the native inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia and North Borneo suggests complex human population history in Southeast Asia.}, journal = {Human genetics}, volume = {137}, number = {2}, pages = {161-173}, pmid = {29383489}, issn = {1432-1203}, support = {100-RM/BIOTEK 16/6/2 B (1/2011)//Kementerian Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi (MY)/ ; [100-RMI/GOV 16/6/2 (19/2011]//Kementerian Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi (MY)/ ; 100-RM/BIOTEK 16/6/2 B (1/2011)//Kementerian Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi (MY)/ ; 100-RM/BIOTEK 16/6/2 B (1/2011)//Kementerian Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi (MY)/ ; FRGS/1/2015/ST03/UCSI/01/1//Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia (MY)/ ; NRF-RF-2010-05//National Foundation for Cancer Research (US)/ ; NRF-RF-2010-05//National Foundation for Cancer Research (US)/ ; NRF-RF-2010-05//National Research Foundation Singapore (SG)/ ; 91331204//National Natural Science Foundation of China (CN)/ ; 31525014//National Natural Science Foundation of China (CN)/ ; 91731303//National Natural Science Foundation of China (CN)/ ; 31771388//National Natural Science Foundation of China (CN)/ ; 31501011//National Natural Science Foundation of China (CN)/ ; 31711530221//National Institutes of Natural Sciences (JP)/ ; 10040231//Industry Strategic Development Program/ ; (1.150014.01)//Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (KR)/ ; }, mesh = {Asia, Southeastern ; Borneo ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Gene Flow/genetics ; Genetic Variation/*genetics ; *Genetics, Population ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; Genomics ; Human Migration ; Humans ; Malaysia ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; }, abstract = {Southeast Asia (SEA) is enriched with a complex history of peopling. Malaysia, which is located at the crossroads of SEA, has been recognized as one of the hubs for early human migration. To unravel the genomic complexity of the native inhabitants of Malaysia, we sequenced 12 samples from 3 indigenous populations from Peninsular Malaysia and 4 native populations from North Borneo to a high coverage of 28-37×. We showed that the Negritos from Peninsular Malaysia shared a common ancestor with the East Asians, but exhibited some level of gene flow from South Asia, while the North Borneo populations exhibited closer genetic affinity towards East Asians than the Malays. The analysis of time of divergence suggested that ancestors of Negrito were the earliest settlers in the Malay Peninsula, whom first separated from the Papuans ~ 50-33 thousand years ago (kya), followed by East Asian (~ 40-15 kya), while the divergence time frame between North Borneo and East Asia populations predates the Austronesian expansion period implies a possible pre-Neolithic colonization. Substantial Neanderthal ancestry was confirmed in our genomes, as was observed in other East Asians. However, no significant difference was observed, in terms of the proportion of Denisovan gene flow into these native inhabitants from Malaysia. Judging from the similar amount of introgression in the Southeast Asians and East Asians, our findings suggest that the Denisovan gene flow may have occurred before the divergence of these populations and that the shared similarities are likely an ancestral component.}, }
@article {pmid29355893, year = {2018}, author = {Relethford, JH and Smith, FH}, title = {Cranial measures and ancient DNA both show greater similarity of Neandertals to recent modern Eurasians than to recent modern sub-Saharan Africans.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {166}, number = {1}, pages = {170-178}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23413}, pmid = {29355893}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Black People/genetics/statistics &amp; numerical data ; Cephalometry ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *White People/genetics/statistics &amp; numerical data ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Ancient DNA analysis has shown that present-day humans of Eurasian ancestry are more similar to Neandertals than are present-day humans of sub-Saharan African ancestry, reflecting interbreeding after modern humans first left Africa. We use craniometric data to test the hypothesis that the crania of recent modern humans show the same pattern.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We computed Mahalanobis squared distances between a published Neandertal centroid based on 37 craniometric traits and each of 2,413 recent modern humans from the Howells global data set (N&#x2009;=&#x2009;373 sub-Saharan Africans, N&#x2009;=&#x2009;2,040 individuals of Eurasian descent).<br><br>RESULTS: The average distance to the Neandertal centroid is significantly lower for Eurasian crania than for sub-Saharan African crania as expected from the findings of ancient DNA (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001). This result holds when examining distances for separate geographic regions of humans of Eurasian descent (Europeans, Asians, Australasians, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders). Most of these results are also seen when examining distances partitioning size and shape variation.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Our results show that the genetic difference in Neandertal ancestry seen in the DNA of present-day sub-Saharan Africans and Eurasians is also found in patterns of recent modern human craniometric variation.}, }
@article {pmid29292345, year = {2017}, author = {d'Errico, F and Doyon, L and Colagé, I and Queffelec, A and Le Vraux, E and Giacobini, G and Vandermeersch, B and Maureille, B}, title = {From number sense to number symbols. An archaeological perspective.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {373}, number = {1740}, pages = {}, pmid = {29292345}, issn = {1471-2970}, support = {249587/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Bone and Bones ; *Cognition ; *Cultural Evolution ; Hominidae/psychology ; Humans ; Models, Psychological ; Neanderthals/*psychology ; }, abstract = {How and when did hominins move from the numerical cognition that we share with the rest of the animal world to number symbols? Objects with sequential markings have been used to store and retrieve numerical information since the beginning of the European Upper Palaeolithic (42 ka). An increase in the number of markings and complexity of coding is observed towards the end of this period. The application of new analytical techniques to a 44-42 ka old notched baboon fibula from Border Cave, South Africa, shows that notches were added to this bone at different times, suggesting that devices to store numerical information were in use before the Upper Palaeolithic. Analysis of a set of incisions on a 72-60 ka old hyena femur from the Les Pradelles Mousterian site, France, indicates, by comparison with markings produced by modern subjects under similar constraints, that the incisions on the Les Pradelles bone may have been produced to record, in a single session, homologous units of numerical information. This finding supports the view that numerical notations were in use among archaic hominins. Based on these findings, a testable five-stage scenario is proposed to establish how prehistoric cultures have moved from number sense to the use of number symbols.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The origins of numerical abilities'.}, }
@article {pmid29285967, year = {2017}, author = {Berens, AJ and Cooper, TL and Lachance, J}, title = {The Genomic Health of Ancient Hominins.}, journal = {Human biology}, volume = {89}, number = {1}, pages = {7-19}, doi = {10.13110/humanbiology.89.1.01}, pmid = {29285967}, issn = {1534-6617}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Mitochondrial/classification/genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Library ; Genetic Association Studies ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease/classification/*genetics/history ; Genetic Variation/*genetics ; Genomics ; Geography/classification/history ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {The genomes of ancient humans, Neandertals, and Denisovans contain many alleles that influence disease risks. Using genotypes at 3,180 disease-associated loci, we estimated the disease burden of 147 ancient genomes. After correcting for missing data, genetic risk scores (GRS) were generated for nine disease categories and the set of all combined diseases. We used these genetic risk scores to examine the effects of different types of subsistence, geography, and sample age on the number of risk alleles in each ancient genome. On a broad scale, hereditary disease risks are similar for ancient hominins and modern-day humans, and the GRS percentiles of ancient individuals span the full range of what is observed in present-day individuals. In addition, there is evidence that ancient pastoralists may have had healthier genomes than hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists. We also observed a temporal trend whereby genomes from the recent past are more likely to be healthier than genomes from the deep past. This calls into question the idea that modern lifestyles have caused genetic load to increase over time. Focusing on individual genomes, we found that the overall genomic health of the Altai Neandertal is worse than 97% of present-day humans and that Ötzi, the Tyrolean Iceman, had a genetic predisposition for gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases. As demonstrated by this work, ancient genomes afford us new opportunities to diagnose past human health, which has previously been limited by the quality and completeness of remains.}, }
@article {pmid29284020, year = {2017}, author = {Frost, P and Kleisner, K and Flegr, J}, title = {Health status by gender, hair color, and eye color: Red-haired women are the most divergent.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {12}, number = {12}, pages = {e0190238}, pmid = {29284020}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Czech Republic ; *Eye Color ; Female ; *Hair Color ; *Health Status ; Humans ; Male ; *Sex Factors ; Slovakia ; }, abstract = {Red hair is associated in women with pain sensitivity. This medical condition, and perhaps others, seems facilitated by the combination of being red-haired and female. We tested this hypothesis by questioning a large sample of Czech and Slovak respondents about the natural redness and darkness of their hair, their natural eye color, their physical and mental health (24 categories), and other personal attributes (height, weight, number of children, lifelong number of sexual partners, frequency of smoking). Red-haired women did worse than other women in ten health categories and better in only three, being particularly prone to colorectal, cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancer. Red-haired men showed a balanced pattern, doing better than other men in three health categories and worse in three. Number of children was the only category where both male and female redheads did better than other respondents. We also confirmed earlier findings that red hair is naturally more frequent in women than in men. Of the 'new' hair and eye colors, red hair diverges the most from the ancestral state of black hair and brown eyes, being the most sexually dimorphic variant not only in population frequency but also in health status. This divergent health status may have one or more causes: direct effects of red hair pigments (pheomelanins) or their by-products; effects of other genes that show linkage with genes involved in pheomelanin production; excessive prenatal exposure to estrogen (which facilitates expression of red hair during fetal development and which, at high levels, may cause health problems later in life); evolutionary recentness of red hair and corresponding lack of time to correct negative side effects; or genetic incompatibilities associated with the allele Val92Met, which seems to be of Neanderthal origin and is one of the alleles that can cause red hair.}, }
@article {pmid29265662, year = {2017}, author = {Lozano, M and Estalrrich, A and Bondioli, L and Fiore, I and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Arsuaga, JL and Carbonell, E and Rosas, A and Frayer, DW}, title = {Right-handed fossil humans.}, journal = {Evolutionary anthropology}, volume = {26}, number = {6}, pages = {313-324}, doi = {10.1002/evan.21554}, pmid = {29265662}, issn = {1520-6505}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Child ; Female ; *Fossils ; Functional Laterality/*physiology ; Hominidae/physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Technology ; Tool Use Behavior ; Tooth/*pathology ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Fossil hominids often processed material held between their upper and lower teeth. Pulling with one hand and cutting with the other, they occasionally left impact cut marks on the lip (labial) surface of their incisors and canines. From these actions, it possible to determine the dominant hand used. The frequency of these oblique striations in an array of fossil hominins documents the typically modern pattern of 9 right- to 1 left-hander. This ratio among living Homo sapiens differs from that among chimpanzees and bonobos and more distant primate relatives. Together, all studies of living people affirm that dominant right-handedness is a uniquely modern human trait. The same pattern extends deep into our past. Thus far, the majority of inferred right-handed fossils come from Europe, but a single maxilla from a Homo habilis, OH-65, shows a predominance of right oblique scratches, thus extending right-handedness into the early Pleistocene of Africa. Other studies show right-handedness in more recent African, Chinese, and Levantine fossils, but the sample compiled for non-European fossil specimens remains small. Fossil specimens from Sima del los Huesos and a variety of European Neandertal sites are predominately right-handed. We argue the 9:1 handedness ratio in Neandertals and the earlier inhabitants of Europe constitutes evidence for a modern pattern of handedness well before the appearance of modern Homo sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid29220488, year = {2018}, author = {Jagoda, E and Lawson, DJ and Wall, JD and Lambert, D and Muller, C and Westaway, M and Leavesley, M and Capellini, TD and Mirazón Lahr, M and Gerbault, P and Thomas, MG and Migliano, AB and Willerslev, E and Metspalu, M and Pagani, L}, title = {Disentangling Immediate Adaptive Introgression from Selection on Standing Introgressed Variation in Humans.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {35}, number = {3}, pages = {623-630}, pmid = {29220488}, issn = {1537-1719}, abstract = {Recent studies have reported evidence suggesting that portions of contemporary human genomes introgressed from archaic hominin populations went to high frequencies due to positive selection. However, no study to date has specifically addressed the postintrogression population dynamics of these putative cases of adaptive introgression. Here, for the first time, we specifically define cases of immediate adaptive introgression (iAI) in which archaic haplotypes rose to high frequencies in humans as a result of a selective sweep that occurred shortly after the introgression event. We define these cases as distinct from instances of selection on standing introgressed variation (SI), in which an introgressed haplotype initially segregated neutrally and subsequently underwent positive selection. Using a geographically diverse data set, we report novel cases of selection on introgressed variation in living humans and shortlist among these cases those whose selective sweeps are more consistent with having been the product of iAI rather than SI. Many of these novel inferred iAI haplotypes have potential biological relevance, including three that contain immune-related genes in West Siberians, South Asians, and West Eurasians. Overall, our results suggest that iAI may not represent the full picture of positive selection on archaically introgressed haplotypes in humans and that more work needs to be done to analyze the role of SI in the archaic introgression landscape of living humans.}, }
@article {pmid29188235, year = {2017}, author = {Zilhão, J and Anesin, D and Aubry, T and Badal, E and Cabanes, D and Kehl, M and Klasen, N and Lucena, A and Martín-Lerma, I and Martínez, S and Matias, H and Susini, D and Steier, P and Wild, EM and Angelucci, DE and Villaverde, V and Zapata, J}, title = {Precise dating of the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in Murcia (Spain) supports late Neandertal persistence in Iberia.}, journal = {Heliyon}, volume = {3}, number = {11}, pages = {e00435}, pmid = {29188235}, issn = {2405-8440}, abstract = {The late persistence in Southern Iberia of a Neandertal-associated Middle Paleolithic is supported by the archeological stratigraphy and the radiocarbon and luminescence dating of three newly excavated localities in the Mula basin of Murcia (Spain). At Cueva Antón, Mousterian layer I-k can be no more than 37,100 years-old. At La Boja, the basal Aurignacian can be no less than 36,500 years-old. The regional Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition process is thereby bounded to the first half of the 37th millennium Before Present, in agreement with evidence from Andalusia, Gibraltar and Portugal. This chronology represents a lag of minimally 3000 years with the rest of Europe, where that transition and the associated process of Neandertal/modern human admixture took place between 40,000 and 42,000 years ago. The lag implies the presence of an effective barrier to migration and diffusion across the Ebro river depression, which, based on available paleoenvironmental indicators, would at that time have represented a major biogeographical divide. In addition, (a) the Phlegraean Fields caldera explosion, which occurred 39,850 years ago, would have stalled the Neandertal/modern human admixture front because of the population sink it generated in Central and Eastern Europe, and (b) the long period of ameliorated climate that came soon after (Greenland Interstadial 8, during which forests underwent a marked expansion in Iberian regions south of 40°N) would have enhanced the "Ebro Frontier" effect. These findings have two broader paleoanthropological implications: firstly, that, below the Ebro, the archeological record made prior to 37,000 years ago must be attributed, in all its aspects and components, to the Neandertals (or their ancestors); secondly, that modern human emergence is best seen as an uneven, punctuated process during which long-lasting barriers to gene flow and cultural diffusion could have existed across rather short distances, with attendant consequences for ancient genetics and models of human population history.}, }
@article {pmid29169679, year = {2018}, author = {Young, M and Johannesdottir, F and Poole, K and Shaw, C and Stock, JT}, title = {Assessing the accuracy of body mass estimation equations from pelvic and femoral variables among modern British women of known mass.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {115}, number = {}, pages = {130-139}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.10.011}, pmid = {29169679}, issn = {1095-8606}, support = {20109/VAC_/Versus Arthritis/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anthropology, Physical/*methods ; Anthropometry/methods ; Body Size ; *Body Weight ; Female ; Femur/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Models, Biological ; Pelvis/anatomy &amp; histology ; United Kingdom ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Femoral head diameter is commonly used to estimate body mass from the skeleton. The three most frequently employed methods, designed by Ruff, Grine, and McHenry, were developed using different populations to address different research questions. They were not specifically designed for application to female remains, and their accuracy for this purpose has rarely been assessed or compared in living populations. This study analyzes the accuracy of these methods using a sample of modern British women through the use of pelvic CT scans (n = 97) and corresponding information about the individuals' known height and weight. Results showed that all methods provided reasonably accurate body mass estimates (average percent prediction errors under 20%) for the normal weight and overweight subsamples, but were inaccurate for the obese and underweight subsamples (average percent prediction errors over 20%). When women of all body mass categories were combined, the methods provided reasonable estimates (average percent prediction errors between 16 and 18%). The results demonstrate that different methods provide more accurate results within specific body mass index (BMI) ranges. The McHenry Equation provided the most accurate estimation for women of small body size, while the original Ruff Equation is most likely to be accurate if the individual was obese or severely obese. The refined Ruff Equation was the most accurate predictor of body mass on average for the entire sample, indicating that it should be utilized when there is no knowledge of the individual's body size or if the individual is assumed to be of a normal body size. The study also revealed a correlation between pubis length and body mass, and an equation for body mass estimation using pubis length was accurate in a dummy sample, suggesting that pubis length can also be used to acquire reliable body mass estimates. This has implications for how we interpret body mass in fossil hominins and has particular relevance to the interpretation of the long pubic ramus that is characteristic of Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid29166384, year = {2017}, author = {Marín, J and Saladié, P and Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A and Carbonell, E}, title = {Neanderthal hunting strategies inferred from mortality profiles within the Abric Romaní sequence.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {12}, number = {11}, pages = {e0186970}, pmid = {29166384}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Aging ; Animals ; Mammals/*physiology ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Mortality ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; *Paleontology ; Predatory Behavior/*physiology ; Reference Standards ; Spain ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Ungulate mortality profiles are commonly used to study Neanderthal subsistence strategies. To assess the hunting strategies used by Neanderthals, we studied the ages at death of the cervids and equids found in levels E, H, I, Ja, Jb, K, L and M of the Abric Romaní sequence. These levels date between 43.2 ± 1.1 ka BP (14C AMS) and 54.5 ± 1.7 ka BP (U-series). The degree of eruption and development of the teeth and their wear stages were used to determine the ages of these animals at death, and mortality profiles were constructed using these data. The equids display prime dominated profiles in all of the analyzed levels, whereas the cervids display variable profiles. These results suggest that the Neanderthals of Abric Romaní employed both selective and non-selective hunting strategies. The selective strategy focused on the hunting of prime adults and generated prime dominated profiles. On the other hand, non-selective strategies, involved the consumption of animals of variable ages, resulting in catastrophic profiles. It is likely that in the selective hunting events were conducted using selective ambushes in which it was possible to select specific prey animals. On the other hand, encounter hunting or non-selective ambush hunting may have also been used at times, based on the abundances of prey animals and encounter rates. Specific hunting strategies would have been developed accordance with the taxa and the age of the individual to be hunted. The hunting groups most likely employed cooperative hunting techniques, especially in the capture of large animals. Thus, it is not possible to uniquely associate a single mortality profile with the predation tactics of Neanderthals at Abric Romaní.}, }
@article {pmid29089499, year = {2017}, author = {Kolodny, O and Feldman, MW}, title = {A parsimonious neutral model suggests Neanderthal replacement was determined by migration and random species drift.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {8}, number = {1}, pages = {1040}, pmid = {29089499}, issn = {2041-1723}, mesh = {Africa ; Animal Migration ; Animals ; Computer Simulation ; Europe ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Transients and Migrants ; }, abstract = {Most hypotheses in the heated debate about the Neanderthals' replacement by modern humans highlight the role of environmental pressures or attribute the Neanderthals' demise to competition with modern humans, who occupied the same ecological niche. The latter assume that modern humans benefited from some selective advantage over Neanderthals, which led to the their extinction. Here we show that a scenario of migration and selectively neutral species drift predicts the Neanderthals' replacement. Our model offers a parsimonious alternative to those that invoke external factors or selective advantage, and represents a null hypothesis for assessing such alternatives. For a wide range of parameters, this hypothesis cannot be rejected. Moreover, we suggest that although selection and environmental factors may or may not have played a role in the inter-species dynamics of Neanderthals and modern humans, the eventual replacement of the Neanderthals was determined by the repeated migration of modern humans from Africa into Eurasia.}, }
@article {pmid29087302, year = {2017}, author = {de Azevedo, S and González, MF and Cintas, C and Ramallo, V and Quinto-Sánchez, M and Márquez, F and Hünemeier, T and Paschetta, C and Ruderman, A and Navarro, P and Pazos, BA and Silva de Cerqueira, CC and Velan, O and Ramírez-Rozzi, F and Calvo, N and Castro, HG and Paz, RR and González-José, R}, title = {Nasal airflow simulations suggest convergent adaptation in Neanderthals and modern humans.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {114}, number = {47}, pages = {12442-12447}, pmid = {29087302}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Acclimatization/*physiology ; Animals ; Anthropology ; Cold Climate ; *Computer Simulation ; Fossils ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Nose/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Respiration ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Both modern humans (MHs) and Neanderthals successfully settled across western Eurasian cold-climate landscapes. Among the many adaptations considered as essential to survival in such landscapes, changes in the nasal morphology and/or function aimed to humidify and warm the air before it reaches the lungs are of key importance. Unfortunately, the lack of soft-tissue evidence in the fossil record turns difficult any comparative study of respiratory performance. Here, we reconstruct the internal nasal cavity of a Neanderthal plus two representatives of climatically divergent MH populations (southwestern Europeans and northeastern Asians). The reconstruction includes mucosa distribution enabling a realistic simulation of the breathing cycle in different climatic conditions via computational fluid dynamics. Striking across-specimens differences in fluid residence times affecting humidification and warming performance at the anterior tract were found under cold/dry climate simulations. Specifically, the Asian model achieves a rapid air conditioning, followed by the Neanderthals, whereas the European model attains a proper conditioning only around the medium-posterior tract. In addition, quantitative-genetic evolutionary analyses of nasal morphology provided signals of stabilizing selection for MH populations, with the removal of Arctic populations turning covariation patterns compatible with evolution by genetic drift. Both results indicate that, departing from important craniofacial differences existing among Neanderthals and MHs, an advantageous species-specific respiratory performance in cold climates may have occurred in both species. Fluid dynamics and evolutionary biology independently provided evidence of nasal evolution, suggesting that adaptive explanations regarding complex functional phenotypes require interdisciplinary approaches aimed to quantify both performance and evolutionary signals on covariation patterns.}, }
@article {pmid29054166, year = {2017}, author = {Buti, L and Le Cabec, A and Panetta, D and Tripodi, M and Salvadori, PA and Hublin, JJ and Feeney, RNM and Benazzi, S}, title = {3D enamel thickness in Neandertal and modern human permanent canines.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {113}, number = {}, pages = {162-172}, pmid = {29054166}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Enamel/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; X-Ray Microtomography/*methods ; }, abstract = {Enamel thickness figures prominently in studies of human evolution, particularly for taxonomy, phylogeny, and paleodietary reconstruction. Attention has focused on molar teeth, through the use of advanced imaging technologies and novel protocols. Despite the important results achieved thus far, further work is needed to investigate all tooth classes. We apply a recent approach developed for anterior teeth to investigate the 3D enamel thickness of Neandertal and modern human (MH) canines. In terms of crown size, the values obtained for both upper and lower unworn/slightly worn canines are significantly greater in Neandertals than in Upper Paleolithic and recent MH. The 3D relative enamel thickness (RET) is significantly lower in Neandertals than in MH. Moreover, differences in 3D RET values between the two groups appear to decrease in worn canines beginning from wear stage 3, suggesting that both the pattern and the stage of wear may have important effects on the 3D RET value. Nevertheless, the 3D average enamel thickness (AET) does not differ between the two groups. In both groups, 3D AET and 3D RET indices are greater in upper canines than in lower canines, and overall the enamel is thicker on the occlusal half of the labial aspect of the crown, particularly in MH. By contrast, the few early modern humans investigated show the highest volumes of enamel while for all other components of 3D enamel, thickness this group holds an intermediate position between Neandertals and recent MH. Overall, our study supports the general findings that Neandertals have relatively thinner enamel than MH (as also observed in molars), indicating that unworn/slightly worn canines can be successfully used to discriminate between the two groups. Further studies, however, are needed to understand whether these differences are functionally related or are the result of pleiotropic or genetic drift effects.}, }
@article {pmid29053746, year = {2017}, author = {Trinkaus, E and Villotte, S}, title = {External auditory exostoses and hearing loss in the Shanidar 1 Neandertal.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {12}, number = {10}, pages = {e0186684}, pmid = {29053746}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Ear, External ; *Exostoses ; *Fossils ; *Hearing Loss, Conductive ; *Hominidae ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {The Late Pleistocene Shanidar 1 older adult male Neandertal is known for the crushing fracture of his left orbit with a probable reduction in vision, the loss of his right forearm and hand, and evidence of an abnormal gait, as well as probable diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. He also exhibits advanced external auditory exostoses in his left auditory meatus and larger ones with complete bridging across the porus in the right meatus (both Grade 3). These growths indicate at least unilateral conductive hearing (CHL) loss, a serious sensory deprivation for a Pleistocene hunter-gatherer. This condition joins the meatal atresia of the Middle Pleistocene Atapuerca-SH Cr.4 in providing evidence of survival with conductive hearing loss (and hence serious sensory deprivation) among these Pleistocene humans. The presence of CHL in these fossils thereby reinforces the paleobiological and archeological evidence for supporting social matrices among these Pleistocene foraging peoples.}, }
@article {pmid29053710, year = {2017}, author = {Soriano, S and Villa, P}, title = {Early Levallois and the beginning of the Middle Paleolithic in central Italy.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {12}, number = {10}, pages = {e0186082}, pmid = {29053710}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Italy ; Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {In the second half of the 19th century Pleistocene faunas were discovered in two sites, Sedia del Diavolo and Monte delle Gioie, contained in deposits of the Aniene River in the area of Rome (Latium, Italy). Fieldwork by A.C. Blanc in the late 1930's proved the association of fauna and lithic industry within fluvial deposits interbedded with volcanoclastic layers. A human femoral diaphysis and a metatarsal were later identified in the faunal assemblage from Sedia del Diavolo and evaluated as Neandertal. The lithic assemblages from these two sites were the basis of the definition of the Protopontinian by M. Taschini, which she viewed as a late Middle Pleistocene industry very similar to the later, Upper Pleistocene Pontinian industries, thought to be characteristic of the Latium Mousterian. The chronostratigraphic framework of the Aniene river deposits has been recently updated and the lithic assemblages from these two sites are now confidently dated between 295 and 290 ka, close to the transition from MIS 9 to MIS 8. They fit chronologically between the industries of layers m and d from Torre in Pietra, a site 26 km northwest of Rome. The presence of the Levallois debitage is indisputable yet it occurs within an original technical context, different from what is known in other early occurrences of the Levallois. The date confirms the proposed chronology for the early Levallois in Europe. More importantly these two assemblages demonstrate that this technology can emerge in more diversified contexts than usually described. This suggests that its dispersal in Europe may have been rapid.}, }
@article {pmid29040546, year = {2017}, author = {Taskent, RO and Alioglu, ND and Fer, E and Melike Donertas, H and Somel, M and Gokcumen, O}, title = {Variation and Functional Impact of Neanderthal Ancestry in Western Asia.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {12}, pages = {3516-3524}, pmid = {29040546}, issn = {1759-6653}, mesh = {Animals ; Asia, Western/epidemiology ; Asian People/genetics ; Black People/genetics ; Celiac Disease/epidemiology/genetics ; *Gene Expression Regulation ; *Genetic Variation ; *Genome, Human ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; *Phylogeny ; Receptors, CCR/genetics ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals contributed genetic material to modern humans via multiple admixture events. Initial admixture events presumably occurred in Western Asia shortly after humans migrated out of Africa. Despite being a focal point of admixture, earlier studies indicate lower Neanderthal introgression rates in some Western Asian populations as compared with other Eurasian populations. To better understand the genome-wide and phenotypic impact of Neanderthal introgression in the region, we sequenced whole genomes of nine present-day Europeans, Africans, and the Western Asian Druze at high depth, and analyzed available whole genome data from various other populations, including 16 genomes from present-day Turkey. Our results confirmed previous observations that contemporary Western Asian populations, on an average, have lower levels of Neanderthal-introgressed DNA relative to other Eurasian populations. Modern Western Asians also show comparatively high variability in Neanderthal ancestry, which may be attributed to the complex demographic history of the region. We further replicated the previously described depletion of putatively functional sequences among Neanderthal-introgressed haplotypes. Still, we find dozens of common Neanderthal-introgressed haplotypes in the Turkish sample associated with human phenotypes, including anthropometric and metabolic traits, as well as the immune response. One of these haplotypes is unusually long and harbors variants that affect the expression of members of the CCR gene family and are associated with celiac disease. Overall, our results paint a complex first picture of the genomic impact of Neanderthal introgression in the Western Asian populations.}, }
@article {pmid29032037, year = {2018}, author = {Wakano, JY and Gilpin, W and Kadowaki, S and Feldman, MW and Aoki, K}, title = {Ecocultural range-expansion scenarios for the replacement or assimilation of Neanderthals by modern humans.}, journal = {Theoretical population biology}, volume = {119}, number = {}, pages = {3-14}, doi = {10.1016/j.tpb.2017.09.004}, pmid = {29032037}, issn = {1096-0325}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Culture ; Ecology ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Population Density ; }, abstract = {Recent archaeological records no longer support a simple dichotomous characterization of the cultures/behaviors of Neanderthals and modern humans, but indicate much cultural/behavioral variability over time and space. Thus, in modeling the replacement or assimilation of Neanderthals by modern humans, it is of interest to consider cultural dynamics and their relation to demographic change. The ecocultural framework for the competition between hominid species allows their carrying capacities to depend on some measure of the levels of culture they possess. In the present study both population densities and the densities of skilled individuals in Neanderthals and modern humans are spatially distributed and subject to change by spatial diffusion, ecological competition, and cultural transmission within each species. We analyze the resulting range expansions in terms of the demographic, ecological and cultural parameters that determine how the carrying capacities relate to the local densities of skilled individuals in each species. Of special interest is the case of cognitive and intrinsic-demographic equivalence of the two species. The range expansion dynamics may consist of multiple wave fronts of different speeds, each of which originates from a traveling wave solution. Properties of these traveling wave solutions are mathematically derived. Depending on the parameters, these traveling waves can result in replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans, or assimilation of the former by the latter. In both the replacement and assimilation scenarios, the first wave of intrusive modern humans is characterized by a low population density and a low density of skilled individuals, with implications for archaeological visibility. The first invasion is due to weak interspecific competition. A second wave of invasion may be induced by cultural differences between moderns and Neanderthals. Spatially and temporally extended coexistence of the two species, which would have facilitated the transfer of genes from Neanderthal into modern humans and vice versa, is observed in the traveling waves, except when niche overlap between the two species is extremely high. Archaeological findings on the spatial and temporal distributions of the Initial Upper Palaeolithic and the Early Upper Palaeolithic and of the coexistence of Neanderthals and modern humans are discussed.}, }
@article {pmid29023640, year = {2018}, author = {Chapman, T and Sholukha, V and Semal, P and Louryan, S and Van Sint Jan, S}, title = {Further consideration of the curvature of the Neandertal Femur.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {165}, number = {1}, pages = {94-107}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23334}, pmid = {29023640}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Female ; Femur/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Fossils ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Neandertal femora are particularly known for having a marked sagittal femoral curvature. This study examined femoral curvature in Neandertals in comparison to a modern human population from Belgium by the use of three-dimensional (3D) quadric surfaces modeled from the bone surface. 3D models provide detailed information and enabled femoral curvature to be analyzed in conjunction with other morphological parameters.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: 3D models were created from CT scans of 75 modern human femora and 7 Neandertal femora. Quadric surfaces (QS) were created from the triangulated surface vertices in all areas of interest (neck, head, diaphyseal shaft, condyles) extracted from previously placed anatomical landmarks. The diaphyseal shaft was divided into five QS shapes and curvature was measured by degrees of difference between QS shapes. Each bone was placed in a local coordinate system enabling each bone to be analyzed in the same way.<br><br>RESULTS: The use of 3D quadric surface fitting allowed the distribution of curvature with similarly curved femora to be analyzed and the different patterns of curvature between the two groups to be determined. The Neandertals were shown to have a higher degree of femoral curvature and a more distal point of femoral curvature than the modern human population from Belgium.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Morphological aspects of the Neandertal femur are different from this modern human population although mainly seem unrelated to femoral curvature. The relative lack of correlations with other femoral bony morphological factors suggests femoral curvature variations may be related to other aspects.}, }
@article {pmid28985494, year = {2017}, author = {Dannemann, M and Kelso, J}, title = {The Contribution of Neanderthals to Phenotypic Variation in Modern Humans.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {101}, number = {4}, pages = {578-589}, pmid = {28985494}, issn = {1537-6605}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Cohort Studies ; Gene Frequency ; Genome, Human ; Hair Color ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; *Phenotype ; Phylogeny ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Skin Pigmentation ; White People/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Assessing the genetic contribution of Neanderthals to non-disease phenotypes in modern humans has been difficult because of the absence of large cohorts for which common phenotype information is available. Using baseline phenotypes collected for 112,000 individuals by the UK Biobank, we can now elaborate on previous findings that identified associations between signatures of positive selection on Neanderthal DNA and various modern human traits but not any specific phenotypic consequences. Here, we show that Neanderthal DNA affects skin tone and hair color, height, sleeping patterns, mood, and smoking status in present-day Europeans. Interestingly, multiple Neanderthal alleles at different loci contribute to skin and hair color in present-day Europeans, and these Neanderthal alleles contribute to both lighter and darker skin tones and hair color, suggesting that Neanderthals themselves were most likely variable in these traits.}, }
@article {pmid28983028, year = {2017}, author = {Gibbons, A}, title = {Neandertal genome reveals greater legacy in the living.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {358}, number = {6359}, pages = {21}, doi = {10.1126/science.358.6359.21}, pmid = {28983028}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Ancient ; Disease/*genetics ; Extinction, Biological ; Genome ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, }
@article {pmid28982794, year = {2017}, author = {Prüfer, K and de Filippo, C and Grote, S and Mafessoni, F and Korlević, P and Hajdinjak, M and Vernot, B and Skov, L and Hsieh, P and Peyrégne, S and Reher, D and Hopfe, C and Nagel, S and Maricic, T and Fu, Q and Theunert, C and Rogers, R and Skoglund, P and Chintalapati, M and Dannemann, M and Nelson, BJ and Key, FM and Rudan, P and Kućan, &#x17d; and Gušić, I and Golovanova, LV and Doronichev, VB and Patterson, N and Reich, D and Eichler, EE and Slatkin, M and Schierup, MH and Andrés, AM and Kelso, J and Meyer, M and Pääbo, S}, title = {A high-coverage Neandertal genome from Vindija Cave in Croatia.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {358}, number = {6363}, pages = {655-658}, pmid = {28982794}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI_/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; R01 HG002385/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; 694707/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Caves ; Croatia ; DNA, Ancient ; Genome ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {To date, the only Neandertal genome that has been sequenced to high quality is from an individual found in Southern Siberia. We sequenced the genome of a female Neandertal from ~50,000 years ago from Vindija Cave, Croatia, to ~30-fold genomic coverage. She carried 1.6 differences per 10,000 base pairs between the two copies of her genome, fewer than present-day humans, suggesting that Neandertal populations were of small size. Our analyses indicate that she was more closely related to the Neandertals that mixed with the ancestors of present-day humans living outside of sub-Saharan Africa than the previously sequenced Neandertal from Siberia, allowing 10 to 20% more Neandertal DNA to be identified in present-day humans, including variants involved in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, schizophrenia, and other diseases.}, }
@article {pmid28973864, year = {2017}, author = {Hublin, JJ}, title = {The last Neanderthal.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {114}, number = {40}, pages = {10520-10522}, pmid = {28973864}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {*Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Phylogeny ; }, }
@article {pmid32080391, year = {2017}, author = {}, title = {Ancient encounters of the Neanderthal kind.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {550}, number = {7675}, pages = {161-162}, doi = {10.1038/d41586-017-04376-3}, pmid = {32080391}, issn = {1476-4687}, }
@article {pmid28950836, year = {2017}, author = {Xu, D and Jaber, Y and Pavlidis, P and Gokcumen, O}, title = {VCFtoTree: a user-friendly tool to construct locus-specific alignments and phylogenies from thousands of anthropologically relevant genome sequences.}, journal = {BMC bioinformatics}, volume = {18}, number = {1}, pages = {426}, pmid = {28950836}, issn = {1471-2105}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; *Genetic Loci ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; INDEL Mutation/genetics ; *Phylogeny ; Primates ; Sequence Alignment/*methods ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; *Software ; User-Computer Interface ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Constructing alignments and phylogenies for a given locus from large genome sequencing studies with relevant outgroups allow novel evolutionary and anthropological insights. However, no user-friendly tool has been developed to integrate thousands of recently available and anthropologically relevant genome sequences to construct complete sequence alignments and phylogenies.<br><br>RESULTS: Here, we provide VCFtoTree, a user friendly tool with a graphical user interface that directly accesses online databases to download, parse and analyze genome variation data for regions of interest. Our pipeline combines popular sequence datasets and tree building algorithms with custom data parsing to generate accurate alignments and phylogenies using all the individuals from the 1000 Genomes Project, Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes, as well as reference genomes of Chimpanzee and Rhesus Macaque. It can also be applied to other phased human genomes, as well as genomes from other species. The output of our pipeline includes an alignment in FASTA format and a tree file in newick format.<br><br>CONCLUSION: VCFtoTree fulfills the increasing demand for constructing alignments and phylogenies for a given loci from thousands of available genomes. Our software provides a user friendly interface for a wider audience without prerequisite knowledge in programming. VCFtoTree can be accessed from https://github.com/duoduoo/VCFtoTree_3.0.0 .}, }
@article {pmid28935804, year = {2017}, author = {Rosas, A and Ríos, L and Estalrrich, A and Liversidge, H and García-Tabernero, A and Huguet, R and Cardoso, H and Bastir, M and Lalueza-Fox, C and de la Rasilla, M and Dean, C}, title = {The growth pattern of Neandertals, reconstructed from a juvenile skeleton from El Sidrón (Spain).}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {357}, number = {6357}, pages = {1282-1287}, doi = {10.1126/science.aan6463}, pmid = {28935804}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Age Factors ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Body Size ; Brain/growth &amp; development ; *Extinction, Biological ; Neanderthals/*growth &amp; development ; Skull/*growth &amp; development ; Spain ; Thoracic Vertebrae/*growth &amp; development ; Tooth/growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {Ontogenetic studies help us understand the processes of evolutionary change. Previous studies on Neandertals have focused mainly on dental development and inferred an accelerated pace of general growth. We report on a juvenile partial skeleton (El Sidrón J1) preserving cranio-dental and postcranial remains. We used dental histology to estimate the age at death to be 7.7 years. Maturation of most elements fell within the expected range of modern humans at this age. The exceptions were the atlas and mid-thoracic vertebrae, which remained at the 5- to 6-year stage of development. Furthermore, endocranial features suggest that brain growth was not yet completed. The vertebral maturation pattern and extended brain growth most likely reflect Neandertal physiology and ontogenetic energy constraints rather than any fundamental difference in the overall pace of growth in this extinct human.}, }
@article {pmid28934125, year = {2017}, author = {Eduardoff, M and Xavier, C and Strobl, C and Casas-Vargas, A and Parson, W}, title = {Optimized mtDNA Control Region Primer Extension Capture Analysis for Forensically Relevant Samples and Highly Compromised mtDNA of Different Age and Origin.}, journal = {Genes}, volume = {8}, number = {10}, pages = {}, pmid = {28934125}, issn = {2073-4425}, abstract = {The analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has proven useful in forensic genetics and ancient DNA (aDNA) studies, where specimens are often highly compromised and DNA quality and quantity are low. In forensic genetics, the mtDNA control region (CR) is commonly sequenced using established Sanger-type Sequencing (STS) protocols involving fragment sizes down to approximately 150 base pairs (bp). Recent developments include Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) of (multiplex) PCR-generated libraries using the same amplicon sizes. Molecular genetic studies on archaeological remains that harbor more degraded aDNA have pioneered alternative approaches to target mtDNA, such as capture hybridization and primer extension capture (PEC) methods followed by MPS. These assays target smaller mtDNA fragment sizes (down to 50 bp or less), and have proven to be substantially more successful in obtaining useful mtDNA sequences from these samples compared to electrophoretic methods. Here, we present the modification and optimization of a PEC method, earlier developed for sequencing the Neanderthal mitochondrial genome, with forensic applications in mind. Our approach was designed for a more sensitive enrichment of the mtDNA CR in a single tube assay and short laboratory turnaround times, thus complying with forensic practices. We characterized the method using sheared, high quantity mtDNA (six samples), and tested challenging forensic samples (n = 2) as well as compromised solid tissue samples (n = 15) up to 8 kyrs of age. The PEC MPS method produced reliable and plausible mtDNA haplotypes that were useful in the forensic context. It yielded plausible data in samples that did not provide results with STS and other MPS techniques. We addressed the issue of contamination by including four generations of negative controls, and discuss the results in the forensic context. We finally offer perspectives for future research to enable the validation and accreditation of the PEC MPS method for final implementation in forensic genetic laboratories.}, }
@article {pmid28902892, year = {2017}, author = {Zanolli, C and Hourset, M and Esclassan, R and Mollereau, C}, title = {Neanderthal and Denisova tooth protein variants in present-day humans.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {12}, number = {9}, pages = {e0183802}, pmid = {28902892}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology/metabolism ; Dental Enamel Proteins/*genetics/metabolism ; Fossils ; Gene Frequency ; Genome, Human ; Geography ; *Hominidae/genetics/metabolism ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/genetics/metabolism ; Organ Size ; Phylogeny ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Selection, Genetic ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry/*metabolism ; }, abstract = {Environment parameters, diet and genetic factors interact to shape tooth morphostructure. In the human lineage, archaic and modern hominins show differences in dental traits, including enamel thickness, but variability also exists among living populations. Several polymorphisms, in particular in the non-collagenous extracellular matrix proteins of the tooth hard tissues, like enamelin, are involved in dental structure variation and defects and may be associated with dental disorders or susceptibility to caries. To gain insights into the relationships between tooth protein polymorphisms and dental structural morphology and defects, we searched for non-synonymous polymorphisms in tooth proteins from Neanderthal and Denisova hominins. The objective was to identify archaic-specific missense variants that may explain the dental morphostructural variability between extinct and modern humans, and to explore their putative impact on present-day dental phenotypes. Thirteen non-collagenous extracellular matrix proteins specific to hard dental tissues have been selected, searched in the publicly available sequence databases of Neanderthal and Denisova individuals and compared with modern human genome data. A total of 16 non-synonymous polymorphisms were identified in 6 proteins (ameloblastin, amelotin, cementum protein 1, dentin matrix acidic phosphoprotein 1, enamelin and matrix Gla protein). Most of them are encoded by dentin and enamel genes located on chromosome 4, previously reported to show signs of archaic introgression within Africa. Among the variants shared with modern humans, two are ancestral (common with apes) and one is the derived enamelin major variant, T648I (rs7671281), associated with a thinner enamel and specific to the Homo lineage. All the others are specific to Neanderthals and Denisova, and are found at a very low frequency in modern Africans or East and South Asians, suggesting that they may be related to particular dental traits or disease susceptibility in these populations. This modern regional distribution of archaic dental polymorphisms may reflect persistence of archaic variants in some populations and may contribute in part to the geographic dental variations described in modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid28890534, year = {2017}, author = {Marciniak, S and Perry, GH}, title = {Harnessing ancient genomes to study the history of human adaptation.}, journal = {Nature reviews. Genetics}, volume = {18}, number = {11}, pages = {659-674}, pmid = {28890534}, issn = {1471-0064}, mesh = {Animals ; *Adaptation, Physiological ; *Biological Evolution ; *Genome, Human ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Humans ; }, abstract = {The past several years have witnessed an explosion of successful ancient human genome-sequencing projects, with genomic-scale ancient DNA data sets now available for more than 1,100 ancient human and archaic hominin (for example, Neandertal) individuals. Recent 'evolution in action' analyses have started using these data sets to identify and track the spatiotemporal trajectories of genetic variants associated with human adaptations to novel and changing environments, agricultural lifestyles, and introduced or co-evolving pathogens. Together with evidence of adaptive introgression of genetic variants from archaic hominins to humans and emerging ancient genome data sets for domesticated animals and plants, these studies provide novel insights into human evolution and the evolutionary consequences of human behaviour that go well beyond those that can be obtained from modern genomic data or the fossil and archaeological records alone.}, }
@article {pmid28874524, year = {2017}, author = {Devièse, T and Karavanić, I and Comeskey, D and Kubiak, C and Korlević, P and Hajdinjak, M and Radović, S and Procopio, N and Buckley, M and Pääbo, S and Higham, T}, title = {Direct dating of Neanderthal remains from the site of Vindija Cave and implications for the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {114}, number = {40}, pages = {10606-10611}, pmid = {28874524}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Caves ; Croatia ; Female ; Fossils ; Male ; *Neanderthals ; Radiometric Dating/*methods ; }, abstract = {Previous dating of the Vi-207 and Vi-208 Neanderthal remains from Vindija Cave (Croatia) led to the suggestion that Neanderthals survived there as recently as 28,000-29,000 B.P. Subsequent dating yielded older dates, interpreted as ages of at least ∼32,500 B.P. We have redated these same specimens using an approach based on the extraction of the amino acid hydroxyproline, using preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (Prep-HPLC). This method is more efficient in eliminating modern contamination in the bone collagen. The revised dates are older than 40,000 B.P., suggesting the Vindija Neanderthals did not live more recently than others across Europe, and probably predate the arrival of anatomically modern humans in Eastern Europe. We applied zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS) to find additional hominin remains. We identified one bone that is Neanderthal, based on its mitochondrial DNA, and dated it directly to 46,200 ± 1,500 B.P. We also attempted to date six early Upper Paleolithic bone points from stratigraphic units G1, Fd/d+G1 and Fd/d, Fd. One bone artifact gave a date of 29,500 ± 400 B.P., while the remainder yielded no collagen. We additionally dated animal bone samples from units G1 and G1-G3 These dates suggest a co-occurrence of early Upper Paleolithic osseous artifacts, particularly split-based points, alongside the remains of Neanderthals is a result of postdepositional mixing, rather than an association between the two groups, although more work is required to show this definitively.}, }
@article {pmid28874276, year = {2017}, author = {García-Martínez, D and Bastir, M and Huguet, R and Estalrrich, A and García-Tabernero, A and Ríos, L and Cunha, E and Rasilla, M and Rosas, A}, title = {The costal remains of the El Sidrón Neanderthal site (Asturias, northern Spain) and their importance for understanding Neanderthal thorax morphology.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {111}, number = {}, pages = {85-101}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.06.003}, pmid = {28874276}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Ribs/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Thorax/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The study of the Neanderthal thorax has attracted the attention of the scientific community for more than a century. It is agreed that Neanderthals have a more capacious thorax than modern humans, but whether this was caused by a medio-lateral or an antero-posterior expansion of the thorax is still debated, and is key to understanding breathing biomechanics and body shape in Neanderthals. The fragile nature of ribs, the metameric structure of the thorax and difficulties in quantifying thorax morphology all contribute to uncertainty regarding precise aspects of Neanderthal thoracic shape. The El Sidrón site has yielded costal remains from the upper to the lower thorax, as well as several proximal rib ends (frequently missing in the Neanderthal record), which help to shed light on Neanderthal thorax shape. We compared the El Sidrón costal elements with ribs from recent modern humans as well as with fossil modern humans and other Neanderthals through traditional morphometric methods and 3D geometric morphometrics, combined with missing data estimation and virtual reconstruction (at the 1st, 5th and 11th costal levels). Our results show that Neanderthals have larger rib heads and articular tubercles than their modern human counterparts. Neanderthal 1st ribs are smaller than in modern humans, whereas 5th and 11th ribs are considerably larger. When we articulated mean ribs (size and shape) with their corresponding vertebral elements, we observed that compared to modern humans the Neanderthal thorax is medio-laterally expanded at every level, especially at T5 and T11. Therefore, in the light of evidence from the El Sidrón costal remains, we hypothesize that the volumetric expansion of the Neanderthal thorax proposed by previous authors would mainly be produced by a medio-lateral expansion of the thorax.}, }
@article {pmid28874274, year = {2017}, author = {Tillier, AM and Sirakov, N and Guadelli, A and Fernandez, P and Sirakova, S and Dimitrova, I and Ferrier, C and Guérin, G and Heidari, M and Krumov, I and Leblanc, JC and Miteva, V and Popov, V and Taneva, S and Guadelli, JL}, title = {Evidence of Neanderthals in the Balkans: The infant radius from Kozarnika Cave (Bulgaria).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {111}, number = {}, pages = {54-62}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.06.002}, pmid = {28874274}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Balkan Peninsula ; Bulgaria ; Caves ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Infant ; *Neanderthals ; Radius/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Excavations conducted by a Bulgarian-French team at Kozarnika Cave (Balkans, Bulgaria) during several seasons yielded a long Paleolithic archaeological sequence and led to the discovery of important faunal, lithic, and human samples. This paper aims to describe the unpublished radius shaft of an infant who died approximately before the sixth month postnatal that was recovered from layer 10b, which contained East Balkan Levallois Mousterian with bifacial leaf points. The layer was dated between 130 and 200 ka (large mammals biochronology) and between 128 ± 13 ka and 183 ± 14 ka (OSL), i.e. OIS6. Here we show that, given the scarcity of Middle Pleistocene infant remains in general, and Middle Paleolithic human remains from this part of Eastern Europe in particular, the study of the Kozarnika specimen is of special interest. We discuss its place in the Middle Pleistocene European hominine record and substantiate the hypothesis of early Neanderthal presence in the eastern Balkans.}, }
@article {pmid28874271, year = {2017}, author = {Bargalló, A and Mosquera, M and Lozano, S}, title = {In pursuit of our ancestors' hand laterality.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {111}, number = {}, pages = {18-32}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.06.001}, pmid = {28874271}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Fossils ; Functional Laterality/*physiology ; Hand ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The aim of this paper is to apply a previously published method (Bargalló and Mosquera, 2014) to the archaeological record, allowing us to identify the hand laterality of our ancestors and determine when and how this feature, which is exhibited most strongly in humans, appeared in our evolutionary history. The method focuses on identifying handedness by looking at the technical features of the flakes produced by a single knapper, and discovering how many flakes are required to ascertain their hand preference. This method can potentially be applied to the majority of archaeological sites, since flakes are the most abundant stone tools, and stone tools are the most widespread and widely-preserved remains from prehistory. For our study, we selected two Spanish sites: Gran Dolina-TD10.1 (Atapuerca) and Abric Romaní (Barcelona), which were occupied by pre-Neanderthal and Neanderthal populations, respectively. Our analyses indicate that a minimum number of eight flakes produced by the same knapper is required to ascertain their hand preference. Even though this figure is relatively low, it is quite difficult to obtain from many archaeological sites. In addition, there is no single technical feature that provides information about handedness, instead there is a combination of eight technical features, localised on the striking platforms and ventral surfaces. The raw material is not relevant where good quality rocks are used, in this case quartzite and flint, since most of them retain the technical features required for the analysis. Expertise is not an issue either, since the technical features analysed here only correlate with handedness (Bargalló and Mosquera, 2014). Our results allow us to tentatively identify one right-handed knapper among the pre-Neanderthals of level TD10.1 at Gran Dolina (Atapuerca), while four of the five Neanderthals analysed from Abric Romaní were right-handed. The hand preference of the fifth knapper from that location (AR5) remains unclear.}, }
@article {pmid28874265, year = {2017}, author = {Pomeroy, E and Mirazón Lahr, M and Crivellaro, F and Farr, L and Reynolds, T and Hunt, CO and Barker, G}, title = {Newly discovered Neanderthal remains from Shanidar Cave, Iraqi Kurdistan, and their attribution to Shanidar 5.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {111}, number = {}, pages = {102-118}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.07.001}, pmid = {28874265}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Caves ; *Fibula ; *Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Iraq ; Male ; *Neanderthals ; *Pelvic Bones ; }, abstract = {The Neanderthal remains from Shanidar Cave, excavated between 1951 and 1960, have played a central role in debates concerning diverse aspects of Neanderthal morphology and behavior. In 2015 and 2016, renewed excavations at the site uncovered hominin remains from the immediate area where the partial skeleton of Shanidar 5 was found in 1960. Shanidar 5 was a robust adult male estimated to have been aged over 40 years at the time of death. Comparisons of photographs from the previous and recent excavations indicate that the old and new remains were directly adjacent to one another, while the disturbed arrangement and partial crushing of the new fossils is consistent with descriptions and photographs of the older discoveries. The newly discovered bones include fragments of several vertebrae, a left hamate, part of the proximal left femur, a heavily crushed partial pelvis, and the distal half of the right tibia and fibula and associated talus and navicular. All these elements were previously missing from Shanidar 5, and morphological and metric data are consistent with the new elements belonging to this individual. A newly discovered partial left pubic symphysis indicates an age at death of 40-50 years, also consistent with the age of Shanidar 5 estimated previously. Thus, the combined evidence strongly suggests that the new finds can be attributed to Shanidar 5. Ongoing analyses of associated samples, including for sediment morphology, palynology, and dating, will therefore offer new evidence as to how this individual was deposited in the cave and permit new analyses of the skeleton itself and broader discussion of Neanderthal morphology and variation.}, }
@article {pmid28860591, year = {2017}, author = {Kozowyk, PRB and Soressi, M and Pomstra, D and Langejans, GHJ}, title = {Experimental methods for the Palaeolithic dry distillation of birch bark: implications for the origin and development of Neandertal adhesive technology.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {7}, number = {1}, pages = {8033}, pmid = {28860591}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Adhesives/*metabolism ; Animals ; Archaeology/methods ; Betula/*metabolism ; Distillation/*methods ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Plant Bark/*metabolism ; Plant Mucilage/metabolism ; Tars/*metabolism ; Technology/*methods/trends ; }, abstract = {The destructive distillation of birch bark to produce tar has recently featured in debates about the technological and cognitive abilities of Neandertals and modern humans. The abilities to precisely control fire temperatures and to manipulate adhesive properties are believed to require advanced mental traits. However, the significance given to adhesive technology in these debates has quickly outgrown our understanding of birch bark tar and its manufacture using aceramic techniques. In this paper, we detail three experimental methods of Palaeolithic tar production ranging from simple to complex. We recorded the fuel, time, materials, temperatures, and tar yield for each method and compared them with the tar known from the Palaeolithic. Our results indicate that it is possible to obtain useful amounts of tar by combining materials and technology already in use by Neandertals. A ceramic container is not required, and temperature control need not be as precise as previously thought. However, Neandertals must have been able to recognize certain material properties, such as adhesive tack and viscosity. In this way, they could develop the technology from producing small traces of tar on partially burned bark to techniques capable of manufacturing quantities of tar equal to those found in the Middle Palaeolithic archaeological record.}, }
@article {pmid28859637, year = {2017}, author = {Harris, K and Nielsen, R}, title = {Q&amp;A: Where did the Neanderthals go?.}, journal = {BMC biology}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, pages = {73}, pmid = {28859637}, issn = {1741-7007}, support = {F32 GM116381/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM116044/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Fossils ; *Genome, Human ; Genomics ; Humans ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Genomic evidence has demonstrated that humans and Neanderthals interbred. Today, the genomes of most individuals outside Africa contain 2-3% Neanderthal DNA. However, it is still hotly debated why the Neanderthals went extinct and if humans contributed to the Neanderthal extinction. In this Q&amp;A we explore what genomic data might have to say about this issue.}, }
@article {pmid32080432, year = {2017}, author = {}, title = {Neanderthal brains were slow to grow.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {549}, number = {7673}, pages = {435}, doi = {10.1038/d41586-017-03796-5}, pmid = {32080432}, issn = {1476-4687}, }
@article {pmid28855259, year = {2017}, author = {Gardner, EJ and Lam, VK and Harris, DN and Chuang, NT and Scott, EC and Pittard, WS and Mills, RE and ,  and Devine, SE}, title = {The Mobile Element Locator Tool (MELT): population-scale mobile element discovery and biology.}, journal = {Genome research}, volume = {27}, number = {11}, pages = {1916-1929}, pmid = {28855259}, issn = {1549-5469}, support = {R01 HG002898/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HG006849/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM059290/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 CA166661/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; F31 HG009223/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; T32 DK067872/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Computational Biology/*methods ; *DNA Transposable Elements ; Databases, Genetic ; Evolution, Molecular ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Pan troglodytes/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Software ; Whole Genome Sequencing/methods ; }, abstract = {Mobile element insertions (MEIs) represent ∼25% of all structural variants in human genomes. Moreover, when they disrupt genes, MEIs can influence human traits and diseases. Therefore, MEIs should be fully discovered along with other forms of genetic variation in whole genome sequencing (WGS) projects involving population genetics, human diseases, and clinical genomics. Here, we describe the Mobile Element Locator Tool (MELT), which was developed as part of the 1000 Genomes Project to perform MEI discovery on a population scale. Using both Illumina WGS data and simulations, we demonstrate that MELT outperforms existing MEI discovery tools in terms of speed, scalability, specificity, and sensitivity, while also detecting a broader spectrum of MEI-associated features. Several run modes were developed to perform MEI discovery on local and cloud systems. In addition to using MELT to discover MEIs in modern humans as part of the 1000 Genomes Project, we also used it to discover MEIs in chimpanzees and ancient (Neanderthal and Denisovan) hominids. We detected diverse patterns of MEI stratification across these populations that likely were caused by (1) diverse rates of MEI production from source elements, (2) diverse patterns of MEI inheritance, and (3) the introgression of ancient MEIs into modern human genomes. Overall, our study provides the most comprehensive map of MEIs to date spanning chimpanzees, ancient hominids, and modern humans and reveals new aspects of MEI biology in these lineages. We also demonstrate that MELT is a robust platform for MEI discovery and analysis in a variety of experimental settings.}, }
@article {pmid28854627, year = {2017}, author = {Sharbrough, J and Havird, JC and Noe, GR and Warren, JM and Sloan, DB}, title = {The Mitonuclear Dimension of Neanderthal and Denisovan Ancestry in Modern Human Genomes.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {9}, number = {6}, pages = {1567-1581}, pmid = {28854627}, issn = {1759-6653}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Cell Nucleus/chemistry/*genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Flow ; *Genome, Human ; Hominidae/classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/classification/*genetics ; Nucleic Acid Conformation ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Reproductive Isolation ; }, abstract = {Some human populations interbred with Neanderthals and Denisovans, resulting in substantial contributions to modern-human genomes. Therefore, it is now possible to use genomic data to investigate mechanisms that shaped historical gene flow between humans and our closest hominin relatives. More generally, in eukaryotes, mitonuclear interactions have been argued to play a disproportionate role in generating reproductive isolation. There is no evidence of mtDNA introgression into modern human populations, which means that all introgressed nuclear alleles from archaic hominins must function on a modern-human mitochondrial background. Therefore, mitonuclear interactions are also potentially relevant to hominin evolution. We performed a detailed accounting of mtDNA divergence among hominin lineages and used population-genomic data to test the hypothesis that mitonuclear incompatibilities have preferentially restricted the introgression of nuclear genes with mitochondrial functions. We found a small but significant underrepresentation of introgressed Neanderthal alleles at such nuclear loci. Structural analyses of mitochondrial enzyme complexes revealed that these effects are unlikely to be mediated by physically interacting sites in mitochondrial and nuclear gene products. We did not detect any underrepresentation of introgressed Denisovan alleles at mitochondrial-targeted loci, but this may reflect reduced power because locus-specific estimates of Denisovan introgression are more conservative. Overall, we conclude that genes involved in mitochondrial function may have been subject to distinct selection pressures during the history of introgression from archaic hominins but that mitonuclear incompatibilities have had, at most, a small role in shaping genome-wide introgression patterns, perhaps because of limited functional divergence in mtDNA and interacting nuclear genes.}, }
@article {pmid28784789, year = {2017}, author = {Rogers, AR and Bohlender, RJ and Huff, CD}, title = {Early history of Neanderthals and Denisovans.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {114}, number = {37}, pages = {9859-9863}, pmid = {28784789}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {P30 CA016672/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; R25 CA057730/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Fossils ; Gene Flow/*genetics ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Hominidae/*classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/classification/*genetics ; *Pedigree ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Extensive DNA sequence data have made it possible to reconstruct human evolutionary history in unprecedented detail. We introduce a method to study the past several hundred thousand years. Our results show that (i) the Neanderthal-Denisovan lineage declined to a small size just after separating from the modern lineage, (ii) Neanderthals and Denisovans separated soon thereafter, and (iii) the subsequent Neanderthal population was large and deeply subdivided. They also (iv) support previous estimates of gene flow from Neanderthals into modern Eurasians. These results suggest an archaic human diaspora early in the Middle Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid28778459, year = {2017}, author = {Pelletier, M and Royer, A and Holliday, TW and Discamps, E and Madelaine, S and Maureille, B}, title = {Rabbits in the grave! Consequences of bioturbation on the Neandertal "burial" at Regourdou (Montignac-sur-Vézère, Dordogne).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {110}, number = {}, pages = {1-17}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.04.001}, pmid = {28778459}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Burial ; Europe ; *Fossils ; *Neanderthals ; Rabbits ; Radiometric Dating ; Reproducibility of Results ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {The understanding of Neanderthal societies, both with regard to their funerary behaviors and their subsistence activities, is hotly debated. Old excavations and a lack of taphonomic context are often factors that limit our ability to address these questions. To better appreciate the exact nature of what is potentially the oldest burial in Western Europe, Regourdou (Montignac-sur-Vézère, Dordogne), and to better understand the taphonomy of this site excavated more than 50 years ago, we report in this contribution a study of the most abundant animals throughout its stratigraphy: the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In addition to questions surrounding the potential bioturbation of the site's stratigraphy, analysis of the Regourdou rabbits could provide new information on Neandertal subsistence behavior. The mortality profile, skeletal-part representation, breakage patterns, surface modification, and comparison with modern reference collections supports the hypothesis that the Regourdou rabbit remains were primarily accumulated due to natural (attritional) mortality. Radiocarbon dates performed directly on the rabbit remains give ages ranging within the second half of Marine Isotope Stage 3, notably younger than the regional Mousterian period. We posit that rabbits dug their burrows within Regourdou's sedimentological filling, likely inhabiting the site after it was filled. The impact of rabbit activity now brings into question both the reliability of the archaeostratigraphy of the site and the paleoenvironmental reconstructions previously proposed for it, and suggests rabbits may have played a role in the distribution of the Neandertal skeletal remains.}, }
@article {pmid28778150, year = {2017}, author = {Chintalapati, M and Dannemann, M and Prüfer, K}, title = {Using the Neandertal genome to study the evolution of small insertions and deletions in modern humans.}, journal = {BMC evolutionary biology}, volume = {17}, number = {1}, pages = {179}, pmid = {28778150}, issn = {1471-2148}, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Frequency/genetics ; Gene Ontology ; *Genome ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; INDEL Mutation/*genetics ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phenotype ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; Primates/genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Small insertions and deletions occur in humans at a lower rate compared to nucleotide changes, but evolve under more constraint than nucleotide changes. While the evolution of insertions and deletions have been investigated using ape outgroups, the now available genome of a Neandertal can shed light on the evolution of indels in more recent times.<br><br>RESULTS: We used the Neandertal genome together with several primate outgroup genomes to differentiate between human insertion/deletion changes that likely occurred before the split from Neandertals and those that likely arose later. Changes that pre-date the split from Neandertals show a smaller proportion of deletions than those that occurred later. The presence of a Neandertal-shared allele in Europeans or Asians but the absence in Africans was used to detect putatively introgressed indels in Europeans and Asians. A larger proportion of these variants reside in intergenic regions compared to other modern human variants, and some variants are linked to SNPs that have been associated with traits in modern humans.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results are in agreement with earlier results that suggested that deletions evolve under more constraint than insertions. When considering Neandertal introgressed variants, we find some evidence that negative selection affected these variants more than other variants segregating in modern humans. Among introgressed variants we also identify indels that may influence the phenotype of their carriers. In particular an introgressed deletion associated with a decrease in the time to menarche may constitute an example of a former Neandertal-specific trait contributing to modern human phenotypic diversity.}, }
@article {pmid28740249, year = {2017}, author = {Gregory, MD and Kippenhan, JS and Eisenberg, DP and Kohn, PD and Dickinson, D and Mattay, VS and Chen, Q and Weinberger, DR and Saad, ZS and Berman, KF}, title = {Neanderthal-Derived Genetic Variation Shapes Modern Human Cranium and Brain.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {7}, number = {1}, pages = {6308}, pmid = {28740249}, issn = {2045-2322}, support = {ZIA MH002942/ImNIH/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Brain/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Evolution, Molecular ; Female ; Fossils ; Gene Flow ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; White People/*genetics ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Before their disappearance from the fossil record approximately 40,000 years ago, Neanderthals, the ancient hominin lineage most closely related to modern humans, interbred with ancestors of present-day humans. The legacy of this gene flow persists through Neanderthal-derived variants that survive in modern human DNA; however, the neural implications of this inheritance are uncertain. Here, using MRI in a large cohort of healthy individuals of European-descent, we show that the amount of Neanderthal-originating polymorphism carried in living humans is related to cranial and brain morphology. First, as a validation of our approach, we demonstrate that a greater load of Neanderthal-derived genetic variants (higher "NeanderScore") is associated with skull shapes resembling those of known Neanderthal cranial remains, particularly in occipital and parietal bones. Next, we demonstrate convergent NeanderScore-related findings in the brain (measured by gray- and white-matter volume, sulcal depth, and gyrification index) that localize to the visual cortex and intraparietal sulcus. This work provides insights into ancestral human neurobiology and suggests that Neanderthal-derived genetic variation is neurologically functional in the contemporary population.}, }
@article {pmid28733602, year = {2017}, author = {Mozzi, A and Forni, D and Cagliani, R and Pozzoli, U and Clerici, M and Sironi, M}, title = {Distinct selective forces and Neanderthal introgression shaped genetic diversity at genes involved in neurodevelopmental disorders.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {7}, number = {1}, pages = {6116}, pmid = {28733602}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; *Genetic Variation ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Mammals ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Neurodevelopmental Disorders/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; *Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {In addition to high intelligence, humans evolved specialized social-cognitive skills, which are specifically affected in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Genes affected in ASD represent suitable candidates to study the evolution of human social cognition. We performed an evolutionary analysis on 68 genes associated to neurodevelopmental disorders; our data indicate that genetic diversity was shaped by distinct selective forces, including natural selection and introgression from archaic hominins. We discuss the possibility that segregation distortion during spermatogenesis accounts for a subset of ASD mutations. Finally, we detected modern-human-specific alleles in DYRK1A and TCF4. These variants are located within regions that display chromatin features typical of transcriptional enhancers in several brain areas, strongly suggesting a regulatory role. These SNPs thus represent candidates for association with neurodevelopmental disorders, and await experimental validation in future studies.}, }
@article {pmid28723924, year = {2017}, author = {Alcaraz-Castaño, M and Alcolea-González, J and Kehl, M and Albert, RM and Baena-Preysler, J and de Balbín-Behrmann, R and Cuartero, F and Cuenca-Bescós, G and Jiménez-Barredo, F and López-Sáez, JA and Piqué, R and Rodríguez-Antón, D and Yravedra, J and Weniger, GC}, title = {A context for the last Neandertals of interior Iberia: Los Casares cave revisited.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {12}, number = {7}, pages = {e0180823}, pmid = {28723924}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Caves ; Climate ; *Fossils ; *Neanderthals ; Radiometric Dating ; Spain ; Technology ; }, abstract = {INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Although the Iberian Peninsula is a key area for understanding the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition and the demise of the Neandertals, valuable evidence for these debates remains scarce and problematic in its interior regions. Sparse data supporting a late Neandertal persistence in the Iberian interior have been recently refuted and hence new evidence is needed to build new models on the timing and causes of Neandertal disappearance in inland Iberia and the whole peninsula. In this study we provide new evidence from Los Casares, a cave located in the highlands of the Spanish Meseta, where a Neandertal-associated Middle Paleolithic site was discovered and first excavated in the 1960's. Our main objective is twofold: (1) provide an updated geoarcheological, paleoenvironmental and chronological framework for this site, and (2) discuss obtained results in the context of the time and nature of the last Neandertal presence in Iberia.<br><br>METHODS: We conducted new fieldwork in an interior chamber of Los Casares cave named 'Seno A'. Our methods included micromorphology, sedimentology, radiocarbon dating, Uranium/Thorium dating, palinology, microfaunal analysis, anthracology, phytolith analysis, archeozoology and lithic technology. Here we present results on site formation processes, paleoenvironment and the chronological setting of the Neandertal occupation at Los Casares cave-Seno A.<br><br>RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The sediment sequence reveals a mostly in situ archeological deposit containing evidence of both Neandertal activity and carnivore action in level c, dated to 44,899-42,175 calendar years ago. This occupation occurred during a warm and humid interval of Marine Isotopic Stage 3, probably correlating with Greenland Interstadial 11, representing one of the latest occurrences of Neandertals in the Iberian interior. However, overlying layer b records a deterioration of local environments, thus providing a plausible explanation for the abandonment of the site, and perhaps for the total disappearance of Neandertals of the highlands of inland Iberia during subsequent Greenland Stadials 11 or 10, or even Heinrich Stadial 4. Since layer b provided very few signs of human activity and no reliable chronometric results, and given the scarce chronostratigrapic evidence recorded so far for this period in interior Iberia, this can only be taken as a working hypothesis to be tested with future research. Meanwhile, 42,000 calendar years ago remains the most plausible date for the abandonment of interior Iberia by Neandertals, possibly due to climate deterioration. Currently, a later survival of this human species in Iberia is limited to the southern coasts.}, }
@article {pmid28714535, year = {2017}, author = {Rosas, A and Ferrando, A and Bastir, M and García-Tabernero, A and Estalrrich, A and Huguet, R and García-Martínez, D and Pastor, JF and de la Rasilla, M}, title = {Neandertal talus bones from El Sidrón site (Asturias, Spain): A 3D geometric morphometrics analysis.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {164}, number = {2}, pages = {394-415}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23280}, pmid = {28714535}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Anthropometry/*methods ; Body Size ; Female ; Fossils ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/*methods ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Spain ; Talus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The El Sidrón tali sample is assessed in an evolutionary framework. We aim to explore the relationship between Neandertal talus morphology and body size/shape. We test the hypothesis 1: talar Neandertal traits are influenced by body size, and the hypothesis 2: shape variables independent of body size correspond to inherited primitive features.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We quantify 35 landmarks through 3D geometric morphometrics techniques to describe H. neanderthalensis-H. sapiens shape variation, by Mean Shape Comparisons, Principal Component, Phenetic Clusters, Minimum spanning tree analyses and partial least square and regression of talus shape on body variables. Shape variation correlated to body size is compared to Neandertals-Modern Humans (MH) evolutionary shape variation. The Neandertal sample is compared to early hominins.<br><br>RESULTS: Neandertal talus presents trochlear hypertrophy, a larger equality of trochlear rims, a shorter neck, a more expanded head, curvature and an anterior location of the medial malleolar facet, an expanded and projected lateral malleolar facet and laterally expanded posterior calcaneal facet compared to MH.<br><br>DISCUSSION: The Neandertal talocrural joint morphology is influenced by body size. The other Neandertal talus traits do not co-vary with it or not follow the same co-variation pattern as MH. Besides, the trochlear hypertrophy, the trochlear rims equality and the short neck could be inherited primitive features; the medial malleolar facet morphology could be an inherited primitive feature or a secondarily primitive trait; and the calcaneal posterior facet would be an autapomorphic feature of the Neandertal lineage.}, }
@article {pmid28689038, year = {2017}, author = {Árnason, &#xda;}, title = {A phylogenetic view of the Out of Asia/Eurasia and Out of Africa hypotheses in the light of recent molecular and palaeontological finds.}, journal = {Gene}, volume = {627}, number = {}, pages = {473-476}, doi = {10.1016/j.gene.2017.07.006}, pmid = {28689038}, issn = {1879-0038}, mesh = {*Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Human ; *Human Migration ; Humans ; Pedigree ; *Phylogeny ; Racial Groups/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The substantiality of the Out of Africa hypothesis was addressed in the light of recent genomic analysis of extant humans (Homo sapiens sapiens, Hss) and progress in Neanderthal palaeontology. The examination lent no support to the commonly assumed Out of Africa scenario but favoured instead a Eurasian divergence between Neanderthals and Hss (the Askur/Embla hypothesis) and an Out of Asia/Eurasia hypothesis according to which all other parts of the world were colonized by Hss migrations from Asia. The examination suggested furthermore that the ancestors of extant KhoeSan and Mbuti composed the first Hss dispersal(s) into Africa and that the ancestors of Yoruba made up a later wave into the same continent. The conclusions constitute a change in paradigm for the study of human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid28688457, year = {2017}, author = {Bartsiokas, A and Arsuaga, JL and Aubert, M and Grün, R}, title = {U-series dating and classification of the Apidima 2 hominin from Mani Peninsula, Southern Greece.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {109}, number = {}, pages = {22-29}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.04.008}, pmid = {28688457}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Facial Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Greece ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Laser ablation U-series dating results on a human cranial bone fragment from Apidima, on the western cost of the Mani Peninsula, Southern Greece, indicate a minimum age of 160,000 years. The dated cranial fragment belongs to Apidima 2, which preserves the facial skeleton and a large part of the braincase, lacking the occipital bone. The morphology of the preserved regions of the cranium, and especially that of the facial skeleton, indicates that the fossil belongs to the Neanderthal clade. The dating of the fossil at a minimum age of 160,000 years shows that most of the Neanderthal traits were already present in the MIS 6 and perhaps earlier. This makes Apidima 2 the earliest known fossil with a clear Neanderthal facial morphology. Together with the nearby younger Neanderthal specimens from Lakonis and Kalamakia, the Apidima crania are of crucial importance for the evolution of Neanderthals in the area during the Middle to Late Pleistocene. It can be expected that systematic direct dating of the other human fossils from this area will elucidate our understanding of Neanderthal evolution and demise.}, }
@article {pmid28675384, year = {2017}, author = {Posth, C and Wißing, C and Kitagawa, K and Pagani, L and van Holstein, L and Racimo, F and Wehrberger, K and Conard, NJ and Kind, CJ and Bocherens, H and Krause, J}, title = {Deeply divergent archaic mitochondrial genome provides lower time boundary for African gene flow into Neanderthals.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {8}, number = {}, pages = {16046}, pmid = {28675384}, issn = {2041-1723}, mesh = {Animals ; Black People/*genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Femur ; *Gene Flow ; Genome, Human/genetics ; *Genome, Mitochondrial ; Germany ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Ancient DNA is revealing new insights into the genetic relationship between Pleistocene hominins and modern humans. Nuclear DNA indicated Neanderthals as a sister group of Denisovans after diverging from modern humans. However, the closer affinity of the Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to modern humans than Denisovans has recently been suggested as the result of gene flow from an African source into Neanderthals before 100,000 years ago. Here we report the complete mtDNA of an archaic femur from the Hohlenstein-Stadel (HST) cave in southwestern Germany. HST carries the deepest divergent mtDNA lineage that splits from other Neanderthals ∼270,000 years ago, providing a lower boundary for the time of the putative mtDNA introgression event. We demonstrate that a complete Neanderthal mtDNA replacement is feasible over this time interval even with minimal hominin introgression. The highly divergent HST branch is indicative of greater mtDNA diversity during the Middle Pleistocene than in later periods.}, }
@article {pmid28622932, year = {2017}, author = {Sullivan, AP and de Manuel, M and Marques-Bonet, T and Perry, GH}, title = {An evolutionary medicine perspective on Neandertal extinction.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {108}, number = {}, pages = {62-71}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.03.004}, pmid = {28622932}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Extinction, Biological ; *Genetic Variation ; Genome, Human ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Infections/transmission ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; *Sympatry ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {The Eurasian sympatry of Neandertals and anatomically modern humans - beginning at least 45,000 years ago and possibly lasting for more than 5000 years - has sparked immense anthropological interest into the factors that potentially contributed to Neandertal extinction. Among many different hypotheses, the "differential pathogen resistance" extinction model posits that Neandertals were disproportionately affected by exposure to novel infectious diseases that were transmitted during the period of spatiotemporal sympatry with modern humans. Comparisons of new archaic hominin paleogenome sequences with modern human genomes have confirmed a history of genetic admixture - and thus direct contact - between humans and Neandertals. Analyses of these data have also shown that Neandertal nuclear genome genetic diversity was likely considerably lower than that of the Eurasian anatomically modern humans with whom they came into contact, perhaps leaving Neandertal innate immune systems relatively more susceptible to novel pathogens. In this study, we compared levels of genetic diversity in genes for which genetic variation is hypothesized to benefit pathogen defense among Neandertals and African, European, and Asian modern humans, using available exome sequencing data (three individuals, or six chromosomes, per population). We observed that Neandertals had only 31-39% as many nonsynonymous (amino acid changing) polymorphisms across 73 innate immune system genes compared to modern human populations. We also found that Neandertal genetic diversity was relatively low in an unbiased set of balancing selection candidate genes for primates, those genes with the highest 1% genetic diversity genome-wide in non-human hominoids (apes). In contrast, Neandertals had similar or higher levels of genetic diversity than humans in 12 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes. Thus, while Neandertals may have been relatively more susceptible to some novel pathogens and differential pathogen resistance could be considered as one potential contributing factor in their extinction, the expectations of this model are not universally met.}, }
@article {pmid28622931, year = {2017}, author = {Bastir, M and García Martínez, D and Rios, L and Higuero, A and Barash, A and Martelli, S and García Tabernero, A and Estalrrich, A and Huguet, R and de la Rasilla, M and Rosas, A}, title = {Three-dimensional morphometrics of thoracic vertebrae in Neandertals and the fossil evidence from El Sidrón (Asturias, Northern Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {108}, number = {}, pages = {47-61}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.03.008}, pmid = {28622931}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Organ Size ; Ribs/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Thoracic Vertebrae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Thorax/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Well preserved thoracic vertebrae of Neandertals are rare. However, such fossils are important as their three-dimensional (3D) spatial configuration can contribute to the understanding of the size and shape of the thoracic spine and the entire thorax. This is because the vertebral body and transverse processes provide the articulation and attachment sites for the ribs. Dorsal orientation of the transverse processes relative to the vertebral body also rotates the attached ribs in a way that could affect thorax width. Previous research indicates possible evidence for greater dorsal orientation of the transverse processes and small vertebral body heights in Neandertals, but their 3D vertebral structure has not yet been addressed. Here we present 15 new vertebral remains from the El Sidrón Neandertals (Asturias, Northern Spain) and used 3D geometric morphometrics to address the above issues by comparing two particularly well preserved El Sidrón remains (SD-1619, SD-1641) with thoracic vertebrae from other Neandertals and a sample of anatomically modern humans. Centroid sizes of El Sidrón vertebrae are within the human range. Neandertals have larger T1 and probably also T2. The El Sidrón vertebrae are similar in 3D shape to those of other Neandertals, which differ from Homo sapiens particularly in central-lower regions (T6-T10) of the thoracic spine. Differences include more dorsally and cranially oriented transverse processes, less caudally oriented spinous processes, and vertebral bodies that are anteroposteriorly and craniocaudally short. The results fit with current reconstructions of Neandertal thorax morphology.}, }
@article {pmid28622926, year = {2017}, author = {Nejman, L and Wood, R and Wright, D and Lisá, L and Nerudová, Z and Neruda, P and Přichystal, A and Svoboda, J}, title = {Hominid visitation of the Moravian Karst during the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition: New results from Pod Hradem Cave (Czech Republic).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {108}, number = {}, pages = {131-146}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.03.015}, pmid = {28622926}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology/*methods ; *Caves ; Czech Republic ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Radiometric Dating ; }, abstract = {In 1956-1958, excavations of Pod Hradem Cave in Moravia (eastern Czech Republic) revealed evidence for human activity during the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition. This spanned 25,050-44,800 cal BP and contained artefacts attributed to the Aurignacian and Szeletian cultures, including those made from porcelanite (rarely used at Moravian Paleolithic sites). Coarse grained excavation techniques and major inversions in radiocarbon dates meant that site chronology could not be established adequately. This paper documents re-excavation of Pod Hradem in 2011-2012. A comprehensive AMS dating program using ultrafiltration and ABOx-SC pre-treatments provides new insights into human occupation at Pod Hradem Cave. Fine-grained excavation reveals sedimentary units spanning approximately 20,000 years of the Early Upper Paleolithic and late Middle Paleolithic periods, thus making it the first archaeological cave site in the Czech Republic with such a sedimentary and archaeological record. Recent excavation confirms infrequent human visitation, including during the Early Aurignacian by people who brought with them portable art objects that have no parallel in the Czech Republic. Raw material diversity of lithics suggests long-distance imports and ephemeral visits by highly mobile populations throughout the EUP period.}, }
@article {pmid28605019, year = {2017}, author = {Toussaint, M and Verna, C and Le Cabec, A and Gómez-Robles, A and Draily, C and Richards, MP and Pirson, S}, title = {The Late Neandertal permanent lower left third premolar from Walou Cave (Trooz, Belgium) and its context.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {164}, number = {1}, pages = {193-202}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23252}, pmid = {28605019}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Belgium ; Bicuspid/*anatomy &amp; histology/*pathology ; Diet ; History, Ancient ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: We describe a hominin permanent lower left third premolar unearthed in 1997 at Walou Cave (Belgium), found in direct association with a Mousterian lithic industry, in a layer directly dated to 40-38,000 years BP.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: The taxonomical attribution of the tooth is addressed through comparative morphometric analyses, and stable isotope analyses aimed at determining the diet of the individual.<br><br>RESULTS: The Walou P3 plots within the Neandertal range of variation and is significantly different from recent modern humans in all morphometric assessments. The isotope data showed that like other Neandertals, the Walou individual acquired its dietary proteins primarily from terrestrial food sources.<br><br>DISCUSSION: We discuss the implications of the existence of a clearly Neandertal premolar dating to the period of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in the Meuse river basin.}, }
@article {pmid28592838, year = {2017}, author = {Been, E and Hovers, E and Ekshtain, R and Malinski-Buller, A and Agha, N and Barash, A and Mayer, DEB and Benazzi, S and Hublin, JJ and Levin, L and Greenbaum, N and Mitki, N and Oxilia, G and Porat, N and Roskin, J and Soudack, M and Yeshurun, R and Shahack-Gross, R and Nir, N and Stahlschmidt, MC and Rak, Y and Barzilai, O}, title = {The first Neanderthal remains from an open-air Middle Palaeolithic site in the Levant.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {7}, number = {1}, pages = {2958}, pmid = {28592838}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Israel ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {The late Middle Palaeolithic (MP) settlement patterns in the Levant included the repeated use of caves and open landscape sites. The fossil record shows that two types of hominins occupied the region during this period-Neandertals and Homo sapiens. Until recently, diagnostic fossil remains were found only at cave sites. Because the two populations in this region left similar material cultural remains, it was impossible to attribute any open-air site to either species. In this study, we present newly discovered fossil remains from intact archaeological layers of the open-air site 'Ein Qashish, in northern Israel. The hominin remains represent three individuals: EQH1, a nondiagnostic skull fragment; EQH2, an upper right third molar (RM[3]); and EQH3, lower limb bones of a young Neandertal male. EQH2 and EQH3 constitute the first diagnostic anatomical remains of Neandertals at an open-air site in the Levant. The optically stimulated luminescence ages suggest that Neandertals repeatedly visited 'Ein Qashish between 70 and 60 ka. The discovery of Neandertals at open-air sites during the late MP reinforces the view that Neandertals were a resilient population in the Levant shortly before Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens populated the region.}, }
@article {pmid28591159, year = {2017}, author = {Carmignani, L and Moncel, MH and Fernandes, P and Wilson, L}, title = {Technological variability during the Early Middle Palaeolithic in Western Europe. Reduction systems and predetermined products at the Bau de l'Aubesier and Payre (South-East France).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {12}, number = {6}, pages = {e0178550}, pmid = {28591159}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Europe ; France ; Geography ; *Geologic Sediments ; Models, Theoretical ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; *Technology ; Time Factors ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {The study of the lithic assemblages of two French sites, the Bau de l'Aubesier and Payre, contributes new knowledge of the earliest Neanderthal techno-cultural variability. In this paper we present the results of a detailed technological analysis of Early Middle Palaeolithic lithic assemblages of MIS 8 and 7 age from the two sites, which are located on opposite sides of the Rhône Valley in the south-east of France. The MIS 9-7 period is considered in Europe to be a time of new behaviours, especially concerning lithic strategies. The shift from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Early Middle Palaeolithic is "classically" defined by an increase in the number of core technologies, including standardized ones, which are stabilized in the full Middle Palaeolithic (MIS 5-3), associated with the decline of the "Acheulean" biface. Applying a common technological approach to the analysis of the two assemblages highlights their technological variability with respect to reduction systems and end products. Differences between Payre and the Bau de l'Aubesier concerning raw material procurement and faunal exploitation only partially explain this multifaceted technological variability, which in our opinion also reflects the existence of distinct technological strategies within the same restricted geographic area, which are related to distinct traditions, site uses, and/or as yet unknown parameters.}, }
@article {pmid28464262, year = {2017}, author = {Reales, G and Rovaris, DL and Jacovas, VC and Hünemeier, T and Sandoval, JR and Salazar-Granara, A and Demarchi, DA and Tarazona-Santos, E and Felkl, AB and Serafini, MA and Salzano, FM and Bisso-Machado, R and Comas, D and Paixão-Côrtes, VR and Bortolini, MC}, title = {A tale of agriculturalists and hunter-gatherers: Exploring the thrifty genotype hypothesis in native South Americans.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {163}, number = {3}, pages = {591-601}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23233}, pmid = {28464262}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Agriculture/*history ; Anthropology, Physical ; Apolipoproteins E/genetics ; CD36 Antigens/genetics ; Genotype ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Indians, South American/*genetics/*history ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/*genetics ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: To determine genetic differences between agriculturalist and hunter-gatherer southern Native American populations for selected metabolism-related markers and to test whether Neel's thrifty genotype hypothesis (TGH) could explain the genetic patterns observed in these populations.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: 375 Native South American individuals from 17 populations were genotyped using six markers (APOE rs429358 and rs7412; APOA2 rs5082; CD36 rs3211883; TCF7L2 rs11196205; and IGF2BP2 rs11705701). Additionally, APOE genotypes from 39 individuals were obtained from the literature. AMOVA, main effects, and gene-gene interaction tests were performed.<br><br>RESULTS: We observed differences in allele distribution patterns between agriculturalists and hunter-gatherers for some markers. For instance, between-groups component of genetic variance (FCT) for APOE rs429358 showed strong differences in allelic distributions between hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists (p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.00196). Gene-gene interaction analysis indicated that the APOE E4/CD36 TT and APOE E4/IGF2BP2 A carrier combinations occur at a higher frequency in hunter-gatherers, but this combination is not replicated in archaic (Neanderthal and Denisovan) and ancient (Anzick, Saqqaq, Ust-Ishim, Mal'ta) hunter-gatherer individuals.<br><br>DISCUSSION: A complex scenario explains the observed frequencies of the tested markers in hunter-gatherers. Different factors, such as pleotropic alleles, rainforest selective pressures, and population dynamics, may be collectively shaping the observed genetic patterns. We conclude that although TGH seems a plausible hypothesis to explain part of the data, other factors may be important in our tested populations.}, }
@article {pmid28450384, year = {2017}, author = {Slon, V and Hopfe, C and Weiß, CL and Mafessoni, F and de la Rasilla, M and Lalueza-Fox, C and Rosas, A and Soressi, M and Knul, MV and Miller, R and Stewart, JR and Derevianko, AP and Jacobs, Z and Li, B and Roberts, RG and Shunkov, MV and de Lumley, H and Perrenoud, C and Gušić, I and Kućan, &#x17d; and Rudan, P and Aximu-Petri, A and Essel, E and Nagel, S and Nickel, B and Schmidt, A and Prüfer, K and Kelso, J and Burbano, HA and Pääbo, S and Meyer, M}, title = {Neandertal and Denisovan DNA from Pleistocene sediments.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {356}, number = {6338}, pages = {605-608}, doi = {10.1126/science.aam9695}, pmid = {28450384}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Caves ; DNA, Ancient/analysis/*isolation &amp; purification ; DNA, Mitochondrial/analysis/*isolation &amp; purification ; Europe ; Fossils ; Geologic Sediments/chemistry ; Hominidae/*classification/*genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {Although a rich record of Pleistocene human-associated archaeological assemblages exists, the scarcity of hominin fossils often impedes the understanding of which hominins occupied a site. Using targeted enrichment of mitochondrial DNA, we show that cave sediments represent a rich source of ancient mammalian DNA that often includes traces of hominin DNA, even at sites and in layers where no hominin remains have been discovered. By automation-assisted screening of numerous sediment samples, we detected Neandertal DNA in eight archaeological layers from four caves in Eurasia. In Denisova Cave, we retrieved Denisovan DNA in a Middle Pleistocene layer near the bottom of the stratigraphy. Our work opens the possibility of detecting the presence of hominin groups at sites and in areas where no skeletal remains are found.}, }
@article {pmid28447043, year = {2017}, author = {Dehbashi, M and Kamali, E and Vallian, S}, title = {Comparative genomics of human stem cell factor (SCF).}, journal = {Molecular biology research communications}, volume = {6}, number = {1}, pages = {1-11}, pmid = {28447043}, issn = {2322-181X}, abstract = {Stem cell factor (SCF) is a critical protein with key roles in the cell such as hematopoiesis, gametogenesis and melanogenesis. In the present study a comparative analysis on nucleotide sequences of SCF was performed in Humanoids using bioinformatics tools including NCBI-BLAST, MEGA6, and JBrowse. Our analysis of nucleotide sequences to find closely evolved organisms with high similarity by NCBI-BLAST tools and MEGA6 showed that human and Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) were placed into the same cluster. By using JBrowse, we found that SCF in Neanderthal had a single copy number similar to modern human and partly conserved nucleotide sequences. Together, the results approved the gene flow and genetics similarity of SCF among human and P. troglodytes. This may suggest that during evolution, SCF gene transferred partly intact either on the basis of sequence or function from the same ancestors to P. troglodytes, the ancient human like Neanderthal, and then to the modern human.}, }
@article {pmid28444387, year = {2017}, author = {Jégou, B and Sankararaman, S and Rolland, AD and Reich, D and Chalmel, F}, title = {Meiotic Genes Are Enriched in Regions of Reduced Archaic Ancestry.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {34}, number = {8}, pages = {1974-1980}, pmid = {28444387}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {R00 GM111744/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Databases, Genetic ; Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/genetics ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Genomics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Meiosis/*genetics ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; Testis ; }, abstract = {About 1-6% of the genetic ancestry of modern humans today originates from admixture with archaic humans. It has recently been shown that autosomal genomic regions with a reduced proportion of Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestries (NA and DA) are significantly enriched in genes that are more expressed in testis than in other tissues. To determine whether a cellular segregation pattern would exist, we combined maps of archaic introgression with a cross-analysis of three transcriptomic datasets deciphering the transcriptional landscape of human gonadal cell types. We reveal that the regions deficient in both NA and DA contain a significant enrichment of genes transcribed in meiotic germ cells. The interbreeding of anatomically modern humans with archaic humans may have introduced archaic-derived alleles that contributed to genetic incompatibilities affecting meiosis that were subsequently purged by natural selection.}, }
@article {pmid28434542, year = {2017}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Arlegi, M and Barash, A and Stock, JT and Been, E}, title = {The Neandertal vertebral column 2: The lumbar spine.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {106}, number = {}, pages = {84-101}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.01.006}, pmid = {28434542}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Lordosis/pathology ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Posture ; Spine/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Here we provide the most extensive metric and morphological analysis performed to date on the Neandertal lumbar spine. Neandertal lumbar vertebrae show differences from modern humans in both the vertebral body and in the neural arch, although not all Neandertal lumbar vertebrae differ from modern humans in the same way. Differences in the vertebral foramen are restricted to the lowermost lumbar vertebrae (L4 and L5), differences in the orientation of the upper articular facets appear in the uppermost lumbar vertebrae (probably in L1 and L2-L3), and differences in the horizontal angle of the transverse process appear in L2-L4. Neandertals, when compared to modern humans, show a smaller degree of lumbar lordosis. Based on a still limited fossil sample, early hominins (australopiths and Homo erectus) had a lumbar lordosis that was similar to but below the mean of modern humans. Here, we hypothesize that from this ancestral degree of lumbar lordosis, the Neandertal lineage decreased their lumbar lordosis and Homo sapiens slightly increased theirs. From a postural point of view, the lower degree of lordosis is related to a more vertical position of the sacrum, which is also positioned more ventrally with respect to the dorsal end of the pelvis. This results in a spino-pelvic alignment that, though different from modern humans, maintained an economic postural equilibrium. Some features, such as a lower degree of lumbar lordosis, were already present in the middle Pleistocene populations ancestral to Neandertals. However, these middle Pleistocene populations do not show the full suite of Neandertal lumbar morphologies, which probably means that the characteristic features of the Neandertal lumbar spine did not arise all at once.}, }
@article {pmid28434540, year = {2017}, author = {Ao, H and Liu, CR and Roberts, AP and Zhang, P and Xu, X}, title = {An updated age for the Xujiayao hominin from the Nihewan Basin, North China: Implications for Middle Pleistocene human evolution in East Asia.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {106}, number = {}, pages = {54-65}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.01.014}, pmid = {28434540}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; China ; *Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Molar ; Neanderthals ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {The Xujiayao site in the Nihewan Basin (North China) is one of the most important Paleolithic sites in East Asia. Twenty Homo fossils, which were previously assigned to an archaic Homo sapiens group, have been excavated along with more than 30,000 lithic artifacts and ∼5000 mammalian fossil specimens. Dating of the Xujiayao hominin has been pursued since its excavation in the 1970s, but its age has remained controversial because of limitations of the dating techniques that have been applied to available materials. Here, we report new ages for the Xujiayao hominin based on combined electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of quartz in the sediments and high-resolution magnetostratigraphy of the fluvio-lacustrine sequence. The magnetostratigraphy suggests that the upper Matuyama and Brunhes polarity chrons are recorded at Xujiayao. The ESR dating results indicate a pooled average age of 260-370 ka for the Homo-bearing layer, which is consistent with its position within the middle Brunhes normal polarity chron indicated by magnetostratigraphy. This age estimate makes the Xujiayao hominin among the oldest mid-Pleistocene hominins with derived Neanderthal traits in East Asia. This age is consistent with the time when early Denisovans, a sister group of Neanderthals, appeared and colonized eastern Eurasia. Our updated age and the Neanderthal-like traits of the Xujiayao Homo fossils, particularly the Denisovan-like molar teeth, make it possible that the Xujiayao hominin could represent an early Denisovan.}, }
@article {pmid28434539, year = {2017}, author = {Pérez-Criado, L and Rosas, A}, title = {Evolutionary anatomy of the Neandertal ulna and radius in the light of the new El Sidrón sample.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {106}, number = {}, pages = {38-53}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.01.016}, pmid = {28434539}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Phylogeny ; Radius/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Ulna/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {This paper aims to improve our understanding of the phylogenetic trait polarity related to hominin forearm evolution, in particular those traits traditionally defined as "Neandertal features." To this aim, twelve adult and adolescent fragmented forelimb elements (including ulnae and radii) of Homo neanderthalensis recovered from the site of El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain) were examined comparatively using three-dimensional geometric and traditional morphometrics. Mean centroid size and shape comparisons, principal components analysis, and phylogenetic signal analysis were undertaken. Our investigations revealed that the proximal region of the ulna discriminated best between Neandertals and modern humans, with fewer taxonomically-informative features in the distal ulna and radius. Compared to modern humans, the divergent features in the Neandertal ulna are an increase in olecranon breadth (a derived trait), lower coronoid length (primitive), and anterior orientation of the trochlear notch (primitive). In the Neandertal radius, we observe a larger neck length (primitive), medial orientation of the radial tubercle (secondarily primitive), and a curved diaphysis (secondarily primitive). Anatomically, we identified three units of evolutionary change: 1) the olecranon and its fossa, 2) the coronoid-radius neck complex, and 3) the tubercle and radial diaphysis. Based on our data, forearm evolution followed a mosaic pattern in which some features were inherited from a pre-Homo ancestor, others originated in some post-ergaster and pre-antecessor populations, and other characters emerged in the specific Homo sapiens and H. neanderthalensis lineages, sometimes appearing as secondarily primitive. Future investigations might consider the diverse phylogenetic origin of apomorphies while at the same time seeking to elucidate their functional meaning.}, }
@article {pmid28406567, year = {2017}, author = {Been, E and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Shefi, S and Soudack, M and Bastir, M and Barash, A}, title = {Evolution of Spinopelvic Alignment in Hominins.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {300}, number = {5}, pages = {900-911}, doi = {10.1002/ar.23559}, pmid = {28406567}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Female ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Pelvis/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Posture/physiology ; Spine/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Spinopelvic alignment refers to the interaction between pelvic orientation, spinal curvatures, and the line of gravity. In a healthy modern human, this alignment is characterized by reciprocal curves/orientation of the sacrum, lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, and cervical lordosis. In an economic sagittal posture, these curvatures keep the line of gravity close to the center of the acetabulum. The purpose of this study is to explore the spinopelvic alignment in extinct hominins. We examined spinopelvic alignment of a single representative from each of the following hominin groups: Australopithecus, Homo erectus (H. erectus), H. neanderthalensis, and early H. sapiens. Pelvic incidence, lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, and cervical lordosis for each representative was estimated and compared with that of modern humans. Three basic spinopelvic alignments were found: (1) the sinusoidal alignment with moderate to high spinal curvatures and pelvic incidence found in H. erectus and H. sapiens; (2) the straight alignment with small spinal curvatures and small pelvic incidence found in Neandertal lineage hominins; (3) the compound alignment found in Australopithecus, with moderate pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis, and nearly straight cervical spine. Our results indicate that balanced upright posture can be achieved in different alignments. Each hominin group solved the requirements of erect posture in a slightly different way. Moreover, we propose the term "cranio-spino-pelvic balance" to substitute "spino-pelvic balance." From an evolutionary perspective, not only changes in the pelvis have conditioned the evolution of the spinal curvatures but also changes in the equilibrium of the head likely also affected this balance. Anat Rec, 300:900-911, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.}, }
@article {pmid28398903, year = {2017}, author = {Patiño, F and Luque, M and Terradillos-Bernal, M and Martín-Loeches, M}, title = {Biomechanics of microliths manufacture: a preliminary approach to Neanderthal's motor constrains in the frame of embodied cognition.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {95}, number = {}, pages = {203-217}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.95005}, pmid = {28398903}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; Biomechanical Phenomena/*physiology ; Cognition/*physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Biological ; Neanderthals ; Tool Use Behavior/*physiology ; }, abstract = {The systems of perception and action of the brain appear as important constraining factors in human evolution under current models of embodied cognition. In this view, the emergence of certain items in the archeological record is not necessarily subsequent to the emergence of a 'symbolic' mind, but instead to the appearance of the sensory-motor systems enabling that behavior. One of the products normally absent in pre- Homo sapiens species is the standardized microlith, whose production seems very demanding for the hand due to their small size and need for fine craft. In the present study, we provide preliminary empirical evidence that the biomechanical requirements of microliths manufacture made this industry difficult to achieve by Neanderthals. The biomechanical parameters of the human hand in the manufacture of microliths are here explored in two individuals with different degrees of expertise. The figures obtained in this manner are subsequently contrasted and extrapolated to Neanderthal's hand anthropometric data, as obtained from the available literature. Results indicate that Neanderthals would exhibit lower efficiency than modern humans as a consequence of their smaller hands and shorter arms, resulting in a smaller area to distribute forces and an increased mechanical stress in the microlith manufacturing processes. This might be a plausibly contributing factor for precluding microlith production in Neanderthals on noticeable scales, in consonance with the archeological record.}, }
@article {pmid28376731, year = {2017}, author = {Schaefer, NK and Shapiro, B and Green, RE}, title = {AD-LIBS: inferring ancestry across hybrid genomes using low-coverage sequence data.}, journal = {BMC bioinformatics}, volume = {18}, number = {1}, pages = {203}, pmid = {28376731}, issn = {1471-2105}, support = {T32 HG008345/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Genetic Speciation ; *Genome ; Humans ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Markov Chains ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; *Software ; Ursidae/*genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Inferring the ancestry of each region of admixed individuals' genomes is useful in studies ranging from disease gene mapping to speciation genetics. Current methods require high-coverage genotype data and phased reference panels, and are therefore inappropriate for many data sets. We present a software application, AD-LIBS, that uses a hidden Markov model to infer ancestry across hybrid genomes without requiring variant calling or phasing. This approach is useful for non-model organisms and in cases of low-coverage data, such as ancient DNA.<br><br>RESULTS: We demonstrate the utility of AD-LIBS with synthetic data. We then use AD-LIBS to infer ancestry in two published data sets: European human genomes with Neanderthal ancestry and brown bear genomes with polar bear ancestry. AD-LIBS correctly infers 87-91% of ancestry in simulations and produces ancestry maps that agree with published results and global ancestry estimates in humans. In brown bears, we find more polar bear ancestry than has been published previously, using both AD-LIBS and an existing software application for local ancestry inference, HAPMIX. We validate AD-LIBS polar bear ancestry maps by recovering a geographic signal within bears that mirrors what is seen in SNP data. Finally, we demonstrate that AD-LIBS is more effective than HAPMIX at inferring ancestry when preexisting phased reference data are unavailable and genomes are sequenced to low coverage.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: AD-LIBS is an effective tool for ancestry inference that can be used even when few individuals are available for comparison or when genomes are sequenced to low coverage. AD-LIBS is therefore likely to be useful in studies of non-model or ancient organisms that lack large amounts of genomic DNA. AD-LIBS can therefore expand the range of studies in which admixture mapping is a viable tool.}, }
@article {pmid28366202, year = {2017}, author = {Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A and Saladié, P and Ollé, A and Arsuaga, JL and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Carbonell, E}, title = {Human predatory behavior and the social implications of communal hunting based on evidence from the TD10.2 bison bone bed at Gran Dolina (Atapuerca, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {105}, number = {}, pages = {89-122}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.01.007}, pmid = {28366202}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Bison ; *Bone and Bones ; *Cooperative Behavior ; Hominidae/*physiology ; *Predatory Behavior ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Zooarcheological research is an important tool in reconstructing subsistence, as well as for inferring relevant aspects regarding social behavior in the past. The organization of hunting parties, forms of predation (number and rate of animals slaughtered), and the technology used (tactics and tools) must be taken into account in the identification and classification of hunting methods in prehistory. The archeological recognition of communal hunting reflects an interest in evolutionary terms and their inherent implications for anticipatory capacities, social complexity, and the development of cognitive tools, such as articulated language. Late and Middle Paleolithic faunal assemblages in Europe have produced convincing evidence of communal hunting of large ungulates allowing for the formation of hypotheses concerning the skills of Neanderthals anatomically modern humans as social predators. However, the emergence of this cooperative behavior is not currently understood. Here, faunal analysis, based on traditional/long-established zooarcheological methods, of nearly 25,000 faunal remains from the "bison bone bed" layer of the TD10.2 sub-unit at Gran Dolina, Atapuerca (Spain) is presented. In addition, other datasets related to the archeo-stratigraphy, paleo-landscape, paleo-environmental proxies, lithic assemblage, and ethno-archeological information of communal hunting have been considered in order to adopt a holistic approach to an investigation of the subsistence strategies developed during deposition of the archeological remains. The results indicate a monospecific assemblage heavily dominated by axial bison elements. The abundance of anthropogenic modifications and the anatomical profile are in concordance with early primary access to carcasses and the development of systematic butchering focused on the exploitation of meat and fat for transportation of high-yield elements to somewhere out of the cave. Together with a catastrophic and seasonal mortality pattern, the results indicate the procurement of bison by communal hunting as early as circa 400 kyr. This suggests that the cognitive, social, and technological capabilities required for successful communal hunting were at least fully developed among the pre-Neanderthal paleodeme of Atapuerca during the Lower Paleolithic. Similarly, the early existence of mass communal hunting as a predation technique informs our understanding of the early emergence of predatory skills similar to those exhibited by modern communal hunters.}, }
@article {pmid28366197, year = {2017}, author = {Krueger, KL and Ungar, PS and Guatelli-Steinberg, D and Hublin, JJ and Pérez-Pérez, A and Trinkaus, E and Willman, JC}, title = {Anterior dental microwear textures show habitat-driven variability in Neandertal behavior.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {105}, number = {}, pages = {13-23}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.01.004}, pmid = {28366197}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Diet ; *Ecosystem ; Europe ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Geography ; Middle East ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Wear/*pathology ; }, abstract = {The causes of Neandertal anterior tooth wear patterns, including labial rounding, labial scratches, and differential anterior-posterior wear, have been debated for decades. The most common explanation is the "stuff-and-cut" hypothesis, which describes Neandertals clamping down on a piece of meat and slicing a portion close to their lips. "Stuff-and-cut" has been accepted as a general aspect of Neandertal behavior without fully assessing its variability. This study analyzes anterior dental microwear textures across habitats, locations, and time intervals to discern possible variation in Neandertal anterior tooth-use behavior. Forty-five Neandertals from 24 sites were analyzed, represented by high-resolution replicas of permanent anterior teeth. The labial surface was scanned for antemortem microwear using a white-light confocal profiler. The resultant 3D-point clouds, representing 204 × 276 μm for each specimen, were uploaded into SSFA software packages for texture characterization. Statistical analyses, including MANOVAs, ANOVAs, and pairwise comparisons, were completed on ranked microwear data. Neandertal descriptive statistics were also compared to 10 bioarchaeological samples of known or inferred dietary and behavioral regimes. The Neandertal sample varied significantly by habitat, suggesting this factor was a principal driving force for differences in Neandertal anterior tooth-use behaviors. The Neandertals from open habitats showed significantly lower anisotropy and higher textural fill volume than those inhabiting more closed, forested environments. The texture signature from the open-habitat Neandertals was most similar to that of the Ipiutak and Nunavut, who used their anterior teeth for intense clamping and grasping behaviors related to hide preparation. Those in more closed habitats were most similar to the Arikara, who did not participate in non-dietary behaviors. These Neandertal individuals had a broad range of texture values consistent with non-dietary and dietary behaviors, suggesting they varied more in anterior tooth-use behaviors and exploited a wider variety of plant and animal resources than did those from open habitats.}, }
@article {pmid28366169, year = {2017}, author = {Dannemann, M and Prüfer, K and Kelso, J}, title = {Functional implications of Neandertal introgression in modern humans.}, journal = {Genome biology}, volume = {18}, number = {1}, pages = {61}, pmid = {28366169}, issn = {1474-760X}, mesh = {Alleles ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Expression ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Variation ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Multigene Family ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phenotype ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Admixture between early modern humans and Neandertals approximately 50,000-60,000 years ago has resulted in 1.5-4% Neandertal ancestry in the genomes of present-day non-Africans. Evidence is accumulating that some of these archaic alleles are advantageous for modern humans, while others are deleterious; however, the major mechanism by which these archaic alleles act has not been fully explored.<br><br>RESULTS: Here we assess the contributions of introgressed non-synonymous and regulatory variants to modern human protein and gene expression variation. We show that gene expression changes are more often associated with Neandertal ancestry than expected, and that the introgressed non-synonymous variants tend to have less predicted functional effect on modern human proteins than mutations that arose on the human lineage. Conversely, introgressed alleles contribute proportionally more to expression variation than non-introgressed alleles.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the major influence of Neandertal introgressed alleles is through their effects on gene regulation.}, }
@article {pmid28355292, year = {2017}, author = {Majkić, A and Evans, S and Stepanchuk, V and Tsvelykh, A and d'Errico, F}, title = {A decorated raven bone from the Zaskalnaya VI (Kolosovskaya) Neanderthal site, Crimea.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {12}, number = {3}, pages = {e0173435}, pmid = {28355292}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology/methods ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Crows/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Microscopy ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neanderthals/*psychology ; Paleontology/methods ; Russia ; }, abstract = {We analyze a radius bone fragment of a raven (Corvus corax) from Zaskalnaya VI rock shelter, Crimea. The object bears seven notches and comes from an archaeological level attributed to a Micoquian industry dated to between 38 and 43 cal kyr BP. Our study aims to examine the degree of regularity and intentionality of this set of notches through their technological and morphometric analysis, complemented by comparative experimental work. Microscopic analysis of the notches indicate that they were produced by the to-and-fro movement of a lithic cutting edge and that two notches were added to fill in the gap left between previously cut notches, probably to increase the visual consistency of the pattern. Multivariate analysis of morphometric data recorded on the archaeological notches and sets of notches cut by nine modern experimenters on radii of domestic turkeys shows that the variations recorded on the Zaskalnaya set are comparable to experimental sets made with the aim of producing similar, parallel, equidistant notches. Identification of the Weber Fraction, the constant that accounts for error in human perception, for equidistant notches cut on bone rods and its application to the Zaskalnaya set of notches and thirty-six sets of notches incised on seventeen Upper Palaeolithic bone objects from seven sites indicate that the Zaskalnaya set falls within the range of variation of regularly spaced experimental and Upper Palaeolithic sets of notches. This suggests that even if the production of the notches may have had a utilitarian reason the notches were made with the goal of producing a visually consistent pattern. This object represents the first instance of a bird bone from a Neanderthal site bearing modifications that cannot be explained as the result of butchery activities and for which a symbolic argument can be built on direct rather than circumstantial evidence.}, }
@article {pmid28348941, year = {2017}, author = {Rijkers, G}, title = {Cutting the Stone: Health Defined in the Era of Value-based Care.}, journal = {Cureus}, volume = {9}, number = {2}, pages = {e1023}, pmid = {28348941}, issn = {2168-8184}, abstract = {The immune system contributes to the maintenance of health by preventing and limiting the clinical consequences of infections by pathogenic microorganisms. During the evolution of Homo sapiens, those with the fittest immune system survived. The immune system of Homo sapiens was further improved and adapted by admixture with Neanderthal genes. Nowadays, the human immune system provides adequate protection against the majority of infections. For some 20 infectious diseases, the immune system needs to be improved by vaccination. Vaccination is the number one value-based healthcare intervention and has resulted in global eradication of smallpox. Eradication of poliomyelitis and measles is within reach. A continuous effort will be required for recently emerged pathogens, such as Ebola and HIV, as well as the most difficult - malaria and tuberculosis.}, }
@article {pmid28317553, year = {2017}, author = {Estalrrich, A and El Zaatari, S and Rosas, A}, title = {Dietary reconstruction of the El Sidrón Neandertal familial group (Spain) in the context of other Neandertal and modern hunter-gatherer groups. A molar microwear texture analysis.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {104}, number = {}, pages = {13-22}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.12.003}, pmid = {28317553}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Age Factors ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Diet ; Female ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Tooth Wear/*pathology ; }, abstract = {Here, we present the analysis of occlusal molar microwear textures of eight individuals from the El Sidrón Neandertal group (Spain). The aims of the study were: 1) to document potential age-, sex-, and maternal lineage-related differences in diet within a Neandertal familial group, and 2) to place the diet of El Sidrón individuals in the context of those of other Neandertal groups. This study also offers an interpretation of the diet of the El Sidrón Neandertals by comparing their microwear signatures to those of recent hunter-gatherer populations with diverse but known diets. The intra-group examination of the microwear signatures are consistent with the females of the El Sidrón group having had more abrasive diets or having used their teeth in more para-masticatory activities than did the males. Aside from the potential sex-related differences in diet, no additional intra-group dietary separation, such as by age group or maternal lineage, was observed. In comparison to other Neandertals, El Sidrón individuals, as a group, have microwear signatures most similar to those of other Neandertals from wooded habitats and different from those that lived in more open habitats. This result is expected based on the available paleoenvironmental reconstructions from El Sidrón Cave. The diet of the El Sidrón Neandertals, just like their Neandertal counterparts from similar wooded habitats, is interpreted as having been mixed, consisting of both meat and vegetable foods.}, }
@article {pmid28289213, year = {2017}, author = {Daura, J and Sanz, M and Arsuaga, JL and Hoffmann, DL and Quam, RM and Ortega, MC and Santos, E and Gómez, S and Rubio, A and Villaescusa, L and Souto, P and Mauricio, J and Rodrigues, F and Ferreira, A and Godinho, P and Trinkaus, E and Zilhão, J}, title = {New Middle Pleistocene hominin cranium from Gruta da Aroeira (Portugal).}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {114}, number = {13}, pages = {3397-3402}, pmid = {28289213}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; Humans ; Paleontology ; Portugal ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The Middle Pleistocene is a crucial time period for studying human evolution in Europe, because it marks the appearance of both fossil hominins ancestral to the later Neandertals and the Acheulean technology. Nevertheless, European sites containing well-dated human remains associated with an Acheulean toolkit remain scarce. The earliest European hominin crania associated with Acheulean handaxes are at the sites of Arago, Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos (SH), and Swanscombe, dating to 400-500 ka (Marine Isotope Stage 11-12). The Atapuerca (SH) fossils and the Swanscombe cranium belong to the Neandertal clade, whereas the Arago hominins have been attributed to an incipient stage of Neandertal evolution, to Homo heidelbergensis, or to a subspecies of Homo erectus A recently discovered cranium (Aroeira 3) from the Gruta da Aroeira (Almonda karst system, Portugal) dating to 390-436 ka provides important evidence on the earliest European Acheulean-bearing hominins. This cranium is represented by most of the right half of a calvarium (with the exception of the missing occipital bone) and a fragmentary right maxilla preserving part of the nasal floor and two fragmentary molars. The combination of traits in the Aroeira 3 cranium augments the previously documented diversity in the European Middle Pleistocene fossil record.}, }
@article {pmid28284042, year = {2017}, author = {Chapman, T and Beyer, B and Sholukha, V and Semal, P and Feipel, V and Louryan, S and Van Sint Jan, S}, title = {How different are the Kebara 2 ribs to modern humans?.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {95}, number = {}, pages = {183-201}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.95004}, pmid = {28284042}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Caves ; Female ; Humans ; Israel ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Ribs/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {This study analyses rib geometric parameters of individual ribs of 14 modern human subjects (7 males and 7 females) in comparison to the reconstructed ribs of the Kebara 2 skeleton which was taken from the reconstruction of a Neandertal thorax by Sawyer &amp; Maley (2005). Three-dimensional (3D) models were segmented from CT scans and each rib vertex cloud was placed into a local coordinate system defined from the rib principal axes. Rib clouds were then analysed using best fitting ellipses of the external contours of the cross-section areas. The centroid of each ellipse was then used to measure the centroidal pathway between each slice (rib midline). Curvature of the ribs was measured from the mid-line of the ribs as the sum of angles between successive centroids in adjacent cross sections. Distinct common patterns were noted in all rib geometric parameters for modern humans. The Kebara 2 reconstructed ribs also followed the same patterns. This study demonstrated that there are differences between the sexes in rib geometrical parameters, with females showing smaller rib width, chord length and arc length, but greater curvature (rib torsion, rib axial curvature, rib anterior-posterior bending) than males. The Kebara 2 reconstructed ribs were within the modern human range for the majority of geometrical parameters.}, }
@article {pmid28277523, year = {2017}, author = {Callaway, E}, title = {Neanderthal tooth plaque hints at meals - and kisses.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {543}, number = {7644}, pages = {163}, doi = {10.1038/543163a}, pmid = {28277523}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Tooth ; }, }
@article {pmid28273061, year = {2017}, author = {Weyrich, LS and Duchene, S and Soubrier, J and Arriola, L and Llamas, B and Breen, J and Morris, AG and Alt, KW and Caramelli, D and Dresely, V and Farrell, M and Farrer, AG and Francken, M and Gully, N and Haak, W and Hardy, K and Harvati, K and Held, P and Holmes, EC and Kaidonis, J and Lalueza-Fox, C and de la Rasilla, M and Rosas, A and Semal, P and Soltysiak, A and Townsend, G and Usai, D and Wahl, J and Huson, DH and Dobney, K and Cooper, A}, title = {Neanderthal behaviour, diet, and disease inferred from ancient DNA in dental calculus.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {544}, number = {7650}, pages = {357-361}, doi = {10.1038/nature21674}, pmid = {28273061}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Belgium ; Carnivory ; Caves ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; Dental Calculus/*chemistry ; Diet/*history ; Enterocytozoon/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; *Food Preferences ; Genome, Bacterial/genetics ; Health/*history ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Intestines/microbiology ; Meat/history ; Methanobrevibacter/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Mouth/microbiology ; Neanderthals/*microbiology/*psychology ; Pan troglodytes/microbiology ; Penicillium/chemistry ; Perissodactyla ; Sheep ; Spain ; Stomach/microbiology ; Symbiosis ; Time Factors ; Vegetarians/history ; }, abstract = {Recent genomic data have revealed multiple interactions between Neanderthals and modern humans, but there is currently little genetic evidence regarding Neanderthal behaviour, diet, or disease. Here we describe the shotgun-sequencing of ancient DNA from five specimens of Neanderthal calcified dental plaque (calculus) and the characterization of regional differences in Neanderthal ecology. At Spy cave, Belgium, Neanderthal diet was heavily meat based and included woolly rhinoceros and wild sheep (mouflon), characteristic of a steppe environment. In contrast, no meat was detected in the diet of Neanderthals from El Sidrón cave, Spain, and dietary components of mushrooms, pine nuts, and moss reflected forest gathering. Differences in diet were also linked to an overall shift in the oral bacterial community (microbiota) and suggested that meat consumption contributed to substantial variation within Neanderthal microbiota. Evidence for self-medication was detected in an El Sidrón Neanderthal with a dental abscess and a chronic gastrointestinal pathogen (Enterocytozoon bieneusi). Metagenomic data from this individual also contained a nearly complete genome of the archaeal commensal Methanobrevibacter oralis (10.2× depth of coverage)-the oldest draft microbial genome generated to date, at around 48,000 years old. DNA preserved within dental calculus represents a notable source of information about the behaviour and health of ancient hominin specimens, as well as a unique system that is useful for the study of long-term microbial evolution.}, }
@article {pmid28252042, year = {2017}, author = {Bazgir, B and Ollé, A and Tumung, L and Becerra-Valdivia, L and Douka, K and Higham, T and van der Made, J and Picin, A and Saladié, P and López-García, JM and Blain, HA and Allué, E and Fernández-García, M and Rey-Rodríguez, I and Arceredillo, D and Bahrololoumi, F and Azimi, M and Otte, M and Carbonell, E}, title = {Understanding the emergence of modern humans and the disappearance of Neanderthals: Insights from Kaldar Cave (Khorramabad Valley, Western Iran).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {7}, number = {}, pages = {43460}, pmid = {28252042}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Amphibians/physiology ; Animals ; Archaeology/*methods ; Artiodactyla/physiology ; Birds/physiology ; Carbon Radioisotopes ; Carnivory/physiology ; Caves ; *Fossils ; Geologic Sediments/analysis ; Humans ; Iran ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology/psychology ; Perissodactyla/physiology ; Radiometric Dating/*methods ; Reptiles/physiology ; Rodentia/physiology ; }, abstract = {Kaldar Cave is a key archaeological site that provides evidence of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Iran. Excavations at the site in 2014-2015 led to the discovery of cultural remains generally associated with anatomically modern humans (AMHs) and evidence of a probable Neanderthal-made industry in the basal layers. Attempts have been made to establish a chronology for the site. These include four thermoluminescence (TL) dates for Layer 4, ranging from 23,100 ± 3300 to 29,400 ± 2300 BP, and three AMS radiocarbon dates from charcoal samples belonging to the lower part of the same layer, yielding ages of 38,650-36,750 cal BP, 44,200-42,350 cal BP, and 54,400-46,050 cal BP (all at the 95.4% confidence level). Kaldar Cave is the first well-stratified Late Palaeolithic locality to be excavated in the Zagros which is one of the earliest sites with cultural materials attributed to early AMHs in western Asia. It also offers an opportunity to study the technological differences between the Mousterian and the first Upper Palaeolithic lithic technologies as well as the human behaviour in the region. In this study, we present a detailed description of the newly excavated stratigraphy, quantified results from the lithic assemblages, preliminary faunal remains analyses, geochronologic data, taphonomic aspects, and an interpretation of the regional paleoenvironment.}, }
@article {pmid28238406, year = {2017}, author = {Nakahashi, W}, title = {The effect of trauma on Neanderthal culture: A mathematical analysis.}, journal = {Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen}, volume = {68}, number = {2}, pages = {83-100}, doi = {10.1016/j.jchb.2017.02.001}, pmid = {28238406}, issn = {1618-1301}, mesh = {Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Cultural Characteristics ; Cultural Evolution ; Fossils ; Humans ; Mathematical Concepts ; *Models, Biological ; *Models, Psychological ; Neanderthals/*injuries/*psychology ; Reproducibility of Results ; }, abstract = {Traumatic lesions are often observed in ancient skeletal remains. Since ancient medical technology was immature, severely traumatized individuals may have frequently lost the physical ability for cultural skills that demand complex body movements. I develop a mathematical model to analyze the effect of trauma on cultural transmission and apply it to Neanderthal culture using Neanderthal fossil data. I estimate from the data that the proportion of adult individuals who suffered traumatic injuries before death was approximately 0.79-0.94, in which 0.37-0.52 were injured severely and 0.13-0.19 were injured before adulthood. Assuming that every severely traumatized individual and a quarter to a half of the other traumatized individuals lost the capacity for a cultural skill that demands complex control of the traumatized body part, I estimate that if an upper limb is associated with a cultural skill, each individual had to communicate closely with at least 1.5-2.6 individuals during adulthood to maintain the skill in Neanderthal society, and if a whole body is associated, at least 3.1-11.5 individuals were necessary. If cultural transmissions between experts and novices were inaccurate, or if low frequency skills easily disappeared from the population due to random drift, more communicable individuals were necessary. Since the community size of Neanderthals was very small, their high risk of injury may have inhibited the spread of technically difficult cultural skills in their society. It may be important to take this inhibition into consideration when we study Neanderthal culture and the replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid28235201, year = {2017}, author = {McCoy, RC and Wakefield, J and Akey, JM}, title = {Impacts of Neanderthal-Introgressed Sequences on the Landscape of Human Gene Expression.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {168}, number = {5}, pages = {916-927.e12}, pmid = {28235201}, issn = {1097-4172}, support = {R01 GM076036/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 DA006227/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH101782/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH101810/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH101819/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH090936/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; T32 HG000035/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH090951/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH101820/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG007591/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH101822/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH090937/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH101814/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM110068/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 DA033684/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH101825/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH090948/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH090941/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Brain/metabolism ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Gene Expression ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Organ Specificity ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Quantitative Trait Loci ; Testis/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Regulatory variation influencing gene expression is a key contributor to phenotypic diversity, both within and between species. Unfortunately, RNA degrades too rapidly to be recovered from fossil remains, limiting functional genomic insights about our extinct hominin relatives. Many Neanderthal sequences survive in modern humans due to ancient hybridization, providing an opportunity to assess their contributions to transcriptional variation and to test hypotheses about regulatory evolution. We developed a flexible Bayesian statistical approach to quantify allele-specific expression (ASE) in complex RNA-seq datasets. We identified widespread expression differences between Neanderthal and modern human alleles, indicating pervasive cis-regulatory impacts of introgression. Brain regions and testes exhibited significant downregulation of Neanderthal alleles relative to other tissues, consistent with natural selection influencing the tissue-specific regulatory landscape. Our study demonstrates that Neanderthal-inherited sequences are not silent remnants of ancient interbreeding but have measurable impacts on gene expression that contribute to variation in modern human phenotypes.}, }
@article {pmid28185859, year = {2017}, author = {Zervou, MI and Dorschner, JM and Ghodke-Puranik, Y and Boumpas, DT and Niewold, TB and Goulielmos, GN}, title = {Association of IRF5 polymorphisms with increased risk for systemic lupus erythematosus in population of Crete, a southern-eastern European Greek island.}, journal = {Gene}, volume = {610}, number = {}, pages = {9-14}, doi = {10.1016/j.gene.2017.02.003}, pmid = {28185859}, issn = {1879-0038}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; *Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Greece ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Interferon Regulatory Factors/*genetics ; Interferon Type I/blood/immunology ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/*genetics/immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {Interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) regulates type I interferon (IFN)-responsive genes, and has been one of the most consistently associated genes with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We sought to investigate whether IRF5 haplotypes are associated with risk for SLE in the genetically homogeneous Greek population of the island of Crete, as well as whether these haplotypes are associated with increased type I IFN. 322 SLE patients and 247 healthy controls from Crete were genotyped for rs2004640, rs3807306, rs10488631 and rs2280714 SNPs of IRF5 gene by using Taqman primer-probe sets. Type I IFN levels were measured using a functional reporter cell assay. All IRF5 SNPs examined were found to be associated with SLE in univariate case-control analysis. The 4 SNPs formed 5 major haplotypes and the Neanderthal-derived TACA risk haplotype was present in Crete and enriched in the SLE cases (OR=2.01, P=0.0003). Serum IFN levels were measured in a subset of the SLE patients, and carriage of the TACA haplotype was associated with higher circulating type I IFN levels (P=0.037). This study demonstrates the association of IRF5 with an increased susceptibility for SLE in the population of Crete and emphasizes the association of the Neanderthal-derived IRF5 haplotype with SLE susceptibility. Patients carrying allele the Neanderthal allele C had greater type I IFN, supporting a functional consequence of this polymorphism.}, }
@article {pmid28166906, year = {2017}, author = {Martin, RMG and Hublin, JJ and Gunz, P and Skinner, MM}, title = {The morphology of the enamel-dentine junction in Neanderthal molars: Gross morphology, non-metric traits, and temporal trends.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {103}, number = {}, pages = {20-44}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.12.004}, pmid = {28166906}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Enamel/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Dentin/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Maxilla/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {This study explores the morphological differences between the enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) of maxillary and mandibular molars of Neanderthals (n = 150) and recent modern humans (n = 106), and between an earlier Neanderthal sample (consisting of Pre-Eemian and Eemian Neanderthals dating to before 115 ka) and a later Neanderthal sample (consisting of Post-Eemian Neanderthals dating to after 115 ka). The EDJ was visualised by segmenting microtomographic scans of each molar. A geometric morphometric methodology compared the positioning of the dentine horns, the shape of the marginal ridge between the dentine horns, and the shape of the cervix. We also examined the manifestation of non-metric traits at the EDJ including the crista obliqua, cusp 5, and post-paracone tubercle. Furthermore, we report on additional morphological features including centrally placed dentine horn tips and twinned dentine horns. Our results indicate that EDJ morphology can discriminate with a high degree of reliability between Neanderthals and recent modern humans at every molar position, and discriminate between the earlier and the later Neanderthal samples at every molar position, except for the M3 in shape space. The cervix in isolation can also discriminate between Neanderthals and recent modern humans, except at the M3 in form space, and is effective at discriminating between the earlier and the later Neanderthal samples, except at the M[2]/M2 in form space. In addition to demonstrating the taxonomic valence of the EDJ, our analysis reveals unique manifestations of dental traits in Neanderthals and expanded levels of trait variation that have implications for trait definitions and scoring.}, }
@article {pmid28158547, year = {2016}, author = {Povysil, G and Hochreiter, S}, title = {IBD Sharing between Africans, Neandertals, and Denisovans.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {8}, number = {12}, pages = {3406-3416}, pmid = {28158547}, issn = {1759-6653}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Black People/genetics ; Breeding ; DNA/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Gene Flow ; Genome ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/genetics ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Interbreeding between ancestors of humans and other hominins outside of Africa has been studied intensively, while their common history within Africa still lacks proper attention. However, shedding light on human evolution in this time period about which little is known, is essential for understanding subsequent events outside of Africa. We investigate the genetic relationships of humans, Neandertals, and Denisovans by identifying very short DNA segments in the 1000 Genomes Phase 3 data that these hominins share identical by descent (IBD). By focusing on low frequency and rare variants, we identify very short IBD segments with high confidence. These segments reveal events from a very distant past because shorter IBD segments are presumably older than longer ones. We extracted two types of very old IBD segments that are not only shared among humans, but also with Neandertals and/or Denisovans. The first type contains longer segments that are found primarily in Asians and Europeans where more segments are found in South Asians than in East Asians for both Neandertal and Denisovan. These longer segments indicate complex admixture events outside of Africa. The second type consists of shorter segments that are shared mainly by Africans and therefore may indicate events involving ancestors of humans and other ancient hominins within Africa. Our results from the autosomes are further supported by an analysis of chromosome X, on which segments that are shared by Africans and match the Neandertal and/or Denisovan genome were even more prominent. Our results indicate that interbreeding with other hominins was a common feature of human evolution starting already long before ancestors of modern humans left Africa.}, }
@article {pmid28154067, year = {2017}, author = {Sugden, AM}, title = {Interglacial Neanderthal habitats.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {355}, number = {6324}, pages = {491}, doi = {10.1126/science.355.6324.491-a}, pmid = {28154067}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Ecosystem ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; }, }
@article {pmid28125602, year = {2017}, author = {Marra, F and Ceruleo, P and Pandolfi, L and Petronio, C and Rolfo, MF and Salari, L}, title = {The Aggradational Successions of the Aniene River Valley in Rome: Age Constraints to Early Neanderthal Presence in Europe.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, pages = {e0170434}, pmid = {28125602}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Europe ; *Fossils ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Paleontology ; *Rivers ; Rome ; }, abstract = {We revise the chronostratigraphy of several sedimentary successions cropping out along a 5 km-long tract of the Aniene River Valley in Rome (Italy), which yielded six hominin remains previously attributed to proto- or archaic Neanderthal individuals, as well as a large number of lithic artefacts showing intermediate characteristics somewhere between the local Acheulean and Mousterian cultures. Through a method of correlation of aggradational successions with post-glacial sea-level rises, relying on a large set of published 40Ar/39Ar ages of interbedded volcanic deposits, we demonstrate that deposition of the sediments hosting the human remains spans the interval 295-220 ka. This is consistent with other well constrained ages for lithic industries recovered in England, displaying transitional features from Lower to Middle Paleolithic, suggesting the appearance of Mode 3 during the MIS 9-MIS 8 transition. Moreover, the six human bone fragments recovered in the Aniene Valley should be regarded as the most precisely dated and oldest hominin remains ascribable to Neanderthal-type individuals in Europe, discovered to date. The chronostratigraphic study presented here constitutes the groundwork for addressing re-analysis of these remains and of their associated lithic industries, in the light of their well-constrained chronological picture.}, }
@article {pmid28119736, year = {2016}, author = {Goodwin, ZA and de Guzman Strong, C}, title = {Recent Positive Selection in Genes of the Mammalian Epidermal Differentiation Complex Locus.}, journal = {Frontiers in genetics}, volume = {7}, number = {}, pages = {227}, pmid = {28119736}, issn = {1664-8021}, support = {R01 AR065523/AR/NIAMS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 HG000045/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, abstract = {The epidermal differentiation complex (EDC) is the most rapidly evolving locus in the human genome compared to that of the chimpanzee. Yet the EDC genes that are undergoing positive selection across mammals and in humans are not known. We sought to identify the positively selected genetic variants and determine the evolutionary events of the EDC using mammalian-wide and clade-specific branch- and branch-site likelihood ratio tests and a genetic algorithm (GA) branch test. Significant non-synonymous substitutions were found in filaggrin, SPRR4, LELP1, and S100A2 genes across 14 mammals. By contrast, we identified recent positive selection in SPRR4 in primates. Additionally, the GA branch test discovered lineage-specific evolution for distinct EDC genes occurring in each of the nodes in the 14-mammal phylogenetic tree. Multiple instances of positive selection for FLG, TCHHL1, SPRR4, LELP1, and S100A2 were noted among the primate branch nodes. Branch-site likelihood ratio tests further revealed positive selection in specific sites in SPRR4, LELP1, filaggrin, and repetin across 14 mammals. However, in addition to continuous evolution of SPRR4, site-specific positive selection was also found in S100A11, KPRP, SPRR1A, S100A7L2, and S100A3 in primates and filaggrin, filaggrin2, and S100A8 in great apes. Very recent human positive selection was identified in the filaggrin2 L41 site that was present in Neanderthal. Together, our results identifying recent positive selection in distinct EDC genes reveal an underappreciated evolution of epidermal skin barrier function in primates and humans.}, }
@article {pmid28102010, year = {2017}, author = {Belcastro, MG and Mariotti, V}, title = {A muscular imprint on the anterolateral surface of the proximal femurs of the Krapina Neandertal collection.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {162}, number = {3}, pages = {583-588}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23140}, pmid = {28102010}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Female ; Femur/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal/*physiology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to report and interpret a feature on the anterolateral surface of the proximal femurs of the Krapina hominid collection that we briefly described in 2006 (Periodicum Biologorum, 108, 319-329).<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recorded the presence or absence of the feature in all the proximal femurs of the Krapina collection (six specimens recordable) and in 622 modern human adult femurs.<br><br>RESULTS: The feature consists in a series of crests delimitating three raised or depressed areas. This feature has been found in three out of four adult Neandertal femurs observable. The two observable subadult Neandertal femurs do not show this character. None of the modern femurs displayed the feature.<br><br>CONCLUSION: We interpret this feature as a muscular imprint, probably representing the m. vastus intermedius origin and discuss a possible interpretation. We did not find any other references for such imprint in the existing literature regarding the Neandertal femurs.}, }
@article {pmid28035661, year = {2017}, author = {Estalrrich, A and Alarcón, JA and Rosas, A}, title = {Evidence of toothpick groove formation in Neandertal anterior and posterior teeth.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {162}, number = {4}, pages = {747-756}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23166}, pmid = {28035661}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; *Feeding Behavior ; France ; History, Ancient ; *Neanderthals ; Oral Hygiene/*history ; Spain ; Tool Use Behavior ; Tooth/*pathology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: During the microscopic examination of the Neandertal dentitions from El Sidrón (Spain) and Hortus (France), we found unusual fine parallel microstriations on the mesial and distal sides of all tooth types, near the cervix. As its appearance was similar to toothpick grooves described in other Homo species, it could correspond to early stages on its formation. To test this hypothesis we developed an experimental replication of a groove using grass stalks.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: Comparisons between 204 isolated Neandertal teeth and the two experimental dental specimens corroborate that the marks correspond to initial stages of toothpick groove formation, and we propose a five-grade recording scale that summarized the groove formation process.<br><br>RESULTS: Using this new recording procedure, we found that Hortus individuals have higher incidence of this trait (eight individuals out of nine) than the El Sidr&#xf3;n individuals (nine out of 11). Toothpick grooves from El Sidr&#xf3;n show the earliest stages of development, whereas the grooves found on Hortus Neandertals were well-developed. Toothpick grooves were also found in 21 incisors and canines.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: These differences could be due to the more advanced occlusal dental wear in Hortus individuals, maybe age-related and with a more meat-based diet maybe favoring the inclusion of food debris and thus probing as the cleaning methodology. Our results allow the identification and characterization of incipient toothpick grooves on the human fossil record and contribute to increase our knowledge on Neandertals behavioral and oral care habits.}, }
@article {pmid28025273, year = {2017}, author = {Pimenoff, VN and de Oliveira, CM and Bravo, IG}, title = {Transmission between Archaic and Modern Human Ancestors during the Evolution of the Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus 16.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {34}, number = {1}, pages = {4-19}, pmid = {28025273}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Genetic Variation ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Human papillomavirus 16/*genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Oncogenes ; Papillomavirus Infections/*transmission/*virology ; Phylogeny ; Phylogeography ; }, abstract = {Every human suffers through life a number of papillomaviruses (PVs) infections, most of them asymptomatic. A notable exception are persistent infections by Human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16), the most oncogenic infectious agent for humans and responsible for most infection-driven anogenital cancers. Oncogenic potential is not homogeneous among HPV16 lineages, and genetic variation within HPV16 exhibits some geographic structure. However, an in-depth analysis of the HPV16 evolutionary history was still wanting. We have analyzed extant HPV16 diversity and compared the evolutionary and phylogeographical patterns of humans and of HPV16. We show that codivergence with modern humans explains at most 30% of the present viral geographical distribution. The most explanatory scenario suggests that ancestral HPV16 already infected ancestral human populations and that viral lineages co-diverged with the hosts in parallel with the split between archaic Neanderthal-Denisovans and ancestral modern human populations, generating the ancestral HPV16A and HPV16BCD viral lineages, respectively. We propose that after out-of-Africa migration of modern human ancestors, sexual transmission between human populations introduced HPV16A into modern human ancestor populations. We hypothesize that differential coevolution of HPV16 lineages with different but closely related ancestral human populations and subsequent host-switch events in parallel with introgression of archaic alleles into the genomes of modern human ancestors may be largely responsible for the present-day differential prevalence and association with cancers for HPV16 variants.}, }
@article {pmid27919236, year = {2016}, author = {Pajic, P and Lin, YL and Xu, D and Gokcumen, O}, title = {The psoriasis-associated deletion of late cornified envelope genes LCE3B and LCE3C has been maintained under balancing selection since Human Denisovan divergence.}, journal = {BMC evolutionary biology}, volume = {16}, number = {1}, pages = {265}, pmid = {27919236}, issn = {1471-2148}, mesh = {Alleles ; Cornified Envelope Proline-Rich Proteins/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Gene Deletion ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Psoriasis/*genetics ; Sequence Deletion ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: A common, 32kb deletion of LCE3B and LCE3C genes is strongly associated with psoriasis. We recently found that this deletion is ancient, predating Human-Denisovan divergence. However, it was not clear why negative selection has not removed this deletion from the population.<br><br>RESULTS: Here, we show that the haplotype block that harbors the deletion (i) retains high allele frequency among extant and ancient human populations; (ii) harbors unusually high nucleotide variation (&#x3c0;, P&#x2009;<&#x2009;4.1&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;10[-3]); (iii) contains an excess of intermediate frequency variants (Tajima's D, P&#x2009;<&#x2009;3.9&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;10[-3]); and (iv) has an unusually long time to coalescence to the most recent common ancestor (TSel, 0.1 quantile).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results are most parsimonious with the scenario where the LCE3BC deletion has evolved under balancing selection in humans. More broadly, this is consistent with the hypothesis that a balance between autoimmunity and natural vaccination through increased exposure to pathogens maintains this deletion in humans.}, }
@article {pmid27916748, year = {2017}, author = {Noe, F and Polster, J and Geithe, C and Kotthoff, M and Schieberle, P and Krautwurst, D}, title = {OR2M3: A Highly Specific and Narrowly Tuned Human Odorant Receptor for the Sensitive Detection of Onion Key Food Odorant 3-Mercapto-2-methylpentan-1-ol.}, journal = {Chemical senses}, volume = {42}, number = {3}, pages = {195-210}, doi = {10.1093/chemse/bjw118}, pmid = {27916748}, issn = {1464-3553}, mesh = {Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Odorants/*analysis ; Onions/*chemistry ; Pentanols/*analysis/chemistry ; Receptors, Odorant/*metabolism ; *Smell ; Sulfhydryl Compounds/*analysis/chemistry ; }, abstract = {The detection of key food odorants appears to be an important capability of odorant receptors. Here, thiols occupy an outstanding position among the 230 known key food odorants because of their very low odor thresholds. Members of the homologous series of 3-mercapto-2-methylalkan-1-ols have been described as onion key food odorants or food constituents and are detected at logarithmically different thresholds. 3-Mercapto-2-methylpentan-1-ol being the only key food odorant within this series also has the lowest odor threshold. Most odorants typically activate combinations of odorant receptors, which may be narrowly or broadly tuned. Consequently, a specific receptor activation pattern will define an odor quality. In contrast, here we show that just 1 of the 391 human odorant receptors, OR2M3, responded exclusively to 3-mercapto-2-methylpentan-1-ol of the 190 key food odorants tested, with a half maximal effective concentration at submicromolar concentration. Moreover, neither the Denisovan OR2M3 nor the closest OR2M3 homologs from five species did respond to this compound. This outstanding specificity of extremely narrowly tuned human OR2M3 can explain both odor qualities and odor threshold trend within a homologous series of 3-mercapto-2-methylalkan-1-ols and suggests a modern human-specific, food-related function of OR2M3 in detecting a single onion key food odorant.}, }
@article {pmid27899133, year = {2016}, author = {Sams, AJ and Dumaine, A and Nédélec, Y and Yotova, V and Alfieri, C and Tanner, JE and Messer, PW and Barreiro, LB}, title = {Adaptively introgressed Neandertal haplotype at the OAS locus functionally impacts innate immune responses in humans.}, journal = {Genome biology}, volume = {17}, number = {1}, pages = {246}, pmid = {27899133}, issn = {1474-760X}, support = {301538//CIHR/Canada ; 232519//CIHR/Canada ; }, mesh = {2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/*genetics ; Animals ; Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic ; Genome, Human ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate/*genetics ; Infections/*genetics/immunology/pathology ; Neanderthals/genetics/immunology ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Protein Isoforms/genetics/immunology ; Selection, Genetic/genetics/immunology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) locus encodes for three OAS enzymes (OAS1-3) involved in innate immune response. This region harbors high amounts of Neandertal ancestry in non-African populations; yet, strong evidence of positive selection in the OAS region is still lacking.<br><br>RESULTS: Here we used a broad array of selection tests in concert with neutral coalescent simulations to demonstrate a signal of adaptive introgression at the OAS locus. Furthermore, we characterized the functional consequences of the Neandertal haplotype in the transcriptional regulation of OAS genes at baseline and infected conditions. We found that cells from people with the Neandertal-like haplotype express lower levels of OAS3 upon infection, as well as distinct isoforms of OAS1 and OAS2.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We present evidence that a Neandertal haplotype at the OAS locus was subjected to positive selection in the human population. This haplotype is significantly associated with functional consequences at the level of transcriptional regulation of innate immune responses. Notably, we suggest that the Neandertal-introgressed haplotype likely reintroduced an ancestral splice variant of OAS1 encoding a more active protein, suggesting that adaptive introgression occurred as a means to resurrect adaptive variation that had been lost outside Africa.}, }
@article {pmid27877146, year = {2016}, author = {Progovac, L}, title = {A Gradualist Scenario for Language Evolution: Precise Linguistic Reconstruction of Early Human (and Neandertal) Grammars.}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {7}, number = {}, pages = {1714}, pmid = {27877146}, issn = {1664-1078}, abstract = {In making an argument for the antiquity of language, based on comparative evidence, Dediu and Levinson (2013) express hope that some combinations of structural features will prove so conservative that they will allow deep linguistic reconstruction. I propose that the earliest stages of syntax/grammar as reconstructed in Progovac (2015a), based on a theoretical and data-driven linguistic analysis, provide just such a conservative platform, which would have been commanded also by Neandertals and the common ancestor. I provide a fragment of this proto-grammar, which includes flat verb-noun compounds used for naming and insult (e.g., rattle-snake, cry-baby, scatter-brain), and paratactic (loose) combinations of such flat structures (e.g., Come one, come all; You seek, you find). This flat, binary, paratactic platform is found in all languages, and can be shown to serve as foundation for any further structure building. However, given the degree and nature of variation across languages in elaborating syntax beyond this proto-stage, I propose that hierarchical syntax did not emerge once and uniformly in all its complexity, but rather multiple times, either within Africa, or after dispersion from Africa. If so, then, under the uniregional hypothesis, our common ancestor with Neandertals, H. heidelbergensis, could not have commanded hierarchical syntax, but "only" the proto-grammar. Linguistic reconstructions of this kind are necessary for formulating precise and testable hypotheses regarding language evolution. In addition to the hominin timeline, this reconstruction can also engage, and negotiate between, the fields of neuroscience and genetics, as I illustrate with one specific scenario involving FOXP2 gene.}, }
@article {pmid27843675, year = {2016}, author = {Shipley, GP and Kindscher, K}, title = {Evidence for the Paleoethnobotany of the Neanderthal: A Review of the Literature.}, journal = {Scientifica}, volume = {2016}, number = {}, pages = {8927654}, pmid = {27843675}, issn = {2090-908X}, abstract = {Our perception of our closest human relatives, the Neanderthals, has evolved in the last few decades from brutish ape-men to intelligent archaic human peoples. Our understanding and appreciation of their cultural sophistication has only recently extended to their diet. Only within the last few years, with new techniques and a shift in focus, have we begun to truly investigate and understand the role of plants in their diet and culture. The more we learn about Neanderthals, the more we realize that biological and cultural distinctions between them and us were relatively small. Given that we coexisted and likely interacted with them for thousands of years, the more we learn about them, the better we may understand our own past. In that light, we review the current evidence, derived from such sources as plant remains (e.g., starch, pollen, phytoliths, and seeds) in soil and dental calculus, dental and tool wear, coprolites, and genetics, for Neanderthal's nutritional, medicinal, and ritual use of plants, which includes 61 different taxa from 26 different plant families found at 17 different archaeological sites. Further, we updated and standardized botanical nomenclature from many sources published over many decades to provide a more stable foundation for future work.}, }
@article {pmid27839976, year = {2016}, author = {Gittelman, RM and Schraiber, JG and Vernot, B and Mikacenic, C and Wurfel, MM and Akey, JM}, title = {Archaic Hominin Admixture Facilitated Adaptation to Out-of-Africa Environments.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {26}, number = {24}, pages = {3375-3382}, pmid = {27839976}, issn = {1879-0445}, support = {R01 GM110068/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/*genetics ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; DNA/*genetics ; Demography ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Genetic Variation ; *Genome, Human/genetics ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Pigmentation ; }, abstract = {As modern humans dispersed from Africa throughout the world, they encountered and interbred with archaic hominins, including Neanderthals and Denisovans [1, 2]. Although genome-scale maps of introgressed sequences have been constructed [3-6], considerable gaps in knowledge remain about the functional, phenotypic, and evolutionary significance of archaic hominin DNA that persists in present-day individuals. Here, we describe a comprehensive set of analyses that identified 126 high-frequency archaic haplotypes as putative targets of adaptive introgression in geographically diverse populations. These loci are enriched for immune-related genes (such as OAS1/2/3, TLR1/6/10, and TNFAIP3) and also encompass genes (including OCA2 and BNC2) that influence skin pigmentation phenotypes. Furthermore, we leveraged existing and novel large-scale gene expression datasets to show many positively selected archaic haplotypes act as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs), suggesting that modulation of transcript abundance was a common mechanism facilitating adaptive introgression. Our results demonstrate that hybridization between modern and archaic hominins provided an important reservoir of advantageous alleles that enabled adaptation to out-of-Africa environments.}, }
@article {pmid27824859, year = {2016}, author = {Juric, I and Aeschbacher, S and Coop, G}, title = {The Strength of Selection against Neanderthal Introgression.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {12}, number = {11}, pages = {e1006340}, pmid = {27824859}, issn = {1553-7404}, support = {R01 GM108779/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Gene Frequency ; *Genetics, Population ; *Genome, Human ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Selection, Genetic/*genetics ; White People ; }, abstract = {Hybridization between humans and Neanderthals has resulted in a low level of Neanderthal ancestry scattered across the genomes of many modern-day humans. After hybridization, on average, selection appears to have removed Neanderthal alleles from the human population. Quantifying the strength and causes of this selection against Neanderthal ancestry is key to understanding our relationship to Neanderthals and, more broadly, how populations remain distinct after secondary contact. Here, we develop a novel method for estimating the genome-wide average strength of selection and the density of selected sites using estimates of Neanderthal allele frequency along the genomes of modern-day humans. We confirm that East Asians had somewhat higher initial levels of Neanderthal ancestry than Europeans even after accounting for selection. We find that the bulk of purifying selection against Neanderthal ancestry is best understood as acting on many weakly deleterious alleles. We propose that the majority of these alleles were effectively neutral-and segregating at high frequency-in Neanderthals, but became selected against after entering human populations of much larger effective size. While individually of small effect, these alleles potentially imposed a heavy genetic load on the early-generation human-Neanderthal hybrids. This work suggests that differences in effective population size may play a far more important role in shaping levels of introgression than previously thought.}, }
@article {pmid27365292, year = {2016}, author = {Fabbri, PF and Panetta, D and Sarti, L and Martini, F and Salvadori, PA and Caramella, D and Fedi, M and Benazzi, S}, title = {Middle paleolithic human deciduous incisor from Grotta del Cavallo, Italy.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {161}, number = {3}, pages = {506-512}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23044}, pmid = {27365292}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Incisor/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Italy ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Odontometry ; Paleodontology ; Tooth, Deciduous/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: In this contribution, we present a morphological description and comparative morphometric analysis of Cavallo D, a human tooth unearthed from the Mousterian FIII sublayer of Grotta del Cavallo (Apulia, Italy).<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used microCT data to provide a detailed morphological description and morphometric analysis of the Cavallo D human tooth based on traditional diameter measurements and 3D enamel thickness. Moreover, new AMS radiocarbon dating of charcoals from layers FII was carried out.<br><br>RESULTS: Morphological features observed in Cavallo D align the tooth to Neandertals. Similarly, the large size of the tooth (e.g., BL diameter) and the relatively thinner enamel thickness are typical Neandertal traits. [14] C datings of layer FII attribute the tooth to a time range of 45,600-42,900 cal BP (at 68% level of probability).<br><br>DISCUSSION: Up to now, the Rdi1 Cavallo D represents the most recent Neandertal human remain in southern Italy related to a radiocarbon dated stratigraphy. Moreover, since deciduous teeth have been less investigated than the permanent ones, this contribution brings new data to increase our knowledge on the variability of the Neandertal deciduous dentition.}, }
@article {pmid27768889, year = {2016}, author = {Nédélec, Y and Sanz, J and Baharian, G and Szpiech, ZA and Pacis, A and Dumaine, A and Grenier, JC and Freiman, A and Sams, AJ and Hebert, S and Pagé Sabourin, A and Luca, F and Blekhman, R and Hernandez, RD and Pique-Regi, R and Tung, J and Yotova, V and Barreiro, LB}, title = {Genetic Ancestry and Natural Selection Drive Population Differences in Immune Responses to Pathogens.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {167}, number = {3}, pages = {657-669.e21}, doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2016.09.025}, pmid = {27768889}, issn = {1097-4172}, support = {301538//CIHR/Canada ; 232519//CIHR/Canada ; }, abstract = {Individuals from different populations vary considerably in their susceptibility to immune-related diseases. To understand how genetic variation and natural selection contribute to these differences, we tested for the effects of African versus European ancestry on the transcriptional response of primary macrophages to live bacterial pathogens. A total of 9.3% of macrophage-expressed genes show ancestry-associated differences in the gene regulatory response to infection, and African ancestry specifically predicts a stronger inflammatory response and reduced intracellular bacterial growth. A large proportion of these differences are under genetic control: for 804 genes, more than 75% of ancestry effects on the immune response can be explained by a single cis- or trans-acting expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL). Finally, we show that genetic effects on the immune response are strongly enriched for recent, population-specific signatures of adaptation. Together, our results demonstrate how historical selective events continue to shape human phenotypic diversity today, including for traits that are key to controlling infection.}, }
@article {pmid27768888, year = {2016}, author = {Quach, H and Rotival, M and Pothlichet, J and Loh, YE and Dannemann, M and Zidane, N and Laval, G and Patin, E and Harmant, C and Lopez, M and Deschamps, M and Naffakh, N and Duffy, D and Coen, A and Leroux-Roels, G and Clément, F and Boland, A and Deleuze, JF and Kelso, J and Albert, ML and Quintana-Murci, L}, title = {Genetic Adaptation and Neandertal Admixture Shaped the Immune System of Human Populations.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {167}, number = {3}, pages = {643-656.e17}, pmid = {27768888}, issn = {1097-4172}, support = {//European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/*genetics/*immunology ; *Adaptive Immunity/genetics ; Alleles ; Animals ; Bacterial Infections/genetics/immunology ; Base Sequence ; Biological Evolution ; Black People/genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Immune System ; Neanderthals/*genetics/*immunology ; Quantitative Trait Loci ; RNA/genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Toll-Like Receptors/genetics ; Transcription, Genetic ; Virus Diseases/genetics/immunology ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Humans differ in the outcome that follows exposure to life-threatening pathogens, yet the extent of population differences in immune responses and their genetic and evolutionary determinants remain undefined. Here, we characterized, using RNA sequencing, the transcriptional response of primary monocytes from Africans and Europeans to bacterial and viral stimuli-ligands activating Toll-like receptor pathways (TLR1/2, TLR4, and TLR7/8) and influenza virus-and mapped expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs). We identify numerous cis-eQTLs that contribute to the marked differences in immune responses detected within and between populations and a strong trans-eQTL hotspot at TLR1 that decreases expression of pro-inflammatory genes in Europeans only. We find that immune-responsive regulatory variants are enriched in population-specific signals of natural selection and show that admixture with Neandertals introduced regulatory variants into European genomes, affecting preferentially responses to viral challenges. Together, our study uncovers evolutionarily important determinants of differences in host immune responsiveness between human populations.}, }
@article {pmid27765150, year = {2016}, author = {Frayer, DW and Clarke, RJ and Fiore, I and Blumenschine, RJ and Pérez-Pérez, A and Martinez, LM and Estebaranz, F and Holloway, R and Bondioli, L}, title = {OH-65: The earliest evidence for right-handedness in the fossil record.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {100}, number = {}, pages = {65-72}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.07.002}, pmid = {27765150}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain/*physiology ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Functional Laterality ; Language ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/classification/*physiology ; Tool Use Behavior ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/ultrastructure ; }, abstract = {Labial striations on the anterior teeth have been documented in numerous European pre-Neandertal and Neandertal fossils and serve as evidence for handedness. OH-65, dated at 1.8 mya, shows a concentration of oblique striations on, especially, the left I[1] and right I[1], I[2] and C[1], which signal that it was right-handed. From these patterns we contend that OH-65 was habitually using the right hand, over the left, in manipulating objects during some kind of oral processing. In living humans right-handedness is generally correlated with brain lateralization, although the strength of the association is questioned by some. We propose that as more specimens are found, right-handedness, as seen in living Homo, will most probably be typical of these early hominins.}, }
@article {pmid27756828, year = {2017}, author = {Racimo, F and Marnetto, D and Huerta-Sánchez, E}, title = {Signatures of Archaic Adaptive Introgression in Present-Day Human Populations.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {34}, number = {2}, pages = {296-317}, pmid = {27756828}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {R01 HG003229/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological/*genetics ; Alleles ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Computer Simulation ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Frequency ; Genetics, Population ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Neanderthals ; Phylogeny ; Selection, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {Comparisons of DNA from archaic and modern humans show that these groups interbred, and in some cases received an evolutionary advantage from doing so. This process-adaptive introgression-may lead to a faster rate of adaptation than is predicted from models with mutation and selection alone. Within the last couple of years, a series of studies have identified regions of the genome that are likely examples of adaptive introgression. In many cases, once a region was ascertained as being introgressed, commonly used statistics based on both haplotype as well as allele frequency information were employed to test for positive selection. Introgression by itself, however, changes both the haplotype structure and the distribution of allele frequencies, thus confounding traditional tests for detecting positive selection. Therefore, patterns generated by introgression alone may lead to false inferences of positive selection. Here we explore models involving both introgression and positive selection to investigate the behavior of various statistics under adaptive introgression. In particular, we find that the number and allelic frequencies of sites that are uniquely shared between archaic humans and specific present-day populations are particularly useful for detecting adaptive introgression. We then examine the 1000 Genomes dataset to characterize the landscape of uniquely shared archaic alleles in human populations. Finally, we identify regions that were likely subject to adaptive introgression and discuss some of the most promising candidate genes located in these regions.}, }
@article {pmid27719693, year = {2016}, author = {Madison, P}, title = {The most brutal of human skulls: measuring and knowing the first Neanderthal.}, journal = {British journal for the history of science}, volume = {49}, number = {3}, pages = {411-432}, doi = {10.1017/S0007087416000650}, pmid = {27719693}, issn = {1474-001X}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical/*history/methods ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; History, 19th Century ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/psychology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {A fossilized skeleton discovered in 1856 presented naturalists with a unique challenge. The strange, human-looking bones of the first recognized Neanderthal confronted naturalists with a new type of object for which they had no readily available interpretive framework. This paper explores the techniques and approaches used to understand these bones in the years immediately following the discovery, in particular 1856-1864. Historians have previously suggested that interpretations and debates about Neanderthals hinged primarily on social, political and cultural ideologies. In this paper, I will argue that much of the scientific controversy surrounding the first recognized Neanderthal centred on questions of methodology and practice, and will demonstrate this through an exploration of the tools and approaches naturalists utilized in their examinations of the fossils. This will contribute to a growing historical recognition of the complex exchange between disciplines including geology, archaeology and comparative anatomy in the early study of fossil hominins, and provide a future framework for histories of Neanderthal debates in the twentieth century.}, }
@article {pmid27708712, year = {2016}, author = {Stankiewicz, P}, title = {One pedigree we all may have come from - did Adam and Eve have the chromosome 2 fusion?.}, journal = {Molecular cytogenetics}, volume = {9}, number = {}, pages = {72}, pmid = {27708712}, issn = {1755-8166}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: In contrast to Great Apes, who have 48 chromosomes, modern humans and likely Neandertals and Denisovans have and had, respectively, 46 chromosomes. The reduction in chromosome number was caused by the head-to-head fusion of two ancestral chromosomes to form human chromosome 2 (HSA2) and may have contributed to the reproductive barrier with Great Apes.<br><br>RESULTS: Next generation sequencing and molecular clock analyses estimated that this fusion arose prior to our last common ancestor with Neandertal and Denisovan hominins&#x2009;~&#x2009;0.74 - 4.5 million years ago.<br><br>HYPOTHESES: I propose that, unlike recurrent Robertsonian translocations in humans, the HSA2 fusion was a single nonrecurrent event that spread through a small polygamous clan population bottleneck. Its heterozygous to homozygous conversion, fixation, and accumulation in the succeeding populations was likely facilitated by an evolutionary advantage through the genomic loss rather than deregulation of expression of the gene(s) flanking the HSA2 fusion site at 2q13.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The origin of HSA2 might have been a critical evolutionary event influencing higher cognitive functions in various early subspecies of hominins. Next generation sequencing of Homo heidelbergensis and Homo erectus genomes and complete reconstruction of DNA sequence of the orthologous subtelomeric chromosomes in Great Apes should enable more precise timing of HSA2 formation and better understanding of its evolutionary consequences.}, }
@article {pmid27704536, year = {2017}, author = {Arnaud, J and Benazzi, S and Romandini, M and Livraghi, A and Panetta, D and Salvadori, PA and Volpe, L and Peresani, M}, title = {A Neanderthal deciduous human molar with incipient carious infection from the Middle Palaeolithic De Nadale cave, Italy.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {162}, number = {2}, pages = {370-376}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23111}, pmid = {27704536}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Caves ; Dental Caries/*pathology ; Fossils ; Italy ; Molar/*pathology ; *Neanderthals ; Paleodontology ; Tooth, Deciduous/*pathology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is the assessment of Nadale 1, a Neanderthal deciduous tooth recently discovered in Northeastern Italy in the De Nadale cave (Middle Palaeolithic). Together with the clear archaeological context of the site, this study brings new insight on Neanderthal behavior and dental morphological variability.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used microCT data to provide a morphological description and morphometric analysis (diameter measurements and dental tissue volumes) of the Nadale 1 human tooth. Microwear analysis, taphonomical investigation and caries identification were performed using a stereomicroscope and Scanning Electron Microscope.<br><br>RESULTS: In terms of morphology (i.e., incipient tuberculum molare, marked mesial marginal ridge and well-developed mid-trigonid crest connecting the protoconid and the metaconid, deep anterior fovea) and size, Nadale 1 presents features frequently observed in Neanderthal lower first deciduous molars. Microscope investigations reveal the presence of a small pit which could be correlated to an incipient caries.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Nadale 1 expands the Italian Middle Palaeolithic fossil record and provides further information on Neanderthal dm1s in terms of dimensional and morphological variability. Furthermore, the presence of an incipient caries brings further data on Neanderthal diet.}, }
@article {pmid27695917, year = {2017}, author = {Yasukochi, Y and Ohashi, J}, title = {Elucidating the origin of HLA-B*73 allelic lineage: Did modern humans benefit by archaic introgression?.}, journal = {Immunogenetics}, volume = {69}, number = {1}, pages = {63-67}, pmid = {27695917}, issn = {1432-1211}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Black People/genetics ; Europe ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genome, Human ; HLA-B Antigens/*genetics ; Haplotypes/*genetics ; Hominidae/classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {A previous study reported that some of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and haplotypes in present-day humans were acquired by admixture with archaic humans; specifically, an exceptionally diverged HLA-B*73 allele was proposed to be transmitted from Denisovans, although the DNA sequence of HLA-B*73 has not been detected in the Denisovan genome. Here, we argue against the hypothesis that HLA-B*73 introgressed from Denisovans into early modern humans. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that HLA-B*73:01 formed a monophyletic group with a chimpanzee MHC-B allele, strongly suggesting that the HLA-B*73 allelic lineage has been maintained in humans as well as in chimpanzees since the divergence of humans and chimpanzees. The global distribution of HLA-B*73 allele showed that the population frequency of HLA-B*73 in west Asia (0.24 %)-a possible site of admixture with Denisovans-is lower than that in Europe (0.72 %) and in south Asia (0.69 %). Furthermore, HLA-B*73 is not observed in Melanesia even though the Melanesian genome contains the highest proportion of Denisovan ancestry in present-day human populations. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in HLA-A*11-HLA-C*12:02 or HLA-A*11-C*15 haplotypes, one of which was assumed to be transmitted together with HLA-B*73 from Denisovans by the study of Abi-Rached and colleagues, were not differentiated from those in other HLA-A-C haplotypes in modern humans. These results do not support the introgression hypothesis. Thus, we conclude that it is highly likely that HLA-B*73 allelic lineage has been maintained in the direct ancestors of modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid27671643, year = {2016}, author = {Stoessel, A and David, R and Gunz, P and Schmidt, T and Spoor, F and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Morphology and function of Neandertal and modern human ear ossicles.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {113}, number = {41}, pages = {11489-11494}, pmid = {27671643}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Ear Ossicles/*anatomy &amp; histology/*pathology ; Ear, Middle/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Principal Component Analysis ; }, abstract = {The diminutive middle ear ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes) housed in the tympanic cavity of the temporal bone play an important role in audition. The few known ossicles of Neandertals are distinctly different from those of anatomically modern humans (AMHs), despite the close relationship between both human species. Although not mutually exclusive, these differences may affect hearing capacity or could reflect covariation with the surrounding temporal bone. Until now, detailed comparisons were hampered by the small sample of Neandertal ossicles and the unavailability of methods combining analyses of ossicles with surrounding structures. Here, we present an analysis of the largest sample of Neandertal ossicles to date, including many previously unknown specimens, covering a wide geographic and temporal range. Microcomputed tomography scans and 3D geometric morphometrics were used to quantify shape and functional properties of the ossicles and the tympanic cavity and make comparisons with recent and extinct AMHs as well as African apes. We find striking morphological differences between ossicles of AMHs and Neandertals. Ossicles of both Neandertals and AMHs appear derived compared with the inferred ancestral morphology, albeit in different ways. Brain size increase evolved separately in AMHs and Neandertals, leading to differences in the tympanic cavity and, consequently, the shape and spatial configuration of the ossicles. Despite these different evolutionary trajectories, functional properties of the middle ear of AMHs and Neandertals are largely similar. The relevance of these functionally equivalent solutions is likely to conserve a similar auditory sensitivity level inherited from their last common ancestor.}, }
@article {pmid27662059, year = {2016}, author = {Wall, JD and Yoshihara Caldeira Brandt, D}, title = {Archaic admixture in human history.}, journal = {Current opinion in genetics &amp; development}, volume = {41}, number = {}, pages = {93-97}, doi = {10.1016/j.gde.2016.07.002}, pmid = {27662059}, issn = {1879-0380}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; Genetics, Population/*history ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Modern humans evolved in Southern or Eastern Africa, and spread from there across the rest of the world. As they expanded across Africa and Eurasia, they encountered other hominin groups. The extent to which modern and 'archaic' human groups interbred is an area of active research, and while we know that modern humans interbred with Neanderthals and Denisovans, there is not yet agreement on how many admixture events there were or on how much Neanderthal or Denisovan DNA can be found in contemporary genomes. Here we review what is known about archaic admixture in human history, with a focus on what has been discovered in the past 2 years.}, }
@article {pmid27655273, year = {2016}, author = {Aarts, JM and Alink, GM and Scherjon, F and MacDonald, K and Smith, AC and Nijveen, H and Roebroeks, W}, title = {Fire Usage and Ancient Hominin Detoxification Genes: Protective Ancestral Variants Dominate While Additional Derived Risk Variants Appear in Modern Humans.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {11}, number = {9}, pages = {e0161102}, pmid = {27655273}, issn = {1932-6203}, abstract = {Studies of the defence capacity of ancient hominins against toxic substances may contribute importantly to the reconstruction of their niche, including their diets and use of fire. Fire usage implies frequent exposure to hazardous compounds from smoke and heated food, known to affect general health and fertility, probably resulting in genetic selection for improved detoxification. To investigate whether such genetic selection occurred, we investigated the alleles in Neanderthals, Denisovans and modern humans at gene polymorphisms well-known to be relevant from modern human epidemiological studies of habitual tobacco smoke exposure and mechanistic evidence. We compared these with the alleles in chimpanzees and gorillas. Neanderthal and Denisovan hominins predominantly possess gene variants conferring increased resistance to these toxic compounds. Surprisingly, we observed the same in chimpanzees and gorillas, implying that less efficient variants are derived and mainly evolved in modern humans. Less efficient variants are observable from the first early Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers onwards. While not clarifying the deep history of fire use, our results highlight the long-term stability of the genes under consideration despite major changes in the hominin dietary niche. Specifically for detoxification gene variants characterised as deleterious by epidemiological studies, our results confirm the predominantly recent appearance reported for deleterious human gene variants, suggesting substantial impact of recent human population history, including pre-Holocene expansions.}, }
@article {pmid27652578, year = {2017}, author = {Condemi, S and Monge, J and Quertelet, S and Frayer, DW and Combier, J}, title = {Vergisson 4: a left-handed Neandertal.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {162}, number = {1}, pages = {186-190}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.23101}, pmid = {27652578}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Fossils ; France ; Functional Laterality/*physiology ; Incisor/*pathology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Handedness is an important marker for lateralization of humans in the modern and fossil record. For the most part, Neandertals and their ancestors are strongly right-handed. We describe a single tooth from a Neandertal level at Vergisson 4 (Vg 4-83). This left upper central incisor shows all the features typical of Neandertal incisors. It also exhibits a predominance of left-handed striations.<br><br>METHODS: Striations on the incisor's labial surface were mapped at 20x magnification using Photoshop. Angulations of the striations were determined from their deviation from the maximum mesio-distal line and were analyzed using NIH's freeware, Image J.<br><br>RESULTS: Of the 60 labial surface striations, Vg 4-83 shows a strong predominance of left-handed striations (46; 76.7%), which are statistically significantly different (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;.001 with a two-tailed chi[2] test) from the small number (3) of right-handed striations.<br><br>DISCUSSION: The identification of another left-handed Neandertal adds to our understanding about handedness variation in this fossil hominin. Given the high frequency of right-handed Neandertals, the 90: 10 modern ratio is still preserved in this group.}, }
@article {pmid27638212, year = {2016}, author = {Welker, F and Hajdinjak, M and Talamo, S and Jaouen, K and Dannemann, M and David, F and Julien, M and Meyer, M and Kelso, J and Barnes, I and Brace, S and Kamminga, P and Fischer, R and Kessler, BM and Stewart, JR and Pääbo, S and Collins, MJ and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Palaeoproteomic evidence identifies archaic hominins associated with the Châtelperronian at the Grotte du Renne.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {113}, number = {40}, pages = {11162-11167}, pmid = {27638212}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Archaeology ; Bayes Theorem ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Carbon Isotopes ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Collagen Type X ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; France ; Hominidae/*metabolism ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; Proteomics/*methods ; Radiometric Dating ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; }, abstract = {In Western Europe, the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition is associated with the disappearance of Neandertals and the spread of anatomically modern humans (AMHs). Current chronological, behavioral, and biological models of this transitional period hinge on the Châtelperronian technocomplex. At the site of the Grotte du Renne, Arcy-sur-Cure, morphological Neandertal specimens are not directly dated but are contextually associated with the Châtelperronian, which contains bone points and beads. The association between Neandertals and this "transitional" assemblage has been controversial because of the lack either of a direct hominin radiocarbon date or of molecular confirmation of the Neandertal affiliation. Here we provide further evidence for a Neandertal-Châtelperronian association at the Grotte du Renne through biomolecular and chronological analysis. We identified 28 additional hominin specimens through zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS) screening of morphologically uninformative bone specimens from Châtelperronian layers at the Grotte du Renne. Next, we obtain an ancient hominin bone proteome through liquid chromatography-MS/MS analysis and error-tolerant amino acid sequence analysis. Analysis of this palaeoproteome allows us to provide phylogenetic and physiological information on these ancient hominin specimens. We distinguish Late Pleistocene clades within the genus Homo based on ancient protein evidence through the identification of an archaic-derived amino acid sequence for the collagen type X, alpha-1 (COL10α1) protein. We support this by obtaining ancient mtDNA sequences, which indicate a Neandertal ancestry for these specimens. Direct accelerator mass spectometry radiocarbon dating and Bayesian modeling confirm that the hominin specimens date to the Châtelperronian at the Grotte du Renne.}, }
@article {pmid27606907, year = {2016}, author = {Slatkin, M}, title = {Statistical methods for analyzing ancient DNA from hominins.}, journal = {Current opinion in genetics &amp; development}, volume = {41}, number = {}, pages = {72-76}, pmid = {27606907}, issn = {1879-0380}, support = {R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Fossils ; Genetics, Population/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Genome/genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {In the past few years, the number of autosomal DNA sequences from human fossils has grown explosively and numerous partial or complete sequences are available from our closest relatives, Neanderthal and Denisovans. I review commonly used statistical methods applied to these sequences. These methods fall into three broad classes: methods for estimating levels of contamination, descriptive methods, and methods based on population genetic models. The latter two classes are largely methods developed for the analysis of present-day genomic data. When they are applied to ancient DNA (aDNA), they usually ignore the time dimension. A few methods, particularly those concerned with inferring something about selection or ancestor-descendant relationships, take explicit account of the ages of aDNA samples.}, }
@article {pmid27569548, year = {2016}, author = {Lu, D and Lou, H and Yuan, K and Wang, X and Wang, Y and Zhang, C and Lu, Y and Yang, X and Deng, L and Zhou, Y and Feng, Q and Hu, Y and Ding, Q and Yang, Y and Li, S and Jin, L and Guan, Y and Su, B and Kang, L and Xu, S}, title = {Ancestral Origins and Genetic History of Tibetan Highlanders.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {99}, number = {3}, pages = {580-594}, pmid = {27569548}, issn = {1537-6605}, support = {K99 AA021802/AA/NIAAA NIH HHS/United States ; R00 AA021802/AA/NIAAA NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Altitude ; Animals ; Asian People/*genetics ; China/ethnology ; Ethnicity/genetics ; Gene Flow/*genetics ; Gene Pool ; Genetics, Population ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; Haplotypes/genetics ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Oceania/ethnology ; *Phylogeny ; Selection, Genetic ; Tibet ; }, abstract = {The origin of Tibetans remains one of the most contentious puzzles in history, anthropology, and genetics. Analyses of deeply sequenced (30×-60×) genomes of 38 Tibetan highlanders and 39 Han Chinese lowlanders, together with available data on archaic and modern humans, allow us to comprehensively characterize the ancestral makeup of Tibetans and uncover their origins. Non-modern human sequences compose ∼6% of the Tibetan gene pool and form unique haplotypes in some genomic regions, where Denisovan-like, Neanderthal-like, ancient-Siberian-like, and unknown ancestries are entangled and elevated. The shared ancestry of Tibetan-enriched sequences dates back to ∼62,000-38,000 years ago, predating the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and representing early colonization of the plateau. Nonetheless, most of the Tibetan gene pool is of modern human origin and diverged from that of Han Chinese ∼15,000 to ∼9,000 years ago, which can be largely attributed to post-LGM arrivals. Analysis of ∼200 contemporary populations showed that Tibetans share ancestry with populations from East Asia (∼82%), Central Asia and Siberia (∼11%), South Asia (∼6%), and western Eurasia and Oceania (∼1%). Our results support that Tibetans arose from a mixture of multiple ancestral gene pools but that their origins are much more complicated and ancient than previously suspected. We provide compelling evidence of the co-existence of Paleolithic and Neolithic ancestries in the Tibetan gene pool, indicating a genetic continuity between pre-historical highland-foragers and present-day Tibetans. In particular, highly differentiated sequences harbored in highlanders' genomes were most likely inherited from pre-LGM settlers of multiple ancestral origins (SUNDer) and maintained in high frequency by natural selection.}, }
@article {pmid27558013, year = {2016}, author = {Ashouri, E and Norman, PJ and Guethlein, LA and Han, AS and Nemat-Gorgani, N and Norberg, SJ and Ghaderi, A and Parham, P}, title = {HLA class I variation in Iranian Lur and Kurd populations: high haplotype and allotype diversity with an abundance of KIR ligands.}, journal = {HLA}, volume = {88}, number = {3}, pages = {87-99}, pmid = {27558013}, issn = {2059-2310}, support = {R01 AI017892/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; T32 GM007790/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Databases, Genetic ; Epitopes/chemistry/immunology ; *Ethnicity ; Gene Expression ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; HLA-A Antigens/classification/*genetics/immunology ; HLA-B Antigens/classification/*genetics/immunology ; HLA-C Antigens/classification/*genetics/immunology ; Haplotypes ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Iran ; Ligands ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptors, KIR/classification/*genetics/immunology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Terminology as Topic ; }, abstract = {HLA-A, -B and -C alleles of 285 individuals, representing three Iranian Lur populations and one Iranian Kurd population were sequenced completely, yielding human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I genotypes at high resolution and filling four fields of the official HLA nomenclature. Each population has 87-99 alleles, evenly distributed between the three HLA class I genes, 145 alleles being identified in total. These alleles were already known, named and deposited in the HLA database. The alleles form 316 different HLA A-B-C haplotypes, with each population having between 80 and 112 haplotypes. The four Iranian populations form a related group that is distinguished from other populations, including other Iranians. All four KIR ligands - the A3/11, Bw4, C1 and C2 epitopes - are well represented, particularly Bw4, which is carried by three high-frequency allotypes: HLA-A*24:02, HLA-A*32:01 and HLA-B*51:01. In the Lur and Kurd populations, between 82% and 94% of individuals have the Bw4 epitope, the ligand for KIR3DL1. HLA-B*51:01 is likely of Neandertal origin and associated with Behcet's disease, also known as the Silk Road disease. The Lordegan Lur have the highest frequency of HLA-B*51:01 in the world. This allele is present on 46 Lur and Kurd haplotypes. Present at lower frequency is HLA-B*51:08, which is also associated with Behcet's disease. In the four Iranian populations, 31 haplotypes encode both Bw4(+) HLA-A and Bw4(+) HLA-B, a dual combination of Bw4 epitopes that is relatively rare in other populations, worldwide. This study both demonstrates and emphasizes the value of studying HLA class I polymorphism at highest resolution in anthropologically well-defined populations.}, }
@article {pmid27517578, year = {2016}, author = {Caldararo, N}, title = {Denisovans, Melanesians, Europeans, and Neandertals: The Confusion of DNA Assumptions and the Biological Species Concept.}, journal = {Journal of molecular evolution}, volume = {83}, number = {1-2}, pages = {78-87}, pmid = {27517578}, issn = {1432-1432}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; DNA/genetics ; DNA, Ancient/*analysis ; Fossils ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Sequence Alignment/methods ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods ; }, abstract = {A number of recent articles have appeared on the Denisova fossil remains and attempts to produce DNA sequences from them. One of these recently appeared in Science by Vernot et al. (Science 352:235-239, 2016). We would like to advance an alternative interpretation of the data presented. One concerns the problem of contamination/degradation of the determined DNA sequenced. Just as the publication of the first Neandertal sequence included an interpretation that argued that Neandertals had not contributed any genes to modern humans, the Denisovan interpretation has considerable influence on ideas regarding human evolution. The new papers, however, confuse established ideas concerning the nature of species, as well as the use of terms like premodern, Archaic Homo, and Homo heidelbergensis. Examination of these problems presents a solution by means of reinterpreting the results. Given the claims for gene transfer among a number of Mid Pleistocene hominids, it may be time to reexamine the idea of anagenesis in hominid evolution.}, }
@article {pmid27486223, year = {2016}, author = {Hubbard, TD and Murray, IA and Bisson, WH and Sullivan, AP and Sebastian, A and Perry, GH and Jablonski, NG and Perdew, GH}, title = {Divergent Ah Receptor Ligand Selectivity during Hominin Evolution.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {33}, number = {10}, pages = {2648-2658}, pmid = {27486223}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {R01 ES004869/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 ES019964/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/genetics ; Benzo(a)pyrene ; Biological Evolution ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1/genetics ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1B1/genetics ; DNA/metabolism ; Evolution, Molecular ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Ligands ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/metabolism ; Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon/*genetics ; }, abstract = {We have identified a fixed nonsynonymous sequence difference between humans (Val381; derived variant) and Neandertals (Ala381; ancestral variant) in the ligand-binding domain of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) gene. In an exome sequence analysis of four Neandertal and Denisovan individuals compared with nine modern humans, there are only 90 total nucleotide sites genome-wide for which archaic hominins are fixed for the ancestral nonsynonymous variant and the modern humans are fixed for the derived variant. Of those sites, only 27, including Val381 in the AHR, also have no reported variability in the human dbSNP database, further suggesting that this highly conserved functional variant is a rare event. Functional analysis of the amino acid variant Ala381 within the AHR carried by Neandertals and nonhuman primates indicate enhanced polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) binding, DNA binding capacity, and AHR mediated transcriptional activity compared with the human AHR. Also relative to human AHR, the Neandertal AHR exhibited 150-1000 times greater sensitivity to induction of Cyp1a1 and Cyp1b1 expression by PAHs (e.g., benzo(a)pyrene). The resulting CYP1A1/CYP1B1 enzymes are responsible for PAH first pass metabolism, which can result in the generation of toxic intermediates and perhaps AHR-associated toxicities. In contrast, the human AHR retains the ancestral sensitivity observed in primates to nontoxic endogenous AHR ligands (e.g., indole, indoxyl sulfate). Our findings reveal that a functionally significant change in the AHR occurred uniquely in humans, relative to other primates, that would attenuate the response to many environmental pollutants, including chemicals present in smoke from fire use during cooking.}, }
@article {pmid27463216, year = {2016}, author = {Taylor, JS and Reimchen, TE}, title = {Opsin gene repertoires in northern archaic hominids.}, journal = {Genome}, volume = {59}, number = {8}, pages = {541-549}, doi = {10.1139/gen-2015-0164}, pmid = {27463216}, issn = {1480-3321}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Base Sequence ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2/genetics ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Opsins/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Vision, Ocular/genetics ; }, abstract = {The Neanderthals' northern distribution, hunting techniques, and orbit breadths suggest that they were more active in dim light than modern humans. We surveyed visual opsin genes from four Neanderthals and two other archaic hominids to see if they provided additional support for this hypothesis. This analysis was motivated by the observation that alleles responsible for anomalous trichromacy in humans are more common in northern latitudes, by data suggesting that these variants might enhance vision in mesopic conditions, and by the observation that dim light active species often have fewer opsin genes than diurnal relatives. We also looked for evidence of convergent amino acid substitutions in Neanderthal opsins and orthologs from crepuscular or nocturnal species. The Altai Neanderthal, the Denisovan, and the Ust'-Ishim early modern human had opsin genes that encoded proteins identical to orthologs in the human reference genome. Opsins from the Vindija Cave Neanderthals (three females) had many nonsynonymous substitutions, including several predicted to influence colour vision (e.g., stop codons). However, the functional implications of these observations were difficult to assess, given that "control" loci, where no substitutions were expected, differed from humans to the same extent. This left unresolved the test for colour vision deficiencies in Vindija Cave Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid27459054, year = {2016}, author = {Lazaridis, I and Nadel, D and Rollefson, G and Merrett, DC and Rohland, N and Mallick, S and Fernandes, D and Novak, M and Gamarra, B and Sirak, K and Connell, S and Stewardson, K and Harney, E and Fu, Q and Gonzalez-Fortes, G and Jones, ER and Roodenberg, SA and Lengyel, G and Bocquentin, F and Gasparian, B and Monge, JM and Gregg, M and Eshed, V and Mizrahi, AS and Meiklejohn, C and Gerritsen, F and Bejenaru, L and Blüher, M and Campbell, A and Cavalleri, G and Comas, D and Froguel, P and Gilbert, E and Kerr, SM and Kovacs, P and Krause, J and McGettigan, D and Merrigan, M and Merriwether, DA and O'Reilly, S and Richards, MB and Semino, O and Shamoon-Pour, M and Stefanescu, G and Stumvoll, M and Tönjes, A and Torroni, A and Wilson, JF and Yengo, L and Hovhannisyan, NA and Patterson, N and Pinhasi, R and Reich, D}, title = {Genomic insights into the origin of farming in the ancient Near East.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {536}, number = {7617}, pages = {419-424}, pmid = {27459054}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; CZD/16/6//Chief Scientist Office/United Kingdom ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; CZD/16/6/4/CSO_/Chief Scientist Office/United Kingdom ; 263441/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; MC_PC_U127561128/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Africa, Eastern ; Agriculture/*history ; Animals ; Armenia ; Asia ; DNA/analysis ; Europe ; *Genomics ; History, Ancient ; Human Migration/*history ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic/genetics ; Iran ; Israel ; Jordan ; Neanderthals/genetics ; *Phylogeny ; Phylogeography ; Racial Groups/*genetics ; Turkey ; }, abstract = {We report genome-wide ancient DNA from 44 ancient Near Easterners ranging in time between ~12,000 and 1,400 bc, from Natufian hunter-gatherers to Bronze Age farmers. We show that the earliest populations of the Near East derived around half their ancestry from a 'Basal Eurasian' lineage that had little if any Neanderthal admixture and that separated from other non-African lineages before their separation from each other. The first farmers of the southern Levant (Israel and Jordan) and Zagros Mountains (Iran) were strongly genetically differentiated, and each descended from local hunter-gatherers. By the time of the Bronze Age, these two populations and Anatolian-related farmers had mixed with each other and with the hunter-gatherers of Europe to greatly reduce genetic differentiation. The impact of the Near Eastern farmers extended beyond the Near East: farmers related to those of Anatolia spread westward into Europe; farmers related to those of the Levant spread southward into East Africa; farmers related to those of Iran spread northward into the Eurasian steppe; and people related to both the early farmers of Iran and to the pastoralists of the Eurasian steppe spread eastward into South Asia.}, }
@article {pmid27458909, year = {2016}, author = {Ponce de León, MS and Bienvenu, T and Akazawa, T and Zollikofer, CP}, title = {Brain development is similar in Neanderthals and modern humans.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {26}, number = {14}, pages = {R665-6}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2016.06.022}, pmid = {27458909}, issn = {1879-0445}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Brain/anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {While the braincase of adult Neanderthals had a similar volume to that of modern humans from the same period, differences in endocranial shape suggest that brain morphology differed between modern humans and Neanderthals. When and how these differences arose during evolution and development is a topic of ongoing research, with potential implications for species-specific differences in brain and cognitive development, and in life history [1,2]. Earlier research suggested that Neanderthals followed an ancestral mode of brain development, similar to that of our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees [2-4]. Modern humans, by contrast, were suggested to follow a uniquely derived mode of brain development just after birth, giving rise to the characteristically globular shape of the adult human brain case [2,4,5]. Here, we re-examine this hypothesis using an extended sample of Neanderthal infants. We document endocranial development during the decisive first two years of postnatal life. The new data indicate that Neanderthals followed largely similar modes of endocranial development to modern humans. These findings challenge the notion that human brain and cognitive development after birth is uniquely derived [2,4].}, }
@article {pmid27429943, year = {2016}, author = {Ko, KH}, title = {Hominin interbreeding and the evolution of human variation.}, journal = {Journal of biological research (Thessalonike, Greece)}, volume = {23}, number = {}, pages = {17}, pmid = {27429943}, issn = {1790-045X}, abstract = {Mitochondrial Eve confirms the "out of Africa" theory, but the evidence also supports interbreeding between Homo sapiens and other hominins: Neanderthals, Denisovans, and Homo heidelbergensis. This article explains how interbreeding between early H. sapiens and archaic hominins occurred. The availability of edible insects in East Asia aided the spread of the unaggressive, highly cooperative Neanderthals, who interbred with H. sapiens in Asia, resulting in a higher admixture of Neanderthal DNA in East Asian populations. Geographical variation in degree of interbreeding between H. sapiens and Neanderthals likely contributed to neurological and behavioral differences in modern humans. Similarly, people with Denisovan genetic admixture were better able to dwell in mountainous regions, allowing their genetic legacy to cross the Himalayas and persist in Southeast Asian and Oceanian H. sapiens. In the Sub-Saharan region, unaffected by Denisovan or Neanderthal interbreeding, H. sapiens interbred with H. heidelbergensis, because high humidity militated against fire-making and allowed the survival of these non-fire-making hominins.}, }
@article {pmid27423248, year = {2017}, author = {Miga, KH}, title = {Chromosome-Specific Centromere Sequences Provide an Estimate of the Ancestral Chromosome 2 Fusion Event in Hominin Genomes.}, journal = {The Journal of heredity}, volume = {108}, number = {1}, pages = {45-52}, doi = {10.1093/jhered/esw039}, pmid = {27423248}, issn = {1465-7333}, mesh = {Animals ; *Centromere ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2 ; *Chromosomes, Mammalian ; DNA, Satellite ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genome ; Genomics/methods ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; }, abstract = {Human chromosome 2 is a product of a telomere fusion of two ancestral chromosomes and loss/degeneration of one of the two original centromeres. Genomic signatures of this event are limited to inverted telomeric repeats at the precise site of chromosomal fusion and to the small amount of relic centromeric sequences that remain on 2q21.2. Unlike the site of fusion, which is enriched for sequences that are shared elsewhere in the human genome, the region of the nonfunctioning and degenerate ancestral centromere appears to share limited similarity with other sites in the human genome, thereby providing an opportunity to study this genomic arrangement in short, fragmented ancient DNA genomic datasets. Here, chromosome-assigned satellite DNAs are used to study shared centromere sequence organization in Denisovan and Neandertal genomes. By doing so, one is able to provide evidence for the presence of both active and degenerate centromeric satellite profiles on chromosome 2 in these archaic genomes, supporting the hypothesis that the chromosomal fusion event took place prior to our last common ancestor with Denisovan and Neandertal hominins and presenting a genomic reference for predicting karyotype in ancient genomic datasets.}, }
@article {pmid27389305, year = {2016}, author = {Talamo, S and Hajdinjak, M and Mannino, MA and Fasani, L and Welker, F and Martini, F and Romagnoli, F and Zorzin, R and Meyer, M and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Direct radiocarbon dating and genetic analyses on the purported Neanderthal mandible from the Monti Lessini (Italy).}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {6}, number = {}, pages = {29144}, pmid = {27389305}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Ancient/*isolation &amp; purification ; *Fossils ; Genetic Testing ; Humans ; Italy ; Mandible/chemistry ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; *Radiometric Dating ; Skull/chemistry ; }, abstract = {Anatomically modern humans replaced Neanderthals in Europe around 40,000 years ago. The demise of the Neanderthals and the nature of the possible relationship with anatomically modern humans has captured our imagination and stimulated research for more than a century now. Recent chronological studies suggest a possible overlap between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans of more than 5,000 years. Analyses of ancient genome sequences from both groups have shown that they interbred multiple times, including in Europe. A potential place of interbreeding is the notable Palaeolithic site of Riparo Mezzena in Northern Italy. In order to improve our understanding of prehistoric occupation at Mezzena, we analysed the human mandible and several cranial fragments from the site using radiocarbon dating, ancient DNA, ZooMS and isotope analyses. We also performed a more detailed investigation of the lithic assemblage of layer I. Surprisingly we found that the Riparo Mezzena mandible is not from a Neanderthal but belonged to an anatomically modern human. Furthermore, we found no evidence for the presence of Neanderthal remains among 11 of the 13 cranial and post-cranial fragments re-investigated in this study.}, }
@article {pmid27381450, year = {2016}, author = {Rougier, H and Crevecoeur, I and Beauval, C and Posth, C and Flas, D and Wißing, C and Furtwängler, A and Germonpré, M and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Semal, P and van der Plicht, J and Bocherens, H and Krause, J}, title = {Neandertal cannibalism and Neandertal bones used as tools in Northern Europe.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {6}, number = {}, pages = {29005}, pmid = {27381450}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Belgium ; *Bone and Bones ; *Cannibalism ; Fossils ; Mortuary Practice ; Neanderthals/genetics/*psychology ; Radiometric Dating ; }, abstract = {Almost 150 years after the first identification of Neandertal skeletal material, the cognitive and symbolic abilities of these populations remain a subject of intense debate. We present 99 new Neandertal remains from the Troisième caverne of Goyet (Belgium) dated to 40,500-45,500 calBP. The remains were identified through a multidisciplinary study that combines morphometrics, taphonomy, stable isotopes, radiocarbon dating and genetic analyses. The Goyet Neandertal bones show distinctive anthropogenic modifications, which provides clear evidence for butchery activities as well as four bones having been used for retouching stone tools. In addition to being the first site to have yielded multiple Neandertal bones used as retouchers, Goyet not only provides the first unambiguous evidence of Neandertal cannibalism in Northern Europe, but also highlights considerable diversity in mortuary behaviour among the region's late Neandertal population in the period immediately preceding their disappearance.}, }
@article {pmid27343769, year = {2016}, author = {Hodgkins, J and Marean, CW and Turq, A and Sandgathe, D and McPherron, SJ and Dibble, H}, title = {Climate-mediated shifts in Neandertal subsistence behaviors at Pech de l'Azé IV and Roc de Marsal (Dordogne Valley, France).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {96}, number = {}, pages = {1-18}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.03.009}, pmid = {27343769}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Bone and Bones ; *Climate ; Deer ; *Diet ; *Feeding Behavior ; France ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Reindeer ; }, abstract = {Neandertals disappeared from Europe just after 40,000 years ago. Some hypotheses ascribe this to numerous population crashes associated with glacial cycles in the late Pleistocene. The goal of this paper is to test the hypothesis that glacial periods stressed Neandertal populations. If cold climates stressed Neandertals, their subsistence behaviors may have changed-requiring intensified use of prey through more extensive nutrient extraction from faunal carcasses. To test this, an analysis of Neandertal butchering was conducted on medium sized bovid/cervid remains composed of predominately red deer (Cervus elaphus), reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), and roe deer (Capreolus caprelous) deposited during global warm and cold phases from two French sites: Pech de l'Azé IV (Pech IV, Bordes' excavation) and Roc de Marsal (RDM). Analysis of surface modification on high survival long bones and proximal and middle phalanges demonstrates that skeletal elements excavated from the cold levels (RDM Level 4, Pech IV Level I2) at each cave have more cut marks and percussion marks than elements from the warm levels (RDM Level 9, Pech IV Level Y-Z) after controlling for fragment size. At both sites, epiphyseal fragments are rare, and although this pattern can result from carnivore consumption, carnivore tooth marks are almost nonexistent (<0.1%). Alternatively, processing epiphyseal ends for bone grease may have been a Neandertal survival strategy, and epiphyses were more intensively percussed in cold levels than in warm levels at both RDM and Pech IV. The exploitation of low marrow yield elements such as phalanges does not show a consistent pattern relating to climate, but may have been a general Neandertal behavioral characteristic, suggesting that these hominids were regularly on the edge of sufficient nutrient availability even during interglacials. Overall, the faunal assemblages from Roc de Marsal and Pech IV provide some support for the hypothesis that Neandertals were processing faunal remains more heavily during glacial periods, suggesting a response to increased nutritional stress during colder time periods.}, }
@article {pmid27312183, year = {2016}, author = {Churchill, SE and Walker, CS and Schwartz, AM}, title = {Home-range size in large-bodied carnivores as a model for predicting neandertal territory size.}, journal = {Evolutionary anthropology}, volume = {25}, number = {3}, pages = {117-123}, doi = {10.1002/evan.21483}, pmid = {27312183}, issn = {1520-6505}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; History, Ancient ; Homing Behavior/*physiology ; Models, Biological ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Wolves/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Adult human foragers expend roughly 30-60 kcal per km in unburdened walking at optimal speeds.(1,2) In the context of foraging rounds and residential moves, they may routinely travel distances of 50-70 km per week, often while carrying loads.(3) Movement on the landscape, then, is arguably the single most expensive item in the activity budgets of hunter-gatherers. Mobility costs may have been greater still for Neandertals. They had stocky, short-limbed physiques that were energetically costly to move(4) and lived in relatively unproductive Pleistocene environments(5) that may have required greater movement to deal with problems of biodepletion and resource patchiness.(6) But just how mobile were the Neandertals?}, }
@article {pmid27274045, year = {2016}, author = {Slatkin, M and Racimo, F}, title = {Ancient DNA and human history.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {113}, number = {23}, pages = {6380-6387}, pmid = {27274045}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; DNA Contamination ; *DNA, Ancient ; Fossils ; Genome ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; }, abstract = {We review studies of genomic data obtained by sequencing hominin fossils with particular emphasis on the unique information that ancient DNA (aDNA) can provide about the demographic history of humans and our closest relatives. We concentrate on nuclear genomic sequences that have been published in the past few years. In many cases, particularly in the Arctic, the Americas, and Europe, aDNA has revealed historical demographic patterns in a way that could not be resolved by analyzing present-day genomes alone. Ancient DNA from archaic hominins has revealed a rich history of admixture between early modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans, and has allowed us to disentangle complex selective processes. Information from aDNA studies is nowhere near saturation, and we believe that future aDNA sequences will continue to change our understanding of hominin history.}, }
@article {pmid27260176, year = {2016}, author = {Jacobs, Z and Jankowski, NR and Dibble, HL and Goldberg, P and McPherron, SJ and Sandgathe, D and Soressi, M}, title = {The age of three Middle Palaeolithic sites: Single-grain optically stimulated luminescence chronologies for Pech de l'Azé I, II and IV in France.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {95}, number = {}, pages = {80-103}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.03.010}, pmid = {27260176}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; France ; Geologic Sediments/*analysis ; *Luminescent Measurements ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) measurements were made on individual, sand-sized grains of quartz from Middle Palaeolithic deposits at three sites (Pech de l'Azé I, II and IV) located close to one another in the Dordogne region of southwest France. We were able to calculate OSL ages for 69 samples collected from these three sites. These ages reveal periods of occupation between about 180 and 50 thousand years ago. Our single-grain OSL chronologies largely support previous age estimates obtained by thermoluminescence dating of burnt flints at Pech IV, electron spin resonance dating of tooth enamel at Pech I, II and IV and radiocarbon dating of bone at Pech I and IV, but provide a more complete picture due to the ubiquitous presence of sand-sized quartz grains used in OSL dating. These complete chronologies for the three sites have allowed us to compare the single-grain ages for similar lithic assemblages among the three sites, to test the correlations among them previously proposed by Bordes in the 1970s, and to construct our own correlative chronological framework for the three sites. This shows that similar lithic assemblages occur at around the same time, and that where a lithic assemblage is unique to one or found at two of the Pech sites, there are no deposits of chronologically equivalent age at the other Pech site(s). We interpret this to mean that, at least for these Pech de l'Azé sites, the Mousterian variants show temporal ordering. Whether or not this conclusion applies to the wider region and beyond, the hypothesis that Mousterian industrial variation is temporally ordered cannot be refuted at this time.}, }
@article {pmid27260174, year = {2016}, author = {Rosas, A and Rodriguez-Perez, FJ and Bastir, M and Estalrrich, A and Huguet, R and García-Tabernero, A and Pastor, JF and de la Rasilla, M}, title = {Adult Neandertal clavicles from the El Sidrón site (Asturias, Spain) in the context of Homo pectoral girdle evolution.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {95}, number = {}, pages = {55-67}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.03.005}, pmid = {27260174}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Clavicle/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Phylogeny ; Shoulder/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {We undertook a three-dimensional geometric morphometric (3DGM) analysis on 12 new Neandertal clavicle specimens from the El Sidrón site (Spain), dated to 49,000 years ago. The 3DGM methods were applied in a comparative framework in order to improve our understanding of trait polarity in features related to Homo pectoral girdle evolution, using other Neandertals, Homo sapiens, Pan, ATD6-50 (Homo antecessor), and KNM-WT 15000 (Homo ergaster/erectus) in the reference collection. Twenty-nine homologous landmarks were measured for each clavicle. Variation and morphological similarities were assessed through principal component analysis, conducted separately for the complete clavicle and the diaphysis. On average, Neandertal clavicles had significantly larger muscular entheses, double dorsal curvature, clavicle torsion, and cranial orientation of the acromial end than non-Neandertal clavicles; the El Sidrón clavicles fit this pattern. Variation within the samples was large, with extensive overlap between Homo species; only chimpanzee specimens clearly differed from the other specimens in morphometric terms. Taken together, our morphometric analyses are consistent with the following phylogenetic sequence. The primitive condition of the clavicle is manifest in the cranial orientation of both the acromial and sternal ends. The derived condition expressed in the H. sapiens + Neandertal clade is defined by caudal rotation of both the sternal and acromial ends, but with variation in the number of acromia remaining in a certain cranial orientation. Finally, the autapomorphic Neandertal condition is defined by secondarily acquired primitive cranial re-orientation of the acromial end, which varies from individual to individual. These results suggest that the pace of phylogenetic change in the pectoral girdle does not seem to follow that of other postcranial skeletal features.}, }
@article {pmid27260172, year = {2016}, author = {Roussel, M and Soressi, M and Hublin, JJ}, title = {The Châtelperronian conundrum: Blade and bladelet lithic technologies from Quinçay, France.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {95}, number = {}, pages = {13-32}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.02.003}, pmid = {27260172}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Caves ; *Cultural Evolution ; France ; *Neanderthals ; Technology ; }, abstract = {The discovery of an almost complete Neanderthal skeleton in a Châtelperronian context at Saint-Césaire 35 years ago changed our perspective on the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic in western Europe. Since then, the Châtelperronian has generally been considered a "transitional" industry rather than an Upper or a Middle Paleolithic industry because of its chronological position, and the association of Neanderthal remains with blades, bone tools and personal ornaments. Several competing hypotheses have been proposed to explain the association between Neanderthals and these types of artefacts including post-depositional mixing, acculturation from anatomically modern human populations, or an independent technological evolution by local Neanderthal populations. Quinçay Cave is the only Châtelperronian site where personal ornaments have been found that does not contain an overlying Upper Paleolithic layer. This means that the post-depositional mixing of later elements into the Châtelperronian may not be used as an explanation for the presence of these materials. We report here on a detailed technological analysis of lithic artefacts from the three Châtelperronian layers at Quinçay Cave. We compare our results with the technology of Mousterian blade industries dating to OIS (oxygen isotope stage) 5, the Mousterian of Acheulian Tradition type B, and the Proto-Aurignacian. We show that the Châtelperronian is sufficiently divergent from the Middle Paleolithic to be classified as a fully Upper Paleolithic industry, with a focus on blade and bladelet production. We also show that the Quinçay Châtelperronian includes retouched bladelets that resemble those found in the Proto-Aurignacian, but were produced in a different manner. We argue that a technological convergence cannot account for these behaviors, since the specific type of retouched bladelet associated with the Châtelperronian was also regularly used by Proto-Aurignacian of neighboring regions. We suggest that the idea of retouched bladelets may have diffused from the northern Proto-Aurignacian to the Quinçay Châtelperronian and that the transmission of the morphology of this desired end-product without the transmission of its manufacturing process may point toward a low degree of social intimacy between these groups. We conclude that the apparent paradox of the Châtelperronian is the result of the complexity of interaction between Neanderthal and anatomically modern human groups in western Europe between 45,000 and 40,000 years ago.}, }
@article {pmid27251286, year = {2016}, author = {Jaubert, J and Verheyden, S and Genty, D and Soulier, M and Cheng, H and Blamart, D and Burlet, C and Camus, H and Delaby, S and Deldicque, D and Edwards, RL and Ferrier, C and Lacrampe-Cuyaubère, F and Lévêque, F and Maksud, F and Mora, P and Muth, X and Régnier, &#xc9; and Rouzaud, JN and Santos, F}, title = {Early Neanderthal constructions deep in Bruniquel Cave in southwestern France.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {534}, number = {7605}, pages = {111-114}, pmid = {27251286}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; *Caves ; Construction Industry/history ; Construction Materials/*history ; Facility Design and Construction/history ; Fires/history ; France ; History, Ancient ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {Very little is known about Neanderthal cultures, particularly early ones. Other than lithic implements and exceptional bone tools, very few artefacts have been preserved. While those that do remain include red and black pigments and burial sites, these indications of modernity are extremely sparse and few have been precisely dated, thus greatly limiting our knowledge of these predecessors of modern humans. Here we report the dating of annular constructions made of broken stalagmites found deep in Bruniquel Cave in southwest France. The regular geometry of the stalagmite circles, the arrangement of broken stalagmites and several traces of fire demonstrate the anthropogenic origin of these constructions. Uranium-series dating of stalagmite regrowths on the structures and on burnt bone, combined with the dating of stalagmite tips in the structures, give a reliable and replicated age of 176.5 thousand years (±2.1 thousand years), making these edifices among the oldest known well-dated constructions made by humans. Their presence at 336 metres from the entrance of the cave indicates that humans from this period had already mastered the underground environment, which can be considered a major step in human modernity.}, }
@article {pmid27217565, year = {2016}, author = {Weaver, TD and Coqueugniot, H and Golovanova, LV and Doronichev, VB and Maureille, B and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Neonatal postcrania from Mezmaiskaya, Russia, and Le Moustier, France, and the development of Neandertal body form.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {113}, number = {23}, pages = {6472-6477}, pmid = {27217565}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropometry ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; France ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Russia ; }, abstract = {Neandertal and modern human adults differ in skeletal features of the cranium and postcranium, and it is clear that many of the cranial differences-although not all of them-are already present at the time of birth. We know less, however, about the developmental origins of the postcranial differences. Here, we address this deficiency with morphometric analyses of the postcrania of the two most complete Neandertal neonates-Mezmaiskaya 1 (from Russia) and Le Moustier 2 (from France)-and a recent human sample. We find that neonatal Neandertals already appear to possess the wide body, long pubis, and robust long bones of adult Neandertals. Taken together, current evidence indicates that skeletal differences between Neandertals and modern humans are largely established by the time of birth.}, }
@article {pmid27140627, year = {2016}, author = {Moorjani, P and Sankararaman, S and Fu, Q and Przeworski, M and Patterson, N and Reich, D}, title = {A genetic method for dating ancient genomes provides a direct estimate of human generation interval in the last 45,000 years.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {113}, number = {20}, pages = {5652-5657}, pmid = {27140627}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {F32 GM115006/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; K99 GM111744/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R00 GM111744/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM083098/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; *Genetic Techniques ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Radiometric Dating/*methods ; }, abstract = {The study of human evolution has been revolutionized by inferences from ancient DNA analyses. Key to these studies is the reliable estimation of the age of ancient specimens. High-resolution age estimates can often be obtained using radiocarbon dating, and, while precise and powerful, this method has some biases, making it of interest to directly use genetic data to infer a date for samples that have been sequenced. Here, we report a genetic method that uses the recombination clock. The idea is that an ancient genome has evolved less than the genomes of present-day individuals and thus has experienced fewer recombination events since the common ancestor. To implement this idea, we take advantage of the insight that all non-Africans have a common heritage of Neanderthal gene flow into their ancestors. Thus, we can estimate the date since Neanderthal admixture for present-day and ancient samples simultaneously and use the difference as a direct estimate of the ancient specimen's age. We apply our method to date five Upper Paleolithic Eurasian genomes with radiocarbon dates between 12,000 and 45,000 y ago and show an excellent correlation of the genetic and (14)C dates. By considering the slope of the correlation between the genetic dates, which are in units of generations, and the (14)C dates, which are in units of years, we infer that the mean generation interval in humans over this period has been 26-30 y. Extensions of this methodology that use older shared events may be applicable for dating beyond the radiocarbon frontier.}, }
@article {pmid27135931, year = {2016}, author = {Fu, Q and Posth, C and Hajdinjak, M and Petr, M and Mallick, S and Fernandes, D and Furtwängler, A and Haak, W and Meyer, M and Mittnik, A and Nickel, B and Peltzer, A and Rohland, N and Slon, V and Talamo, S and Lazaridis, I and Lipson, M and Mathieson, I and Schiffels, S and Skoglund, P and Derevianko, AP and Drozdov, N and Slavinsky, V and Tsybankov, A and Cremonesi, RG and Mallegni, F and Gély, B and Vacca, E and Morales, MR and Straus, LG and Neugebauer-Maresch, C and Teschler-Nicola, M and Constantin, S and Moldovan, OT and Benazzi, S and Peresani, M and Coppola, D and Lari, M and Ricci, S and Ronchitelli, A and Valentin, F and Thevenet, C and Wehrberger, K and Grigorescu, D and Rougier, H and Crevecoeur, I and Flas, D and Semal, P and Mannino, MA and Cupillard, C and Bocherens, H and Conard, NJ and Harvati, K and Moiseyev, V and Drucker, DG and Svoboda, J and Richards, MP and Caramelli, D and Pinhasi, R and Kelso, J and Patterson, N and Krause, J and Pääbo, S and Reich, D}, title = {The genetic history of Ice Age Europe.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {534}, number = {7606}, pages = {200-205}, pmid = {27135931}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {263441/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; DNA/analysis/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Europe ; Female ; Founder Effect ; Genetics, Population ; History, Ancient ; Human Migration/history ; Humans ; *Ice Cover ; Male ; Middle East ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Population Dynamics ; Selection, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Time Factors ; White People/*genetics/*history ; }, abstract = {Modern humans arrived in Europe ~45,000 years ago, but little is known about their genetic composition before the start of farming ~8,500 years ago. Here we analyse genome-wide data from 51 Eurasians from ~45,000-7,000 years ago. Over this time, the proportion of Neanderthal DNA decreased from 3-6% to around 2%, consistent with natural selection against Neanderthal variants in modern humans. Whereas there is no evidence of the earliest modern humans in Europe contributing to the genetic composition of present-day Europeans, all individuals between ~37,000 and ~14,000 years ago descended from a single founder population which forms part of the ancestry of present-day Europeans. An ~35,000-year-old individual from northwest Europe represents an early branch of this founder population which was then displaced across a broad region, before reappearing in southwest Europe at the height of the last Ice Age ~19,000 years ago. During the major warming period after ~14,000 years ago, a genetic component related to present-day Near Easterners became widespread in Europe. These results document how population turnover and migration have been recurring themes of European prehistory.}, }
@article {pmid27119336, year = {2016}, author = {El Zaatari, S and Grine, FE and Ungar, PS and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Neandertal versus Modern Human Dietary Responses to Climatic Fluctuations.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {11}, number = {4}, pages = {e0153277}, pmid = {27119336}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical/methods ; Climate ; Diet/methods ; Ecosystem ; Feeding Behavior/*physiology ; Fossils ; Hominidae/physiology ; Humans ; Molar/anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Paleodontology/methods ; }, abstract = {The Neandertal lineage developed successfully throughout western Eurasia and effectively survived the harsh and severely changing environments of the alternating glacial/interglacial cycles from the middle of the Pleistocene until Marine Isotope Stage 3. Yet, towards the end of this stage, at the time of deteriorating climatic conditions that eventually led to the Last Glacial Maximum, and soon after modern humans entered western Eurasia, the Neandertals disappeared. Western Eurasia was by then exclusively occupied by modern humans. We use occlusal molar microwear texture analysis to examine aspects of diet in western Eurasian Paleolithic hominins in relation to fluctuations in food supplies that resulted from the oscillating climatic conditions of the Pleistocene. There is demonstrable evidence for differences in behavior that distinguish Upper Paleolithic humans from members of the Neandertal lineage. Specifically, whereas the Neandertals altered their diets in response to changing paleoecological conditions, the diets of Upper Paleolithic humans seem to have been less affected by slight changes in vegetation/climatic conditions but were linked to changes in their technological complexes. The results of this study also indicate differences in resource exploitation strategies between these two hominin groups. We argue that these differences in subsistence strategies, if they had already been established at the time of the first contact between these two hominin taxa, may have given modern humans an advantage over the Neandertals, and may have contributed to the persistence of our species despite habitat-related changes in food availabilities associated with climate fluctuations.}, }
@article {pmid27086057, year = {2016}, author = {Naito, YI and Chikaraishi, Y and Drucker, DG and Ohkouchi, N and Semal, P and Wißing, C and Bocherens, H}, title = {Ecological niche of Neanderthals from Spy Cave revealed by nitrogen isotopes of individual amino acids in collagen.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {93}, number = {}, pages = {82-90}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.01.009}, pmid = {27086057}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Amino Acids/chemistry ; Animals ; Belgium ; Caves ; *Diet ; Ecosystem ; Food Chain ; *Fossils ; Hyaenidae ; *Neanderthals ; Nitrogen/analysis ; Wolves ; }, abstract = {This study provides a refined view on the diet and ecological niche of Neanderthals. The traditional view is that Neanderthals obtained most of their dietary protein from terrestrial animals, especially from large herbivores that roamed the open landscapes. Evidence based on the conventional carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of bulk collagen has supported this view, although recent findings based on plant remains in the tooth calculus, microwear analyses, and small game and marine animal remains from archaeological sites have raised some questions regarding this assumption. However, the lack of a protein source other than meat in the Neanderthal diet may be due to methodological difficulties in defining the isotopic composition of plants. Based on the nitrogen isotopic composition of glutamic acid and phenylalanine in collagen for Neanderthals from Spy Cave (Belgium), we show that i) there was an inter-individual dietary heterogeneity even within one archaeological site that has not been evident in bulk collagen isotopic compositions, ii) they occupied an ecological niche different from those of hyenas, and iii) they could rely on plants for up to ∼20% of their protein source. These results are consistent with the evidence found of plant consumption by the Spy Neanderthals, suggesting a broader subsistence strategy than previously considered.}, }
@article {pmid27086056, year = {2016}, author = {Skinner, MM and de Vries, D and Gunz, P and Kupczik, K and Klassen, RP and Hublin, JJ and Roksandic, M}, title = {A dental perspective on the taxonomic affinity of the Balanica mandible (BH-1).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {93}, number = {}, pages = {63-81}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.01.010}, pmid = {27086056}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Anatomic Landmarks ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology ; Dentin/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Root/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The Middle Pleistocene represents a period of critical importance in human evolution, marked by encephalisation and dental reduction, and increasing diversification of temporally and spatially distributed hominin lineages in Africa, Asia and Europe. New specimens, especially from areas less well represented in the fossil record, can inform the debate on morphological changes to the skeleton and teeth and the phylogenetic course of human evolution during this period. The mandible from the cave of Mala Balanica, Serbia has recently been re-dated to at least 400 ka, and its well-preserved dentition presents an excellent opportunity to characterize molar crown morphology at this time period, and re-examine claims for a lack of Neandertal affinities in the specimen. In this study we employ microtomography to image the internal structure of the mandibular molars (focusing on the morphology of the enamel-dentine junction, or EDJ) of the BH-1 specimen and a comparative sample (n = 141) of Homo erectus sensu lato, Homo neanderthalensis, Pleistocene Homo sapiens, and recent H. sapiens. We quantitatively assess EDJ morphology using 3D geometric morphometrics and examine the expression of discrete dental traits at the dentine surface. We also compare third molar enamel thickness in BH-1 to those of H. neanderthalensis and both Pleistocene and recent H. sapiens, and document previously unreported morphology of the BH-1 premolar and molar roots. Our results highlight the reliability of the EDJ surface for classifying hominin taxa, indicate a primitive dental morphology for BH-1 molars, and confirm a general lack of derived Neandertal features for the Balanica individual. The plesiomorphic character of BH-1 is consistent with several competing models of Middle Pleistocene hominin evolution and provides an important regional and temporal example for reconstructing morphological changes in the mandible and teeth during this time period.}, }
@article {pmid27063929, year = {2016}, author = {Houldcroft, CJ and Underdown, SJ}, title = {Neanderthal genomics suggests a pleistocene time frame for the first epidemiologic transition.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {160}, number = {3}, pages = {379-388}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22985}, pmid = {27063929}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Communicable Diseases/*genetics/history/*immunology/microbiology ; Evolution, Molecular ; Fossils ; Genome/*genetics/*immunology ; Genomics ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics/*immunology ; }, abstract = {High quality Altai Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes are revealing which regions of archaic hominin DNA have persisted in the modern human genome. A number of these regions are associated with response to infection and immunity, with a suggestion that derived Neanderthal alleles found in modern Europeans and East Asians may be associated with autoimmunity. As such Neanderthal genomes are an independent line of evidence of which infectious diseases Neanderthals were genetically adapted to. Sympathetically, human genome adaptive introgression is an independent line of evidence of which infectious diseases were important for AMH coming in to Eurasia and interacting with Neanderthals. The Neanderthals and Denisovans present interesting cases of hominin hunter-gatherers adapted to a Eurasian rather than African infectious disease package. Independent sources of DNA-based evidence allow a re-evaluation of the first epidemiologic transition and how infectious disease affected Pleistocene hominins. By combining skeletal, archaeological and genetic evidence from modern humans and extinct Eurasian hominins, we question whether the first epidemiologic transition in Eurasia featured a new package of infectious diseases or a change in the impact of existing pathogens. Coupled with pathogen genomics, this approach supports the view that many infectious diseases are pre-Neolithic, and the list continues to expand. The transfer of pathogens between hominin populations, including the expansion of pathogens from Africa, may also have played a role in the extinction of the Neanderthals and offers an important mechanism to understand hominin-hominin interactions well back beyond the current limits for aDNA extraction from fossils alone. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:379-388, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.}, }
@article {pmid27058445, year = {2016}, author = {Mendez, FL and Poznik, GD and Castellano, S and Bustamante, CD}, title = {The Divergence of Neandertal and Modern Human Y Chromosomes.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {98}, number = {4}, pages = {728-734}, pmid = {27058445}, issn = {1537-6605}, support = {R01 GM090087/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; T15 LM007033/LM/NLM NIH HHS/United States ; LM-007033/LM/NLM NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Cadherins/genetics ; Chromosomes, Human, Y/*genetics ; DNA/genetics ; Genetic Variation ; Histone Demethylases/genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Minor Histocompatibility Antigens/genetics ; Mutation, Missense ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Protocadherins ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spain ; Ubiquitin Thiolesterase/genetics ; }, abstract = {Sequencing the genomes of extinct hominids has reshaped our understanding of modern human origins. Here, we analyze ∼120 kb of exome-captured Y-chromosome DNA from a Neandertal individual from El Sidrón, Spain. We investigate its divergence from orthologous chimpanzee and modern human sequences and find strong support for a model that places the Neandertal lineage as an outgroup to modern human Y chromosomes-including A00, the highly divergent basal haplogroup. We estimate that the time to the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of Neandertal and modern human Y chromosomes is ∼588 thousand years ago (kya) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 447-806 kya). This is ∼2.1 (95% CI: 1.7-2.9) times longer than the TMRCA of A00 and other extant modern human Y-chromosome lineages. This estimate suggests that the Y-chromosome divergence mirrors the population divergence of Neandertals and modern human ancestors, and it refutes alternative scenarios of a relatively recent or super-archaic origin of Neandertal Y chromosomes. The fact that the Neandertal Y we describe has never been observed in modern humans suggests that the lineage is most likely extinct. We identify protein-coding differences between Neandertal and modern human Y chromosomes, including potentially damaging changes to PCDH11Y, TMSB4Y, USP9Y, and KDM5D. Three of these changes are missense mutations in genes that produce male-specific minor histocompatibility (H-Y) antigens. Antigens derived from KDM5D, for example, are thought to elicit a maternal immune response during gestation. It is possible that incompatibilities at one or more of these genes played a role in the reproductive isolation of the two groups.}, }
@article {pmid27038113, year = {2016}, author = {Harris, K and Nielsen, R}, title = {The Genetic Cost of Neanderthal Introgression.}, journal = {Genetics}, volume = {203}, number = {2}, pages = {881-891}, pmid = {27038113}, issn = {1943-2631}, support = {F32 GM116381/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM109454/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Flow ; Genes, Recessive ; *Genetic Fitness ; *Genetic Load ; Humans ; Hybrid Vigor ; Inbreeding ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Approximately 2-4% of genetic material in human populations outside Africa is derived from Neanderthals who interbred with anatomically modern humans. Recent studies have shown that this Neanderthal DNA is depleted around functional genomic regions; this has been suggested to be a consequence of harmful epistatic interactions between human and Neanderthal alleles. However, using published estimates of Neanderthal inbreeding and the distribution of mutational fitness effects, we infer that Neanderthals had at least 40% lower fitness than humans on average; this increased load predicts the reduction in Neanderthal introgression around genes without the need to invoke epistasis. We also predict a residual Neanderthal mutational load in non-Africans, leading to a fitness reduction of at least 0.5%. This effect of Neanderthal admixture has been left out of previous debate on mutation load differences between Africans and non-Africans. We also show that if many deleterious mutations are recessive, the Neanderthal admixture fraction could increase over time due to the protective effect of Neanderthal haplotypes against deleterious alleles that arose recently in the human population. This might partially explain why so many organisms retain gene flow from other species and appear to derive adaptive benefits from introgression.}, }
@article {pmid27032491, year = {2016}, author = {Sankararaman, S and Mallick, S and Patterson, N and Reich, D}, title = {The Combined Landscape of Denisovan and Neanderthal Ancestry in Present-Day Humans.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {26}, number = {9}, pages = {1241-1247}, pmid = {27032491}, issn = {1879-0445}, support = {/HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; K99 GM111744/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R00 GM111744/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Demography ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Racial Groups/*genetics ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Some present-day humans derive up to ∼5% [1] of their ancestry from archaic Denisovans, an even larger proportion than the ∼2% from Neanderthals [2]. We developed methods that can disambiguate the locations of segments of Denisovan and Neanderthal ancestry in present-day humans and applied them to 257 high-coverage genomes from 120 diverse populations, among which were 20 individual Oceanians with high Denisovan ancestry [3]. In Oceanians, the average size of Denisovan fragments is larger than Neanderthal fragments, implying a more recent average date of Denisovan admixture in the history of these populations (p = 0.00004). We document more Denisovan ancestry in South Asia than is expected based on existing models of history, reflecting a previously undocumented mixture related to archaic humans (p = 0.0013). Denisovan ancestry, just like Neanderthal ancestry, has been deleterious on a modern human genetic background, as reflected by its depletion near genes. Finally, the reduction of both archaic ancestries is especially pronounced on chromosome X and near genes more highly expressed in testes than other tissues (p = 1.2 × 10(-7) to 3.2 × 10(-7) for Denisovan and 2.2 × 10(-3) to 2.9 × 10(-3) for Neanderthal ancestry even after controlling for differences in level of selective constraint across gene classes). This suggests that reduced male fertility may be a general feature of mixtures of human populations diverged by >500,000 years.}, }
@article {pmid27020421, year = {2016}, author = {Brown, S and Higham, T and Slon, V and Pääbo, S and Meyer, M and Douka, K and Brock, F and Comeskey, D and Procopio, N and Shunkov, M and Derevianko, A and Buckley, M}, title = {Identification of a new hominin bone from Denisova Cave, Siberia using collagen fingerprinting and mitochondrial DNA analysis.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {6}, number = {}, pages = {23559}, pmid = {27020421}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Animals ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Bone and Bones/*metabolism ; Collagen/analysis/*metabolism ; Cyclophosphamide ; DNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry/classification/*genetics ; Doxorubicin ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Podophyllotoxin ; Radiometric Dating ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Siberia ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Time Factors ; Vincristine ; }, abstract = {DNA sequencing has revolutionised our understanding of archaic humans during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. Unfortunately, while many Palaeolithic sites contain large numbers of bones, the majority of these lack the diagnostic features necessary for traditional morphological identification. As a result the recovery of Pleistocene-age human remains is extremely rare. To circumvent this problem we have applied a method of collagen fingerprinting to more than 2000 fragmented bones from the site of Denisova Cave, Russia, in order to facilitate the discovery of human remains. As a result of our analysis a single hominin bone (Denisova 11) was identified, supported through in-depth peptide sequencing analysis, and found to carry mitochondrial DNA of the Neandertal type. Subsequent radiocarbon dating revealed the bone to be >50,000 years old. Here we demonstrate the huge potential collagen fingerprinting has for identifying hominin remains in highly fragmentary archaeological assemblages, improving the resources available for wider studies into human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid26995655, year = {2016}, author = {Árnason, &#xda;}, title = {The Out of Africa hypothesis and the ancestry of recent humans: Cherchez la femme (et l'homme).}, journal = {Gene}, volume = {585}, number = {1}, pages = {9-12}, doi = {10.1016/j.gene.2016.03.018}, pmid = {26995655}, issn = {1879-0038}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Asia ; *Biological Evolution ; China ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Europe ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Female ; *Fossils ; Gene Flow ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {The Out of Africa hypothesis (OOAH) has been a mainstay in the discussion of human evolution since its presentation in the 1980's. However, recent advances in palaeontology and molecular genetics have made it possible to examine the hypothesis in a manner that was inconceivable at the time of its proposal. The palaeontological progress relates to early Homo finds in the Caucasus, Denisova finds in the Altai Mountains and Neanderthal finds in a wide range of localities from the Altai Mountains, the Caucasus, the Levant, Asia Minor, southern and Central Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. The Eurasian location of these finds and recognition of the principle of Last common ancestor (LCA) lend no support to OOAH. The same conclusion is drawn from genomic findings, which (a) have revealed the presence of Denisovan and Neanderthal nuclear DNA, primarily in the genomes of recent Eurasians and (b) have shown genomic introgression from early modern humans into Neanderthals in the Altai Mountains. Similarly, archaeological finds in Sulawesi and the discovery of ≈100,000years old human teeth in southern China constitute strong independent challenges to OOAH. The genomic and palaeogenomic results and the new palaeontological and archaeological discoveries suggest (a) that the ancestors of modern humans had their origin in a Eurasian (largely Asian) biogeographic region which may also have extended into NE Africa, and (b) that the founders of basal African lineages became separated, geographically and genetically, in the westernmost part of this region and spread from there to different parts of the African continent.}, }
@article {pmid26989198, year = {2016}, author = {Vernot, B and Tucci, S and Kelso, J and Schraiber, JG and Wolf, AB and Gittelman, RM and Dannemann, M and Grote, S and McCoy, RC and Norton, H and Scheinfeldt, LB and Merriwether, DA and Koki, G and Friedlaender, JS and Wakefield, J and Pääbo, S and Akey, JM}, title = {Excavating Neandertal and Denisovan DNA from the genomes of Melanesian individuals.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {352}, number = {6282}, pages = {235-239}, pmid = {26989198}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {R01 GM110068/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; 5R01GM110068/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; *DNA/genetics ; Genetic Variation ; *Genome, Human/genetics ; Melanesia ; *Neanderthals/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; *Pacific Island People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Although Neandertal sequences that persist in the genomes of modern humans have been identified in Eurasians, comparable studies in people whose ancestors hybridized with both Neandertals and Denisovans are lacking. We developed an approach to identify DNA inherited from multiple archaic hominin ancestors and applied it to whole-genome sequences from 1523 geographically diverse individuals, including 35 previously unknown Island Melanesian genomes. In aggregate, we recovered 1.34 gigabases and 303 megabases of the Neandertal and Denisovan genome, respectively. We use these maps of archaic sequences to show that Neandertal admixture occurred multiple times in different non-African populations, characterize genomic regions that are significantly depleted of archaic sequences, and identify signatures of adaptive introgression.}, }
@article {pmid26989018, year = {2016}, author = {Gilmore, CC and Weaver, TD}, title = {Comparative perspective on antemortem tooth loss in Neandertals.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {92}, number = {}, pages = {80-90}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.10.011}, pmid = {26989018}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical ; Bayes Theorem ; Europe ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Tooth Loss/*epidemiology ; }, abstract = {Neandertal specimens with severe antemortem (before death) tooth loss (AMTL) are sometimes interpreted as evidence for human-like behaviors in Neandertals, such as conspecific care or cooking, although it is uncertain whether AMTL frequencies in Neandertals are similar to those in modern humans and exceed those in non-human primates. This study characterizes AMTL (all tooth types) in Neandertals relative to recent human hunter-gatherers and several non-human primate taxa using binomial-normal regression models fit in a Bayesian framework to a sample of 25 Neandertals, 310 recent human hunter-gatherers, 61 chimpanzees, 38 orangutans, and 75 baboons. The probability that a tooth is lost antemortem is modeled to depend on tooth class, taxon, and estimated age at death. Neandertals have odds of AMTL above orangutans and baboons, similar to or somewhat lower than chimpanzees, and below recent humans, if we assume a human-like rate of senescence; or intermediate between chimpanzees and recent humans, if we assume a faster rate of senescence. These findings suggest that Neandertals can only be considered to have frequencies of AMTL above non-human primates if they had more rapid life histories than modern humans. Either Neandertals are not human-like in their life history or their frequency of AMTL. These interpretations are complicated, however, by the substantial inter-population variation in AMTL among recent humans, with some populations having odds of AMTL as low as in non-human primates. These results, together with theoretical considerations, suggest that only high frequencies of AMTL are diagnostic of behavior. Consequently, the behavioral implications of low frequencies of AMTL, such as those found in Neandertals, are ambiguous. Low frequencies in Neandertals could be because they had a low risk of AMTL rather than because they had high mortality from AMTL relative to an average modern human of similar age.}, }
@article {pmid26972814, year = {2016}, author = {Wu, XJ and Bruner, E}, title = {The endocranial anatomy of maba 1.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {160}, number = {4}, pages = {633-643}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22974}, pmid = {26972814}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; Cephalometry ; China ; Cluster Analysis ; Fossils ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Maba 1, a partial cranium from Guandong Province (China) tentatively dated between 300 and 130 ka, has been suggested to display a mosaic of archaic and derived features, including facial affinities with Neandertals. This study aims to evaluate whether Maba 1 shows a derived endocranial phenotype, or if it displays a plesiomorphic braincase morphology.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed a set of metric variables on fossil and modern human endocasts using bivariate correlation, principal component analysis, and cluster analyses, to evaluate the morphological affinities of the Maba 1 endocast.<br><br>RESULTS: The cranial capacity, estimated at around 1300 cc, and the endocranial proportions of Maba 1 are within the ranges of modern humans, Neandertals and Homo heidelbergensis. However, the frontal lobes are narrow and the parietal areas are short and flattened, as in H. heidelbergensis and H. erectus. Nonetheless, the position of the frontal lobes relative to the orbits, the morphology of the frontal sinus and the curve of the frontal squama are more derived, being similar to Neandertals and modern humans.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The endocast displays a general archaic morphology, although with some derived features associated with the spatial relationships with the face. A similar admixture was described for other Middle Pleistocene samples, like Sima de los Huesos. Future phylogenetic studies must re-evaluate the facial skeleton to consider whether its features can be considered as related to the Neandertal lineage. Alternatively, they should be interpreted as the result of homoplasy and parallelism within the genus Homo, and may reflect a predominantly Asian variation. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:633-643, 2016. &#xa9; 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.}, }
@article {pmid26966016, year = {2016}, author = {Ghirotto, S and Tassi, F and Barbujani, G and Pattini, L and Hayward, C and Vollenweider, P and Bochud, M and Rampoldi, L and Devuyst, O}, title = {The Uromodulin Gene Locus Shows Evidence of Pathogen Adaptation through Human Evolution.}, journal = {Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN}, volume = {27}, number = {10}, pages = {2983-2996}, pmid = {26966016}, issn = {1533-3450}, support = {295733/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; GGP14263/TI_/Telethon/Italy ; MC_PC_U127561128/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Loci ; Genetic Markers ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Urinary Tract Infections/genetics ; Uromodulin/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Common variants in the UMOD gene encoding uromodulin, associated with risk of hypertension and CKD in the general population, increase UMOD expression and urinary excretion of uromodulin, causing salt-sensitive hypertension and renal lesions. To determine the effect of selective pressure on variant frequency, we investigated the allelic frequency of the lead UMOD variant rs4293393 in 156 human populations, in eight ancient human genomes, and in primate genomes. The T allele of rs4293393, associated with CKD risk, has high frequency in most modern populations and was the one detected in primate genomes. In contrast, we identified only the derived, C allele in Denisovan and Neanderthal genomes. The distribution of the UMOD ancestral allele did not follow the ancestral susceptibility model observed for variants associated with salt-sensitive hypertension. Instead, the global frequencies of the UMOD alleles significantly correlated with pathogen diversity (bacteria, helminths) and prevalence of antibiotic-resistant urinary tract infections (UTIs). The inverse correlation found between urinary levels of uromodulin and markers of UTIs in the general population substantiates the link between UMOD variants and protection against UTIs. These data strongly suggest that the UMOD ancestral allele, driving higher urinary excretion of uromodulin, has been kept at a high frequency because of its protective effect against UTIs.}, }
@article {pmid26963221, year = {2016}, author = {Schwartz, J}, title = {What constitutes Homo sapiens? Morphology versus received wisdom.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {94}, number = {}, pages = {65-80}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.94028}, pmid = {26963221}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Child, Preschool ; Fetus/anatomy &amp; histology ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Although Linnaeus coined Homo sapiens in 1735, it was Blumenbach forty years later who provided the first morphological definition of the species. Since humans were not then allowed to be ante-Diluvian, his effort applied to the genus, as well. After the Feldhofer Grotto Neanderthal disproved this creationist notion, and human-fossil hunting became legitimate, new specimens were allocated either to sapiens or new species within Homo, or even to new species within new genera. Yet as these taxonomic acts reflected the morphological differences between specimens, they failed to address the question: What constitutes H. sapiens? When in 1950 Mayr collapsed all human fossils into Homo, he not only denied humans a diverse evolutionary past, he also shifted the key to identifying its species from morphology to geological age - a practice most paleoanthropologists still follow. Thus, for example, H. erectus is the species that preceded H. sapiens, and H. sapiens is the species into which H. erectus morphed. In order to deal with a growing morass of morphologically dissimilar specimens, the non-taxonomic terms "archaic" (AS) and "anatomically modern" (AMS) were introduced to distinguish between the earlier and later versions of H. sapiens, thereby making the species impossible to define. In attempting to disentangle fact from scenario, I begin from the beginning, trying to delineate features that may be distinctive of extant humans (ES), and then turning to the fossils that have been included in the species. With the exception of Upper Paleolithic humans - e.g. from Cro-Magnon, Dolni Vestonice, Mladeč - I argue that many specimens regarded as AMS, and all those deemed AS, are not H. sapiens. The features these AMS do share with ES suggest the existence of a sapiens clade. Further, restudy of near-recent fossils, especially from southwestern China (∼11-14.5 ka), reinforces what discoveries such as H. floresiensis indicate: "If it's recent, it's not necessarily H. sapiens".}, }
@article {pmid26948814, year = {2016}, author = {Burgess, DJ}, title = {Evolutionary genetics: Haunted by the past--modern consequences of Neanderthal DNA.}, journal = {Nature reviews. Genetics}, volume = {17}, number = {4}, pages = {191}, pmid = {26948814}, issn = {1471-0064}, mesh = {Animals ; Disease/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid26937625, year = {2016}, author = {Schumer, M and Cui, R and Powell, DL and Rosenthal, GG and Andolfatto, P}, title = {Ancient hybridization and genomic stabilization in a swordtail fish.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {25}, number = {11}, pages = {2661-2679}, doi = {10.1111/mec.13602}, pmid = {26937625}, issn = {1365-294X}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Cyprinodontiformes/classification/*genetics ; Genome ; Genomics ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {A rapidly increasing body of work is revealing that the genomes of distinct species often exhibit hybrid ancestry, presumably due to postspeciation hybridization between closely related species. Despite the growing number of documented cases, we still know relatively little about how genomes evolve and stabilize following hybridization, and to what extent hybridization is functionally relevant. Here, we examine the case of Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl, a teleost fish whose genome exhibits significant hybrid ancestry. We show that hybridization was relatively ancient and is unlikely to be ongoing. Strikingly, the genome of X. nezahualcoyotl has largely stabilized following hybridization, distinguishing it from examples such as human-Neanderthal hybridization. Hybridization-derived regions are remarkably distinct from other regions of the genome, tending to be enriched in genomic regions with reduced constraint. These results suggest that selection has played a role in removing hybrid ancestry from certain functionally important regions. Combined with findings in other systems, our results raise many questions about the process of genomic stabilization and the role of selection in shaping patterns of hybrid ancestry in the genome.}, }
@article {pmid26912863, year = {2016}, author = {Simonti, CN and Vernot, B and Bastarache, L and Bottinger, E and Carrell, DS and Chisholm, RL and Crosslin, DR and Hebbring, SJ and Jarvik, GP and Kullo, IJ and Li, R and Pathak, J and Ritchie, MD and Roden, DM and Verma, SS and Tromp, G and Prato, JD and Bush, WS and Akey, JM and Denny, JC and Capra, JA}, title = {The phenotypic legacy of admixture between modern humans and Neandertals.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {351}, number = {6274}, pages = {737-741}, pmid = {26912863}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {U01HG004438/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; UL1 TR000427/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States ; R01LM010685/LM/NLM NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG004610/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG008657/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG006382/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG004609/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG006380/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG006380/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG008657/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG006379/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG006389/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG006385/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; K22 LM011938/LM/NLM NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG006379/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG006375/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG004438/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 LM010685/LM/NLM NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG006382/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG004603/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM110068/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; 1R01GM114128/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG04603/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; T32 EY021453/EY/NEI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG004609/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG006389/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG008672/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG004599/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG006388/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01GM110068/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; 5T32EY021453/EY/NEI NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG004608/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG04599/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM114128/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG006388/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG006378/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG004610/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG008673/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG006385/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG006378/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; 1K22LM011938/LM/NLM NIH HHS/United States ; U01 HG004608/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Depression/genetics ; Disease/*genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Variation ; Genome, Human ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Keratosis, Actinic/genetics ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phenotype ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Many modern human genomes retain DNA inherited from interbreeding with archaic hominins, such as Neandertals, yet the influence of this admixture on human traits is largely unknown. We analyzed the contribution of common Neandertal variants to over 1000 electronic health record (EHR)-derived phenotypes in ~28,000 adults of European ancestry. We discovered and replicated associations of Neandertal alleles with neurological, psychiatric, immunological, and dermatological phenotypes. Neandertal alleles together explained a significant fraction of the variation in risk for depression and skin lesions resulting from sun exposure (actinic keratosis), and individual Neandertal alleles were significantly associated with specific human phenotypes, including hypercoagulation and tobacco use. Our results establish that archaic admixture influences disease risk in modern humans, provide hypotheses about the effects of hundreds of Neandertal haplotypes, and demonstrate the utility of EHR data in evolutionary analyses.}, }
@article {pmid26912836, year = {2016}, author = {Gibbons, A}, title = {HUMAN EVOLUTION. Neandertal genes linked to modern diseases.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {351}, number = {6274}, pages = {648-649}, doi = {10.1126/science.351.6274.648}, pmid = {26912836}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Disease/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid26898827, year = {2016}, author = {Gokhman, D and Meshorer, E and Carmel, L}, title = {Epigenetics: It's Getting Old. Past Meets Future in Paleoepigenetics.}, journal = {Trends in ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {31}, number = {4}, pages = {290-300}, doi = {10.1016/j.tree.2016.01.010}, pmid = {26898827}, issn = {1872-8383}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/genetics ; DNA Methylation ; *Epigenesis, Genetic ; Hominidae/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Recent years have witnessed the rise of ancient DNA (aDNA) technology, allowing comparative genomics to be carried out at unprecedented time resolution. While it is relatively straightforward to use aDNA to identify recent genomic changes, it is much less clear how to utilize it to study changes in epigenetic regulation. Here we review recent works demonstrating that highly degraded aDNA still contains sufficient information to allow reconstruction of epigenetic signals, including DNA methylation and nucleosome positioning maps. We discuss challenges arising from the tissue specificity of epigenetics, and show how some of them might in fact turn into advantages. Finally, we introduce a method to infer methylation states in tissues that do not tend to be preserved over time.}, }
@article {pmid26886800, year = {2016}, author = {Kuhlwilm, M and Gronau, I and Hubisz, MJ and de Filippo, C and Prado-Martinez, J and Kircher, M and Fu, Q and Burbano, HA and Lalueza-Fox, C and de la Rasilla, M and Rosas, A and Rudan, P and Brajkovic, D and Kucan, &#x17d; and Gušic, I and Marques-Bonet, T and Andrés, AM and Viola, B and Pääbo, S and Meyer, M and Siepel, A and Castellano, S}, title = {Ancient gene flow from early modern humans into Eastern Neanderthals.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {530}, number = {7591}, pages = {429-433}, pmid = {26886800}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {R01 GM102192/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; GM102192/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U01 MH106874/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Altitude ; Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21/genetics ; Croatia/ethnology ; Gene Flow/*genetics ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Genomics ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic/genetics ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Population Density ; Siberia ; Spain/ethnology ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {It has been shown that Neanderthals contributed genetically to modern humans outside Africa 47,000-65,000 years ago. Here we analyse the genomes of a Neanderthal and a Denisovan from the Altai Mountains in Siberia together with the sequences of chromosome 21 of two Neanderthals from Spain and Croatia. We find that a population that diverged early from other modern humans in Africa contributed genetically to the ancestors of Neanderthals from the Altai Mountains roughly 100,000 years ago. By contrast, we do not detect such a genetic contribution in the Denisovan or the two European Neanderthals. We conclude that in addition to later interbreeding events, the ancestors of Neanderthals from the Altai Mountains and early modern humans met and interbred, possibly in the Near East, many thousands of years earlier than previously thought.}, }
@article {pmid26883449, year = {2016}, author = {Marti, A and Folch, A and Costa, A and Engwell, S}, title = {Reconstructing the plinian and co-ignimbrite sources of large volcanic eruptions: A novel approach for the Campanian Ignimbrite.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {6}, number = {}, pages = {21220}, pmid = {26883449}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Europe ; *Models, Theoretical ; *Volcanic Eruptions ; Web Browser ; }, abstract = {The 39 ka Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) super-eruption was the largest volcanic eruption of the past 200 ka in Europe. Tephra deposits indicate two distinct plume forming phases, Plinian and co-ignimbrite, characteristic of many caldera-forming eruptions. Previous numerical studies have characterized the eruption as a single-phase event, potentially leading to inaccurate assessment of eruption dynamics. To reconstruct the volume, intensity, and duration of the tephra dispersal, we applied a computational inversion method that explicitly accounts for the Plinian and co-ignimbrite phases and for gravitational spreading of the umbrella cloud. To verify the consistency of our results, we performed an additional single-phase inversion using an independent thickness dataset. Our better-fitting two-phase model suggests a higher mass eruption rate than previous studies, and estimates that 3/4 of the total fallout volume is co-ignimbrite in origin. Gravitational spreading of the umbrella cloud dominates tephra transport only within the first hundred kilometres due to strong stratospheric winds in our best-fit wind model. Finally, tephra fallout impacts would have interrupted the westward migration of modern hominid groups in Europe, possibly supporting the hypothesis of prolonged Neanderthal survival in South-Western Europe during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition.}, }
@article {pmid26849112, year = {2016}, author = {Zhao, J and Akinsanmi, I and Arafat, D and Cradick, TJ and Lee, CM and Banskota, S and Marigorta, UM and Bao, G and Gibson, G}, title = {A Burden of Rare Variants Associated with Extremes of Gene Expression in Human Peripheral Blood.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {98}, number = {2}, pages = {299-309}, pmid = {26849112}, issn = {1537-6605}, support = {P01 GM099568/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; RC2 MH089915/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; 1-P01-GM0996568/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; RC2MH089915/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; *Gene Expression ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Loci ; Genomics ; Genotyping Techniques ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {In order to evaluate whether rare regulatory variants in the vicinity of promoters are likely to impact gene expression, we conducted a novel burden test for enrichment of rare variants at the extremes of expression. After sequencing 2-kb promoter regions of 472 genes in 410 healthy adults, we performed a quadratic regression of rare variant count on bins of peripheral blood transcript abundance from microarrays, summing over ranks of all genes. After adjusting for common eQTLs and the major axes of gene expression covariance, a highly significant excess of variants with minor allele frequency less than 0.05 at both high and low extremes across individuals was observed. Further enrichment was seen in sites annotated as potentially regulatory by RegulomeDB, but a deficit of effects was associated with known metabolic disease genes. The main result replicates in an independent sample of 75 individuals with RNA-seq and whole-genome sequence information. Three of four predicted large-effect sites were validated by CRISPR/Cas9 knockdown in K562 cells, but simulations indicate that effect sizes need not be unusually large to produce the observed burden. Unusually divergent low-frequency promoter haplotypes were observed at 31 loci, at least 9 of which appear to be derived from Neandertal admixture, but these were not associated with divergent gene expression in blood. The overall burden test results are consistent with rare and private regulatory variants driving high or low transcription at specific loci, potentially contributing to disease.}, }
@article {pmid31265485, year = {2016}, author = {Dannemann, M and Andrés, AM and Kelso, J}, title = {Erratum: Introgression of Neandertal- and Denisovan-like Haplotypes Contributes to Adaptive Variation in Human Toll-like Receptors.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {98}, number = {2}, pages = {399}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.01.012}, pmid = {31265485}, issn = {1537-6605}, abstract = {[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2015.11.015.].}, }
@article {pmid26831111, year = {2016}, author = {Gilpin, W and Feldman, MW and Aoki, K}, title = {An ecocultural model predicts Neanderthal extinction through competition with modern humans.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {113}, number = {8}, pages = {2134-2139}, pmid = {26831111}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Cognition ; Competitive Behavior ; *Cultural Evolution ; Ecosystem ; *Extinction, Biological ; Humans ; Models, Psychological ; Models, Theoretical ; Neanderthals/*physiology/*psychology ; Population Density ; Population Growth ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Archaeologists argue that the replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans was driven by interspecific competition due to a difference in culture level. To assess the cogency of this argument, we construct and analyze an interspecific cultural competition model based on the Lotka-Volterra model, which is widely used in ecology, but which incorporates the culture level of a species as a variable interacting with population size. We investigate the conditions under which a difference in culture level between cognitively equivalent species, or alternatively a difference in underlying learning ability, may produce competitive exclusion of a comparatively (although not absolutely) large local Neanderthal population by an initially smaller modern human population. We find, in particular, that this competitive exclusion is more likely to occur when population growth occurs on a shorter timescale than cultural change, or when the competition coefficients of the Lotka-Volterra model depend on the difference in the culture levels of the interacting species.}, }
@article {pmid26819241, year = {2016}, author = {Hejase, HA and Liu, KJ}, title = {Mapping the genomic architecture of adaptive traits with interspecific introgressive origin: a coalescent-based approach.}, journal = {BMC genomics}, volume = {17 Suppl 1}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {8}, pmid = {26819241}, issn = {1471-2164}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Animals ; *Chromosome Mapping ; Genetic Loci ; *Genome ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genotype ; Humans ; Mice ; Models, Genetic ; Phenotype ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; }, abstract = {Recent studies of eukaryotes including human and Neandertal, mice, and butterflies have highlighted the major role that interspecific introgression has played in adaptive trait evolution. A common question arises in each case: what is the genomic architecture of the introgressed traits? One common approach that can be used to address this question is association mapping, which looks for genotypic markers that have significant statistical association with a trait. It is well understood that sample relatedness can be a confounding factor in association mapping studies if not properly accounted for. Introgression and other evolutionary processes (e.g., incomplete lineage sorting) typically introduce variation among local genealogies, which can also differ from global sample structure measured across all genomic loci. In contrast, state-of-the-art association mapping methods assume fixed sample relatedness across the genome, which can lead to spurious inference. We therefore propose a new association mapping method called Coal-Map, which uses coalescent-based models to capture local genealogical variation alongside global sample structure. Using simulated and empirical data reflecting a range of evolutionary scenarios, we compare the performance of Coal-Map against EIGENSTRAT, a leading association mapping method in terms of its popularity, power, and type I error control. Our empirical data makes use of hundreds of mouse genomes for which adaptive interspecific introgression has recently been described. We found that Coal-Map's performance is comparable or better than EIGENSTRAT in terms of statistical power and false positive rate. Coal-Map's performance advantage was greatest on model conditions that most closely resembled empirically observed scenarios of adaptive introgression. These conditions had: (1) causal SNPs contained in one or a few introgressed genomic loci and (2) varying rates of gene flow - from high rates to very low rates where incomplete lineage sorting dominated as a primary cause of local genealogical variation.}, }
@article {pmid26767960, year = {2016}, author = {Rodríguez, L and Carretero, JM and García-González, R and Lorenzo, C and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Quam, R and Martínez, I and Gracia-Téllez, A and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Fossil hominin radii from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {90}, number = {}, pages = {55-73}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.09.010}, pmid = {26767960}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Anatomy, Cross-Sectional ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Female ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Radius/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Spain ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {Complete radii in the fossil record preceding recent humans and Neandertals are very scarce. Here we introduce the radial remains recovered from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) site in the Sierra de Atapuerca between 1976 and 2011 and which have been dated in excess of 430 ky (thousands of years) ago. The sample comprises 89 specimens, 49 of which are attributed to adults representing a minimum of seven individuals. All elements are described anatomically and metrically, and compared with other fossil hominins and recent humans in order to examine the phylogenetic polarity of certain radial features. Radial remains from SH have some traits that differentiate them from those of recent humans and make them more similar to Neandertals, including strongly curved shafts, anteroposterior expanded radial heads and both absolutely and relatively long necks. In contrast, the SH sample differs from Neandertals in showing a high overall gracility as well as a high frequency (80%) of an anteriorly oriented radial tuberosity. Thus, like the cranial and dental remains from the SH site, characteristic Neandertal radial morphology is not present fully in the SH radii. We also analyzed the cross-sectional properties of the SH radial sample at two different levels: mid-shaft and at the midpoint of the neck length. When standardized by shaft length, no difference in the mid-shaft cross-sectional properties were found between the SH hominins, Neandertals and recent humans. Nevertheless, due to their long neck length, the SH hominins show a higher lever efficiency than either Neandertals or recent humans. Functionally, the SH radial morphology is consistent with more efficient pronation-supination and flexion-extension movements. The particular trait composition in the SH sample and Neandertals resembles more closely morphology evident in recent human males.}, }
@article {pmid26767955, year = {2016}, author = {Quam, R and Lorenzo, C and Martínez, I and Gracia-Téllez, A and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {The bony labyrinth of the middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos hominins (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {90}, number = {}, pages = {1-15}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.09.007}, pmid = {26767955}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Ear, Inner/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {We performed 3D virtual reconstructions based on CT scans to study the bony labyrinth morphology in 14 individuals from the large middle Pleistocene hominin sample from the site of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) in the Sierra de Atapuerca in northern Spain. The Atapuerca (SH) hominins represent early members of the Neandertal clade and provide an opportunity to compare the data with the later in time Neandertals, as well as Pleistocene and recent humans more broadly. The Atapuerca (SH) hominins do not differ from the Neandertals in any of the variables related to the absolute and relative sizes and shape of the semicircular canals. Indeed, the entire Neandertal clade seems to be characterized by a derived pattern of canal proportions, including a relatively small posterior canal and a relatively large lateral canal. In contrast, one of the most distinctive features observed in Neandertals, the low placement of the posterior canal (i.e., high sagittal labyrinthine index), is generally not present in the Atapuerca (SH) hominins. This low placement is considered a derived feature in Neandertals and is correlated with a more vertical orientation of the ampullar line (LSCm < APA), posterior surface of the petrous pyramid (LSCm > PPp), and third part of the facial canal (LSCm < FC3). Some variation is present within the Atapuerca (SH) sample, however, with a few individuals approaching the Neandertal condition more closely. In addition, the cochlear shape index in the Atapuerca (SH) hominins is low, indicating a reduction in the height of the cochlea. Although the phylogenetic polarity of this feature is less clear, the low shape index in the Atapuerca (SH) hominins may be a derived feature. Regardless, cochlear height subsequently increased in Neandertals. In contrast to previous suggestions, the expanded data in the present study indicate no difference across the genus Homo in the angle of inclination of the cochlear basal turn (COs < LSCm). Principal components analysis largely confirms these observations. While not fully resolved, the low placement of the posterior canal in Neandertals may be related to some combination of absolutely large brain size, a wide cranial base, and an archaic pattern of brain allometry. This more general explanation would not necessarily follow taxonomic lines, even though this morphology of the bony labyrinth occurs at high frequencies among Neandertals. While a functional interpretation of the relatively small vertical canals in the Neandertal clade remains elusive, the relative proportions of the semicircular canals is one of several derived Neandertal features in the Atapuerca (SH) crania. Examination of additional European middle Pleistocene specimens suggests that the full suite of Neandertal features in the bony labyrinth did not emerge in Europe until perhaps <200 kya.}, }
@article {pmid26748764, year = {2016}, author = {Williams, FL and Cofran, Z}, title = {Postnatal craniofacial ontogeny in neandertals and modern humans.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {159}, number = {3}, pages = {394-409}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22895}, pmid = {26748764}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Anthropometry ; Child ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Neandertals and humans are closely related but differ noticeably in adult morphology. Previous work has been equivocal as to the contribution of postnatal growth and development to these differences. Due to disparate preservation, most analyses focus on specific anatomies, reconstructed fossils, or limited sample sizes. The objective of this research is to highlight the importance of postnatal growth in expressing Neandertal-human distinctions in the craniofacial skeleton, using a large and unreconstructed Neandertal sample.<br><br>MATERIALS/METHODS: A resampling approach is utilized to compare relative size change in 20 craniofacial dimensions between Neandertals (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;42) and humans (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;262). The large number of immature Neandertal samples within and between dental stages provides the necessary variation to test for growth differences. Nested resampling using human-human comparisons assesses the likelihood of observing human-Neandertal growth differences under the null hypothesis of similar ontogenetic variation.<br><br>RESULTS: Humans and Neandertals undergo comparable levels of overall size change. However, we identify growth differences for a number of traits, helping explain some of the unique features of this fossil taxon. Nested resampling shows it is unlikely that a Neandertal-like maturation would be observed in a random ontogenetic sample of humans.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Growth during adolescence appears to be fundamental in the expression of some Neandertal anatomies. Neandertal upper facial and nasal breadths appear to have expanded rapidly after puberty to account for differences between preadolescents and adults, and Neandertals and humans. Mandibular growth differences may relate to anterior tooth use to process foods and paramastication during Neandertal maturation.}, }
@article {pmid26748514, year = {2016}, author = {Dannemann, M and Andrés, AM and Kelso, J}, title = {Introgression of Neandertal- and Denisovan-like Haplotypes Contributes to Adaptive Variation in Human Toll-like Receptors.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {98}, number = {1}, pages = {22-33}, pmid = {26748514}, issn = {1537-6605}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/*genetics ; Animals ; Cell Line ; *Haplotypes ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Toll-Like Receptors/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Pathogens and the diseases they cause have been among the most important selective forces experienced by humans during their evolutionary history. Although adaptive alleles generally arise by mutation, introgression can also be a valuable source of beneficial alleles. Archaic humans, who lived in Europe and Western Asia for more than 200,000 years, were probably well adapted to this environment and its local pathogens. It is therefore conceivable that modern humans entering Europe and Western Asia who admixed with them obtained a substantial immune advantage from the introgression of archaic alleles. Here we document a cluster of three Toll-like receptors (TLR6-TLR1-TLR10) in modern humans that carries three distinct archaic haplotypes, indicating repeated introgression from archaic humans. Two of these haplotypes are most similar to the Neandertal genome, and the third haplotype is most similar to the Denisovan genome. The Toll-like receptors are key components of innate immunity and provide an important first line of immune defense against bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The unusually high allele frequencies and unexpected levels of population differentiation indicate that there has been local positive selection on multiple haplotypes at this locus. We show that the introgressed alleles have clear functional effects in modern humans; archaic-like alleles underlie differences in the expression of the TLR genes and are associated with increased [corrected] microbial resistance and increased allergic disease in large cohorts. This provides strong evidence for recurrent adaptive introgression at the TLR6-TLR1-TLR10 locus, resulting in differences in disease phenotypes in modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid26748513, year = {2016}, author = {Deschamps, M and Laval, G and Fagny, M and Itan, Y and Abel, L and Casanova, JL and Patin, E and Quintana-Murci, L}, title = {Genomic Signatures of Selective Pressures and Introgression from Archaic Hominins at Human Innate Immunity Genes.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {98}, number = {1}, pages = {5-21}, pmid = {26748513}, issn = {1537-6605}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/genetics ; Animals ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate/*genetics ; Neanderthals/genetics/*immunology ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Human genes governing innate immunity provide a valuable tool for the study of the selective pressure imposed by microorganisms on host genomes. A comprehensive, genome-wide study of how selective constraints and adaptations have driven the evolution of innate immunity genes is missing. Using full-genome sequence variation from the 1000 Genomes Project, we first show that innate immunity genes have globally evolved under stronger purifying selection than the remainder of protein-coding genes. We identify a gene set under the strongest selective constraints, mutations in which are likely to predispose individuals to life-threatening disease, as illustrated by STAT1 and TRAF3. We then evaluate the occurrence of local adaptation and detect 57 high-scoring signals of positive selection at innate immunity genes, variation in which has been associated with susceptibility to common infectious or autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, we show that most adaptations targeting coding variation have occurred in the last 6,000-13,000 years, the period at which populations shifted from hunting and gathering to farming. Finally, we show that innate immunity genes present higher Neandertal introgression than the remainder of the coding genome. Notably, among the genes presenting the highest Neandertal ancestry, we find the TLR6-TLR1-TLR10 cluster, which also contains functional adaptive variation in Europeans. This study identifies highly constrained genes that fulfill essential, non-redundant functions in host survival and reveals others that are more permissive to change-containing variation acquired from archaic hominins or adaptive variants in specific populations-improving our understanding of the relative biological importance of innate immunity pathways in natural conditions.}, }
@article {pmid26738254, year = {2015}, author = {Magherini, S and Fiore, MG and Chiarelli, B and Serrao, A and Paternostro, F and Morucci, G and Branca, JJ and Ruggiero, M and Pacini, S}, title = {Metopic suture and RUNX2, a key transcription factor in osseous morphogenesis with possible important implications for human brain evolution.}, journal = {Italian journal of anatomy and embryology = Archivio italiano di anatomia ed embriologia}, volume = {120}, number = {1}, pages = {5-20}, pmid = {26738254}, issn = {1122-6714}, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Brain/*embryology ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit/chemistry/*genetics ; Cranial Sutures/*embryology ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Overall, the comparative data available on the timing of metopic suture closure in present-day and fossil members of human lineage, as well as great apes, seem to indicate that human brain evolution occurred within a complex network of fetopelvic constraints, which required modification of frontal neurocranial ossification patterns, involving delayed fusion of the metopic suture. It is very interesting that the recent sequencing of the Neanderthal genome has revealed signs of positive selection in the modern human variant of the RUNX2 gene, which is known to affect metopic suture fusion in addition to being essential for osteoblast development and proper bone formation. It is possible that an evolutionary change in RUNX2, affecting aspects of the morphology of the upper body and cranium, was of importance in the origin of modern humans. Thus, to contribute to a better understanding of the molecular evolution of this gene probably implicated in human evolution, we performed a comparative bioinformatic analysis of the coding sequences of RUNX2 in Homo sapiens and other non-human Primates.<br><br>RESULTS: We found amino-acid sequence differences between RUNX2 protein isoforms of Homo sapiens and the other Primates examined, that might have important implications for the timing of metopic suture closure.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are needed to clear the potential distinct developmental roles of different species-specific RUNX2 N-terminal isoforms. Meantime, our bioinformatic analysis, regarding expression of the RUNX2 gene in Homo sapiens and other non-human Primates, has provided a contribution to this important issue of human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid26728717, year = {2016}, author = {Rodriguez-Flores, JL and Fakhro, K and Agosto-Perez, F and Ramstetter, MD and Arbiza, L and Vincent, TL and Robay, A and Malek, JA and Suhre, K and Chouchane, L and Badii, R and Al-Nabet Al-Marri, A and Abi Khalil, C and Zirie, M and Jayyousi, A and Salit, J and Keinan, A and Clark, AG and Crystal, RG and Mezey, JG}, title = {Indigenous Arabs are descendants of the earliest split from ancient Eurasian populations.}, journal = {Genome research}, volume = {26}, number = {2}, pages = {151-162}, pmid = {26728717}, issn = {1549-5469}, mesh = {Animals ; Arabs/*genetics ; Black People/*genetics ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Gene Frequency ; *Human Migration ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic ; Markov Chains ; Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Principal Component Analysis ; Qatar ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; White People/*genetics ; }, abstract = {An open question in the history of human migration is the identity of the earliest Eurasian populations that have left contemporary descendants. The Arabian Peninsula was the initial site of the out-of-Africa migrations that occurred between 125,000 and 60,000 yr ago, leading to the hypothesis that the first Eurasian populations were established on the Peninsula and that contemporary indigenous Arabs are direct descendants of these ancient peoples. To assess this hypothesis, we sequenced the entire genomes of 104 unrelated natives of the Arabian Peninsula at high coverage, including 56 of indigenous Arab ancestry. The indigenous Arab genomes defined a cluster distinct from other ancestral groups, and these genomes showed clear hallmarks of an ancient out-of-Africa bottleneck. Similar to other Middle Eastern populations, the indigenous Arabs had higher levels of Neanderthal admixture compared to Africans but had lower levels than Europeans and Asians. These levels of Neanderthal admixture are consistent with an early divergence of Arab ancestors after the out-of-Africa bottleneck but before the major Neanderthal admixture events in Europe and other regions of Eurasia. When compared to worldwide populations sampled in the 1000 Genomes Project, although the indigenous Arabs had a signal of admixture with Europeans, they clustered in a basal, outgroup position to all 1000 Genomes non-Africans when considering pairwise similarity across the entire genome. These results place indigenous Arabs as the most distant relatives of all other contemporary non-Africans and identify these people as direct descendants of the first Eurasian populations established by the out-of-Africa migrations.}, }
@article {pmid26725403, year = {2016}, author = {Janković, I and Ahern, JC and Smith, FH}, title = {On some aspects of Neandertal zygomatic morphology.}, journal = {Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen}, volume = {67}, number = {2}, pages = {89-99}, doi = {10.1016/j.jchb.2015.12.001}, pmid = {26725403}, issn = {1618-1301}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; Europe ; Face/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology ; Zygoma/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Neandertals are characterized by a series of well-documented facial characteristics, including midfacial prognathism, large nasal and orbital areas, and a marked supraorbital torus. We provide a comparative morphometric study of another part of this facial complex, the frontal process of the zygomatic. We find that European Neandertals have a distinctly columnar form of the frontal process not found in recent modern humans and most Pleistocene modern humans. Some purportedly modern specimens and specimens pre-dating Neandertals exhibit the same pattern as European Neandertals, while others exhibit the modern human pattern. The columnar form is likely a retention of the ancestral state in Neandertals and the other late Pleistocene specimens that exhibit it, but variation in the pattern seen in early modern humans reveals possible insights into late Pleistocene human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid26708102, year = {2016}, author = {Wynn, T and Overmann, K and Coolidge, F}, title = {The false dichotomy: a refutation of the Neandertal indistinguishability claim.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {94}, number = {}, pages = {201-221}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.94022}, pmid = {26708102}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Selection, Genetic ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {In the debate about the demise of the Neandertal, several scholars have claimed that humanity's nearest relatives were indistinguishable archaeologically, and thus behaviorally and cognitively, from contemporaneous Homo sapiens. They suggest that to hold otherwise is to characterize Neandertals as inferior to H. sapiens, a false dichotomy that excludes the possibility that the two human types simply differed in ways visible to natural selection, including their cognition. Support of the Neandertal indistinguishability claim requires ignoring the cranial differences between the two human types, which have implications for cognition and behavior. Further, support of the claim requires minimizing asymmetries in the quantity and degree of behavioral differences as attested by the archaeological record. The present paper reviews the evidence for cognitive and archaeological differences between the two human types in support of the excluded middle position.}, }
@article {pmid26681495, year = {2016}, author = {Srinivasan, S and Bettella, F and Mattingsdal, M and Wang, Y and Witoelar, A and Schork, AJ and Thompson, WK and Zuber, V and ,  and Winsvold, BS and Zwart, JA and Collier, DA and Desikan, RS and Melle, I and Werge, T and Dale, AM and Djurovic, S and Andreassen, OA}, title = {Genetic Markers of Human Evolution Are Enriched in Schizophrenia.}, journal = {Biological psychiatry}, volume = {80}, number = {4}, pages = {284-292}, pmid = {26681495}, issn = {1873-2402}, support = {U01 AG032984/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U01 AG016976/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HL105756/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AG033193/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; U01 MH109514/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; K24 DK002800/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; /WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; R01 GM104400/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U24 AG021886/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Brain/metabolism ; Genetic Markers/*genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease/*genetics ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Multifactorial Inheritance/genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/*genetics ; Schizophrenia/*genetics/pathology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Why schizophrenia has accompanied humans throughout our history despite its negative effect on fitness remains an evolutionary enigma. It is proposed that schizophrenia is a by-product of the complex evolution of the human brain and a compromise for humans' language, creative thinking, and cognitive abilities.<br><br>METHODS: We analyzed recent large genome-wide association studies of schizophrenia and a range of other human phenotypes (anthropometric measures, cardiovascular disease risk factors, immune-mediated diseases) using a statistical framework that draws on polygenic architecture and ancillary information on genetic variants. We used information from the evolutionary proxy measure called the Neanderthal selective sweep (NSS) score.<br><br>RESULTS: Gene loci associated with schizophrenia are significantly (p = 7.30 &#xd7; 10(-9)) more prevalent in genomic regions that are likely to have undergone recent positive selection in humans (i.e., with a low NSS score). Variants in brain-related genes with a low NSS score confer significantly higher susceptibility than variants in other brain-related genes. The enrichment is strongest for schizophrenia, but we cannot rule out enrichment for other phenotypes. The false discovery rate conditional on the evolutionary proxy points to 27 candidate schizophrenia susceptibility loci, 12 of which are associated with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders or linked to brain development.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that there is a polygenic overlap between schizophrenia and NSS score, a marker of human evolution, which is in line with the hypothesis that the persistence of schizophrenia is related to the evolutionary process of becoming human.}, }
@article {pmid26639346, year = {2015}, author = {Lacruz, RS and Bromage, TG and O'Higgins, P and Arsuaga, JL and Stringer, C and Godinho, RM and Warshaw, J and Martínez, I and Gracia-Tellez, A and de Castro, JM and Carbonell, E}, title = {Ontogeny of the maxilla in Neanderthals and their ancestors.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {6}, number = {}, pages = {8996}, pmid = {26639346}, issn = {2041-1723}, support = {K99 DE022799/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; R00 DE022799/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Child ; Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Male ; Maxilla/anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals had large and projecting (prognathic) faces similar to those of their putative ancestors from Sima de los Huesos (SH) and different from the retracted modern human face. When such differences arose during development and the morphogenetic modifications involved are unknown. We show that maxillary growth remodelling (bone formation and resorption) of the Devil's Tower (Gibraltar 2) and La Quina 18 Neanderthals and four SH hominins, all sub-adults, show extensive bone deposition, whereas in modern humans extensive osteoclastic bone resorption is found in the same regions. This morphogenetic difference is evident by ∼5 years of age. Modern human faces are distinct from those of the Neanderthal and SH fossils in part because their postnatal growth processes differ markedly. The growth remodelling identified in these fossil hominins is shared with Australopithecus and early Homo but not with modern humans suggesting that the modern human face is developmentally derived.}, }
@article {pmid26603101, year = {2016}, author = {Beals, ME and Frayer, DW and Radovčić, J and Hill, CA}, title = {Cochlear labyrinth volume in Krapina Neandertals.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {90}, number = {}, pages = {176-182}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.09.005}, pmid = {26603101}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Cochlea/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {Research with extant primate taxa suggests that cochlear labyrinth volume is functionally related to the range of audible frequencies. Specifically, cochlear volume is negatively correlated with both the high and low frequency limits of hearing so that the smaller the cochlea, the higher the normal range of audible frequencies. The close anatomical relationship between the membranous cochlea and the bony cochlear labyrinth allows for the determination of cochlear size from fossil specimens. This study compares Krapina Neandertal cochlear volumes to extant taxa cochlear volumes. Cochlear volumes were acquired from high-resolution computed tomography scans of temporal bones of Krapina Neandertals, chimpanzees, gorillas, and modern humans. We find that Krapina Neandertals' cochlear volumes are similar to modern Homo sapiens and are significantly larger than chimpanzee and gorilla cochlear volumes. The measured cochlear volume in Krapina Neandertals suggests they had a range of audible frequencies similar to the modern human range.}, }
@article {pmid26596347, year = {2016}, author = {Racimo, F}, title = {Testing for Ancient Selection Using Cross-population Allele Frequency Differentiation.}, journal = {Genetics}, volume = {202}, number = {2}, pages = {733-750}, pmid = {26596347}, issn = {1943-2631}, support = {R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01-GM40282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Algorithms ; *Alleles ; Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Computer Simulation ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Gene Frequency ; *Genetics, Population ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genomics/methods ; Humans ; *Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/genetics ; ROC Curve ; *Selection, Genetic ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {A powerful way to detect selection in a population is by modeling local allele frequency changes in a particular region of the genome under scenarios of selection and neutrality and finding which model is most compatible with the data. A previous method based on a cross-population composite likelihood ratio (XP-CLR) uses an outgroup population to detect departures from neutrality that could be compatible with hard or soft sweeps, at linked sites near a beneficial allele. However, this method is most sensitive to recent selection and may miss selective events that happened a long time ago. To overcome this, we developed an extension of XP-CLR that jointly models the behavior of a selected allele in a three-population tree. Our method - called "3-population composite likelihood ratio" (3P-CLR) - outperforms XP-CLR when testing for selection that occurred before two populations split from each other and can distinguish between those events and events that occurred specifically in each of the populations after the split. We applied our new test to population genomic data from the 1000 Genomes Project, to search for selective sweeps that occurred before the split of Yoruba and Eurasians, but after their split from Neanderthals, and that could have led to the spread of modern-human-specific phenotypes. We also searched for sweep events that occurred in East Asians, Europeans, and the ancestors of both populations, after their split from Yoruba. In both cases, we are able to confirm a number of regions identified by previous methods and find several new candidates for selection in recent and ancient times. For some of these, we also find suggestive functional mutations that may have driven the selective events.}, }
@article {pmid26585747, year = {2015}, author = {Serva, M}, title = {A Stochastic Model for the Interbreeding of Two Populations Continuously Sharing the Same Habitat.}, journal = {Bulletin of mathematical biology}, volume = {77}, number = {12}, pages = {2354-2365}, doi = {10.1007/s11538-015-0127-z}, pmid = {26585747}, issn = {1522-9602}, mesh = {Animals ; Breeding ; Ecosystem ; Extinction, Biological ; *Genetics, Population ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Mathematical Concepts ; *Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Stochastic Processes ; }, abstract = {We propose and solve a stochastic mathematical model of general applicability to interbreeding populations which share the same habitat. Resources are limited so that the total population size is fixed by environmental factors. Interbreeding occurs during all the time of coexistence until one of the two population disappears by a random fluctuation. None of the two populations has a selective advantage. We answer the following questions: How long the two populations coexist and how genetically similar they become before the extinction of one of the two? how much the genetic makeup of the surviving population changes by the contribution of the disappearing one? what it is the number of interbreeding events given the observed introgression of genetic material? The model was originally motivated by a paleoanthropological problem concerning the interbreeding of Neanderthals and African modern humans in Middle East which is responsible for the fraction of Neanderthal genes (1-4%) in present Eurasian population.}, }
@article {pmid26567083, year = {2016}, author = {Vyas, DN and Kitchen, A and Miró-Herrans, AT and Pearson, LN and Al-Meeri, A and Mulligan, CJ}, title = {Bayesian analyses of Yemeni mitochondrial genomes suggest multiple migration events with Africa and Western Eurasia.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {159}, number = {3}, pages = {382-393}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22890}, pmid = {26567083}, issn = {1096-8644}, support = {//Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; }, mesh = {Africa ; Anthropology, Physical ; Asia, Western ; Bayes Theorem ; Europe ; Genome, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Haplotypes ; History, Ancient ; *Human Migration ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Yemen ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Anatomically, modern humans are thought to have migrated out of Africa ∼60,000 years ago in the first successful global dispersal. This initial migration may have passed through Yemen, a region that has experienced multiple migrations events with Africa and Eurasia throughout human history. We use Bayesian phylogenetics to determine how ancient and recent migrations have shaped Yemeni mitogenomic variation.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We sequenced 113 mitogenomes from multiple Yemeni regions with a focus on haplogroups M, N, and L3(xM,N) as these groups have the oldest evolutionary history outside of Africa. We performed Bayesian evolutionary analyses to generate time-measured phylogenies calibrated by Neanderthal and Denisovan mitogenomes in order to determine the age of Yemeni-specific clades.<br><br>RESULTS: As defined by Yemeni monophyly, Yemeni in situ evolution is limited to the Holocene or latest Pleistocene (ages of clades in subhaplogroups L3b1a1a, L3h2, L3x1, M1a1f, M1a5, N1a1a3, and N1a3 range from 2 to 14 kya) and is often situated within broader Horn of Africa/southern Arabia in situ evolution (L3h2, L3x1, M1a1f, M1a5, and N1a1a3 ages range from 7 to 29 kya). Five subhaplogroups show no monophyly and are candidates for Holocene migration into Yemen (L0a2a2a, L3d1a1a, L3i2, M1a1b, and N1b1a).<br><br>DISCUSSION: Yemeni mitogenomes are largely the product of Holocene migration, and subsequent in situ evolution, from Africa and western Eurasia. However, we hypothesize that recent population movements may obscure the genetic signature of more ancient migrations. Additional research, e.g., analyses of Yemeni nuclear genetic data, is needed to better reconstruct the complex population and migration histories associated with Out of Africa.}, }
@article {pmid26524490, year = {2016}, author = {Rosandić, M and Vlahović, I and Glunčić, M and Paar, V}, title = {Trinucleotide's quadruplet symmetries and natural symmetry law of DNA creation ensuing Chargaff's second parity rule.}, journal = {Journal of biomolecular structure &amp; dynamics}, volume = {34}, number = {7}, pages = {1383-1394}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2015.1080628}, pmid = {26524490}, issn = {1538-0254}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Composition ; Chromosome Mapping ; Codon ; DNA/*chemistry/*genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; *G-Quadruplexes ; Genome ; Genomics ; Humans ; *Models, Genetic ; Nucleotides ; *Trinucleotide Repeats ; }, abstract = {For almost 50 years the conclusive explanation of Chargaff's second parity rule (CSPR), the equality of frequencies of nucleotides A=T and C=G or the equality of direct and reverse complement trinucleotides in the same DNA strand, has not been determined yet. Here, we relate CSPR to the interstrand mirror symmetry in 20 symbolic quadruplets of trinucleotides (direct, reverse complement, complement, and reverse) mapped to double-stranded genome. The symmetries of Q-box corresponding to quadruplets can be obtained as a consequence of Watson-Crick base pairing and CSPR together. Alternatively, assuming Natural symmetry law for DNA creation that each trinucleotide in one strand of DNA must simultaneously appear also in the opposite strand automatically leads to Q-box direct-reverse mirror symmetry which in conjunction with Watson-Crick base pairing generates CSPR. We demonstrate quadruplet's symmetries in chromosomes of wide range of organisms, from Escherichia coli to Neanderthal and human genomes, introducing novel quadruplet-frequency histograms and 3D-diagrams with combined interstrand frequencies. These "landscapes" are mutually similar in all mammals, including extinct Neanderthals, and somewhat different in most of older species. In human chromosomes 1-12, and X, Y the "landscapes" are almost identical and slightly different in the remaining smaller and telocentric chromosomes. Quadruplet frequencies could provide a new robust tool for characterization and classification of genomes and their evolutionary trajectories.}, }
@article {pmid26468243, year = {2015}, author = {Weaver, TD and Stringer, CB}, title = {Unconstrained cranial evolution in Neandertals and modern humans compared to common chimpanzees.}, journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences}, volume = {282}, number = {1817}, pages = {20151519}, pmid = {26468243}, issn = {1471-2954}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; Genetic Drift ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Pan troglodytes/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Selection, Genetic ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {A variety of lines of evidence support the idea that neutral evolutionary processes (genetic drift, mutation) have been important in generating cranial differences between Neandertals and modern humans. But how do Neandertals and modern humans compare with other species? And how do these comparisons illuminate the evolutionary processes underlying cranial diversification? To address these questions, we used 27 standard cranial measurements collected on 2524 recent modern humans, 20 Neandertals and 237 common chimpanzees to estimate split times between Neandertals and modern humans, and between Pan troglodytes verus and two other subspecies of common chimpanzee. Consistent with a neutral divergence, the Neandertal versus modern human split-time estimates based on cranial measurements are similar to those based on DNA sequences. By contrast, the common chimpanzee cranial estimates are much lower than DNA-sequence estimates. Apparently, cranial evolution has been unconstrained in Neandertals and modern humans compared with common chimpanzees. Based on these and additional analyses, it appears that cranial differentiation in common chimpanzees has been restricted by stabilizing natural selection. Alternatively, this restriction could be due to genetic and/or developmental constraints on the amount of within-group variance (relative to effective population size) available for genetic drift to act on.}, }
@article {pmid26458098, year = {2016}, author = {Dunbar, R and Pearce, E and Stringer, C}, title = {Response to: Traynor et al. "assessing eye orbits as predictors of neandertal group size".}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {159}, number = {2}, pages = {358-360}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22881}, pmid = {26458098}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Orbit/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Social Behavior ; }, }
@article {pmid26454764, year = {2016}, author = {Weyer, S and Pääbo, S}, title = {Functional Analyses of Transcription Factor Binding Sites that Differ between Present-Day and Archaic Humans.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {33}, number = {2}, pages = {316-322}, pmid = {26454764}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Alleles ; *Binding Sites ; Cell Line ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Transcription Factors/*metabolism ; Transcriptional Activation ; }, abstract = {We analyze 25 previously identified transcription factor binding sites that carry DNA sequence changes that are present in all or nearly all present-day humans, yet occur in the ancestral state in Neandertals and Denisovans, the closest evolutionary relatives of humans. When the ancestral and derived forms of the transcription factor binding sites are tested using reporter constructs in 3 neuronal cell lines, the activity of 12 of the derived versions of transcription factor binding sites differ from the respective ancestral variants. This suggests that the majority of this class of evolutionary differences between modern humans and Neandertals may affect gene expression in at least some tissue or cell type.}, }
@article {pmid26420257, year = {2015}, author = {Hawkes, N}, title = {Cutting science budget would be "Neanderthal" behaviour, expert says.}, journal = {BMJ (Clinical research ed.)}, volume = {351}, number = {}, pages = {h5217}, doi = {10.1136/bmj.h5217}, pmid = {26420257}, issn = {1756-1833}, mesh = {*Budgets ; Humans ; Research/*economics ; United Kingdom ; }, }
@article {pmid26418427, year = {2015}, author = {Ríos, L and Rosas, A and Estalrrich, A and García-Tabernero, A and Bastir, M and Huguet, R and Pastor, F and Sanchís-Gimeno, JA and de la Rasilla, M}, title = {Possible Further Evidence of Low Genetic Diversity in the El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain) Neandertal Group: Congenital Clefts of the Atlas.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {10}, number = {9}, pages = {e0136550}, pmid = {26418427}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Cervical Atlas/*abnormalities/pathology ; Fossils ; *Genetic Variation ; *Genetics, Population ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Spain ; }, abstract = {We present here the first cases in Neandertals of congenital clefts of the arch of the atlas. Two atlases from El Sidrón, northern Spain, present respectively a defect of the posterior (frequency in extant modern human populations ranging from 0.73% to 3.84%), and anterior (frequency in extant modern human populations ranging from 0.087% to 0.1%) arch, a condition in most cases not associated with any clinical manifestation. The fact that two out of three observable atlases present a low frequency congenital condition, together with previously reported evidence of retained deciduous mandibular canine in two out of ten dentitions from El Sidrón, supports the previous observation based on genetic evidence that these Neandertals constituted a group with close genetic relations. Some have proposed for humans and other species that the presence of skeletal congenital conditions, although without clinical significance, could be used as a signal of endogamy or inbreeding. In the present case this interpretation would fit the general scenario of high incidence of rare conditions among Pleistocene humans and the specific scenariothat emerges from Neandertal paleogenetics, which points to long-term small and decreasing population size with reduced and isolated groups. Adverse environmental factors affecting early pregnancies would constitute an alternative, non-exclusive, explanation for a high incidence of congenital conditions. Further support or rejection of these interpretations will come from new genetic and skeletal evidence from Neandertal remains.}, }
@article {pmid26392408, year = {2015}, author = {Hu, Y and Ding, Q and He, Y and Xu, S and Jin, L}, title = {Reintroduction of a Homocysteine Level-Associated Allele into East Asians by Neanderthal Introgression.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {32}, number = {12}, pages = {3108-3113}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/msv176}, pmid = {26392408}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Asian People/*genetics ; Dipeptidases/*genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; GPI-Linked Proteins/genetics ; Gene Frequency/genetics ; Haplotypes ; Homocysteine/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {In this study, we present an analysis of Neanderthal introgression at the dipeptidase 1 gene, DPEP1. A Neanderthal origin for the putative introgressive haplotypes was demonstrated using an established three-step approach. This introgression was under positive natural selection, reached a frequency of >50%, and introduced a homocysteine level- and pigmentation-associated allele (rs460879-T) into East Asians. However, the same allele was also found in non-East Asians, but not from Neanderthal introgression. It is likely that rs460879-T was lost in East Asians and was reintroduced subsequently through Neanderthal introgression. Our findings suggest that Neanderthal introgression could reintroduce an important previously existing allele into populations where the allele had been lost. This study sheds new light on understanding the contribution of Neanderthal introgression to the adaptation of non-Africans.}, }
@article {pmid26388184, year = {2015}, author = {Monge, G and Jimenez-Espejo, FJ and García-Alix, A and Martínez-Ruiz, F and Mattielli, N and Finlayson, C and Ohkouchi, N and Sánchez, MC and de Castro, JM and Blasco, R and Rosell, J and Carrión, J and Rodríguez-Vidal, J and Finlayson, G}, title = {Earliest evidence of pollution by heavy metals in archaeological sites.}, journal = {Scientific reports}, volume = {5}, number = {}, pages = {14252}, pmid = {26388184}, issn = {2045-2322}, mesh = {Agriculture ; Animals ; Archaeology/*methods ; Caves ; Environmental Monitoring ; Environmental Pollution/*analysis ; Humans ; Industry ; Metals, Heavy/*analysis ; Neanderthals ; Soil/chemistry ; Soil Pollutants/*analysis ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Homo species were exposed to a new biogeochemical environment when they began to occupy caves. Here we report the first evidence of palaeopollution through geochemical analyses of heavy metals in four renowned archaeological caves of the Iberian Peninsula spanning the last million years of human evolution. Heavy metal contents reached high values due to natural (guano deposition) and anthropogenic factors (e.g. combustion) in restricted cave environments. The earliest anthropogenic pollution evidence is related to Neanderthal hearths from Gorham's Cave (Gibraltar), being one of the first milestones in the so-called "Anthropocene". According to its heavy metal concentration, these sediments meet the present-day standards of "contaminated soil". Together with the former, the Gibraltar Vanguard Cave, shows Zn and Cu pollution ubiquitous across highly anthropic levels pointing to these elements as potential proxies for human activities. Pb concentrations in Magdalenian and Bronze age levels at El Pirulejo site can be similarly interpreted. Despite these high pollution levels, the contaminated soils might not have posed a major threat to Homo populations. Altogether, the data presented here indicate a long-term exposure of Homo to these elements, via fires, fumes and their ashes, which could have played certain role in environmental-pollution tolerance, a hitherto neglected influence.}, }
@article {pmid26381860, year = {2016}, author = {Bauer, CC and Bons, PD and Benazzi, S and Harvati, K}, title = {Using elliptical best fits to characterize dental shapes.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {159}, number = {2}, pages = {342-347}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22866}, pmid = {26381860}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Odontometry/*methods ; Paleodontology/*methods ; Tooth Crown/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {A variety of geometric morphometric methods have recently been used to describe dental shape variation in human evolutionary studies. However, the applicability of these methods is limited when teeth are worn or are difficult to orient accurately. Here we show that elliptical best fits on outlines of dental tissues below the crown provide basic size- and orientation-free shape descriptors. Using the dm(2) and M(3) as examples, we demonstrate that these descriptors can be used for taxonomic purposes, such as distinguishing between Neanderthal and recent modern human teeth. We propose that this approach can be a useful alternative to existing methodology.}, }
@article {pmid26331404, year = {2016}, author = {Bailey, SE and Benazzi, S and Buti, L and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Allometry, merism, and tooth shape of the lower second deciduous molar and first permanent molar.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {159}, number = {1}, pages = {93-105}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22842}, pmid = {26331404}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Fossils ; Humans ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Odontometry ; Tooth Crown/*anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; Tooth, Deciduous/*anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the effect of allometry on the shape of lower dm2 (dm2) and lower M1 (M1) crown outlines and examines whether the trajectory and magnitude of allometric scaling are shared between Neandertals and Homo sapiens.<br><br>METHODS: Our sample included 164 specimens: 57 recent H. sapiens, 44 Upper Paleolithic H. sapiens, 17 early H. sapiens, and 46 Neandertals. Of these, 59 represent dm2/M1 pairs from the same individuals. Occlusal photographs were used to obtain crown shapes of dm2s and M1s. Principal components analysis (PCA) of the matrix of shape coordinates was used to explore the pattern of morphological variation across the dm2 and M1 samples. Allometry was investigated by means of the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. Two-block partial least squares (2B-PLS) analysis was used to explore patterns of covariation between dm2 and M1 crown outlines of matched individual pairs.<br><br>RESULTS: The PCA confirmed significant differences between Neandertal and H. sapiens dm2 and M1 shapes. Allometry accounted for a small but statistically significant proportion of the total morphological variance. The magnitude of the allometric contribution to crown shape was stronger among Neandertals than among H. sapiens. However, we could not reject the null hypothesis that the two species share the same allometric trajectory. The 2B-PLS analysis of the pooled sample of paired individuals revealed a significant correlation in crown shape between dm2 and M1. While Procrustes distances differed significantly between dm2 and M1 in Neandertals, it did not among H. sapiens groups.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm several of the results obtained by a similar study of upper dm2/M1 (dm(2)/M(1)), but there are differences as well. Neandertal dm2/M1 shapes are less derived than those of the dm(2)/M(1). Such differences may support previous studies, which have suggested that different developmental and/or epigenetic factors affect the upper and lower dentitions.}, }
@article {pmid26324920, year = {2015}, author = {Arsuaga, JL and Carretero, JM and Lorenzo, C and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Pablos, A and Rodríguez, L and García-González, R and Bonmatí, A and Quam, RM and Pantoja-Pérez, A and Martínez, I and Aranburu, A and Gracia-Téllez, A and Poza-Rey, E and Sala, N and García, N and Alcázar de Velasco, A and Cuenca-Bescós, G and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Carbonell, E}, title = {Postcranial morphology of the middle Pleistocene humans from Sima de los Huesos, Spain.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {112}, number = {37}, pages = {11524-11529}, pmid = {26324920}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Body Height ; Body Size ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology ; Phylogeny ; Population Dynamics ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Current knowledge of the evolution of the postcranial skeleton in the genus Homo is hampered by a geographically and chronologically scattered fossil record. Here we present a complete characterization of the postcranium of the middle Pleistocene paleodeme from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) and its paleobiological implications. The SH hominins show the following: (i) wide bodies, a plesiomorphic character in the genus Homo inherited from their early hominin ancestors; (ii) statures that can be found in modern human middle-latitude populations that first appeared 1.6-1.5 Mya; and (iii) large femoral heads in some individuals, a trait that first appeared during the middle Pleistocene in Africa and Europe. The intrapopulational size variation in SH shows that the level of dimorphism was similar to modern humans (MH), but the SH hominins were less encephalized than Neandertals. SH shares many postcranial anatomical features with Neandertals. Although most of these features appear to be either plesiomorphic retentions or are of uncertain phylogenetic polarity, a few represent Neandertal apomorphies. Nevertheless, the full suite of Neandertal-derived features is not yet present in the SH population. The postcranial evidence is consistent with the hypothesis based on the cranial morphology that the SH hominins are a sister group to the later Neandertals. Comparison of the SH postcranial skeleton to other hominins suggests that the evolution of the postcranium occurred in a mosaic mode, both at a general and at a detailed level.}, }
@article {pmid26308868, year = {2014}, author = {Johansson, S}, title = {The thinking Neanderthals: What do we know about Neanderthal cognition?.}, journal = {Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science}, volume = {5}, number = {6}, pages = {613-620}, doi = {10.1002/wcs.1317}, pmid = {26308868}, issn = {1939-5086}, abstract = {The study of Neanderthal cognition is difficult, because of the archaeological invisibility of cognition, and because of the methodological issues that arise both from that invisibility and from their being close to modern humans. Nevertheless, fair progress has been made in gathering relevant evidence. There is now good evidence that Neanderthals were cognitively sophisticated, displaying many of the cognitive traits that were traditionally regarded as proxies for modern human cognition, notably including language. It can neither be proven nor excluded that they were our cognitive equals, but they were close enough to us, biologically and cognitively, to interbreed successfully and leave a genetic legacy in our DNA. WIREs Cogn Sci 2014, 5:613-620. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1317 CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The author has declared no conflicts of interest for this article. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.}, }
@article {pmid26277304, year = {2015}, author = {Ruebens, K and McPherron, SJ and Hublin, JJ}, title = {On the local Mousterian origin of the Châtelperronian: Integrating typo-technological, chronostratigraphic and contextual data.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {86}, number = {}, pages = {55-91}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.06.011}, pmid = {26277304}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; France ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Population Dynamics ; Spain ; Technology/*history/*instrumentation ; Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {Across Europe the period 45-40 ka (thousands of years ago) is associated with several technological changes, including the emergence of the Châtelperronian technocomplex in France and northern Spain. The Châtelperronian, stratigraphically located between the Mousterian and Aurignacian, is characterized by Upper Palaeolithic features, such as volumetric blade reduction, curved backed blades, end-scrapers, bladelets, bone tools and ornaments. Concurrently, repeated, though debated, associations with Neanderthal remains and Mousterian elements suggest a local technological development. Following recent critiques and cumulating technological studies, this paper provides data-driven contextualisations of the Châtelperronian and late Mousterian archaeological records and a primary comparative assessment of a major linking element, backed knives, to re-assess the origin of the Châtelperronian. The results demonstrate the challenging nature of the 50-35 ka record, with many interpretive problems caused by poorly recorded excavations, resulting in only 25 well-contextualised assemblages from the claimed 143 Châtelperronian find spots. These 25 assemblages facilitate more detailed chronostratigraphic and typo-technological assessments and show that the Châtelperronian has a homogenous set of technologies and tools. A similar evaluation of the late Mousterian indicates a wide-ranging late Neanderthal skill set, commonly including laminar blank production and backing. Further, conceptual similarities were noted both in blank selection and edge modification between Mousterian and Châtelperronian backed knives, alongside their near-absence in other, contemporaneous technocomplexes. A Europe-wide contextualisation shows that while the current coarse-grained record still allows for several potential scenarios, the data throughout this paper point towards a most parsimonious model of a Châtelperronian made by Neanderthals, with roots in the late Middle Palaeolithic technological skill set. However, this change seems triggered by early arrivals of modern humans either indirectly, through stimulus diffusion, or directly, after ca. 42 ka. Fully testing this model requires an ongoing focus on site formation and assemblage integrity, alongside in-depth analyses of recently excavated assemblages and existing collections.}, }
@article {pmid26274919, year = {2015}, author = {Dutheil, JY and Munch, K and Nam, K and Mailund, T and Schierup, MH}, title = {Strong Selective Sweeps on the X Chromosome in the Human-Chimpanzee Ancestor Explain Its Low Divergence.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {11}, number = {8}, pages = {e1005451}, pmid = {26274919}, issn = {1553-7404}, mesh = {Animals ; Chromosomes, Human, X/*genetics ; Female ; Genetic Drift ; Genetic Speciation ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals ; Recombination, Genetic ; Selection, Genetic ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {The human and chimpanzee X chromosomes are less divergent than expected based on autosomal divergence. We study incomplete lineage sorting patterns between humans, chimpanzees and gorillas to show that this low divergence can be entirely explained by megabase-sized regions comprising one-third of the X chromosome, where polymorphism in the human-chimpanzee ancestral species was severely reduced. We show that background selection can explain at most 10% of this reduction of diversity in the ancestor. Instead, we show that several strong selective sweeps in the ancestral species can explain it. We also report evidence of population specific sweeps in extant humans that overlap the regions of low diversity in the ancestral species. These regions further correspond to chromosomal sections shown to be devoid of Neanderthal introgression into modern humans. This suggests that the same X-linked regions that undergo selective sweeps are among the first to form reproductive barriers between diverging species. We hypothesize that meiotic drive is the underlying mechanism causing these two observations.}, }
@article {pmid26261040, year = {2015}, author = {Baird, SJ}, title = {Exploring linkage disequilibrium.}, journal = {Molecular ecology resources}, volume = {15}, number = {5}, pages = {1017-1019}, doi = {10.1111/1755-0998.12424}, pmid = {26261040}, issn = {1755-0998}, mesh = {Computational Biology/*methods ; Genetics, Population/*methods ; *Linkage Disequilibrium ; *Software ; }, abstract = {Linkage disequilibrium (LD, association of allelic states across loci) is poorly understood by many evolutionary biologists, but as technology for multilocus sampling improves, we ignore LD at our peril. If we sample variation at 10 loci in an organism with 20 chromosomes, we can reasonably treat them as 10 'independent witnesses' of the evolutionary process. If instead, we sample variation at 1000 loci, many are bound to be close together on a chromosome. With only one or two crossovers per meiosis, associations between close neighbours decay so slowly that even LD created far in the past will not have dissipated, so we cannot treat the 1000 loci as independent witnesses (Barton). This means that as marker density on genomes increases classic analyses assuming independent loci become mired in the problem of overconfidence: if 1000 independent witnesses are assumed, and that number should be much lower, any conclusion will be overconfident. This is of special concern because our literature suffers from a strong publication bias towards confident answers, even when they turn out to be wrong (Knowles). In contrast, analyses that take into account associations across loci both control for overconfidence and can inform us about LD generating events far in the past, for example human/Neanderthal admixture (Fu et al.). With increased marker density, biologists must increase their awareness of LD and, in this issue of Molecular Ecology Resources, Kemppainen et al. () make software available that can only help in this process: LDna allows patterns of LD in a data set to be explored using tools borrowed from network analysis. This has great potential, but realizing that potential requires understanding LD.}, }
@article {pmid26249757, year = {2015}, author = {Amano, H and Kikuchi, T and Morita, Y and Kondo, O and Suzuki, H and Ponce de León, MS and Zollikofer, CPE and Bastir, M and Stringer, C and Ogihara, N}, title = {Virtual reconstruction of the Neanderthal Amud 1 cranium.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {158}, number = {2}, pages = {185-197}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22777}, pmid = {26249757}, issn = {1096-8644}, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: We describe a new computer reconstruction to obtain complete anatomical information of the ecto- and endocranium from the imperfectly preserved skull of the Neanderthal Amud 1.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were obtained from computed tomography scans of the fossil cranium. Adhesive and plaster were then virtually removed from the original specimen, and the fragments comprising the fossil cranium were separated. These fragments were then mathematically reassembled based on the smoothness of the joints. Both sides of the cranium were reassembled separately, and then aligned based on bilateral symmetry and the distance between the mandibular fossae obtained from the associated mandible. The position of the isolated maxilla was determined based on the position of the mandible that was anatomically articulated to the mandibular fossae. To restore missing basicranial and damaged endocranial regions, the cranium of Forbes' Quarry 1 was warped onto that of La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1, and the resulting composite Neanderthal cranium was then warped onto the reconstructed Amud 1 by an iterative thin-plate spline deformation.<br><br>RESULTS: Comparison of the computer reconstruction with the original indicated that the newly reconstructed Amud 1 cranium was slightly shorter and wider in the anteroposterior and mediolateral directions, respectively, suggesting that it was relatively more brachycephalic. The endocranial volume was estimated to be 1,736 cm[3] , which was quite similar to the original estimated value of 1,740 cm[3] .<br><br>DISCUSSION: This new computer reconstruction enables not only measurement of new cranial metrics, but also inclusion of the Amud 1 specimen in three-dimensional geometric morphometric analyses that were previously difficult due to its incompleteness. Am J Phys Anthropol 158:185-197, 2015. &#xa9; 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.}, }
@article {pmid26156123, year = {2015}, author = {Fish, I and Boissinot, S}, title = {Contrasted patterns of variation and evolutionary convergence at the antiviral OAS1 gene in old world primates.}, journal = {Immunogenetics}, volume = {67}, number = {9}, pages = {487-499}, pmid = {26156123}, issn = {1432-1211}, support = {P51 OD011133/OD/NIH HHS/United States ; P51 RR013986/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/*genetics ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Disease Resistance/*genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Haplotypes/*genetics ; Macaca fascicularis/genetics/immunology ; Macaca mulatta/genetics/immunology ; Papio anubis/genetics/immunology ; Papio papio/genetics/immunology ; Polymorphism, Genetic/*genetics ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {The oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1) enzyme acts as an innate sensor of viral infection and plays a major role in the defense against a wide diversity of viruses. Polymorphisms at OAS1 have been shown to correlate with differential susceptibility to several infections of great public health significance, including hepatitis C virus, SARS coronavirus, and West Nile virus. Population genetics analyses in hominoids have revealed interesting evolutionary patterns. In Central African chimpanzee, OAS1 has evolved under long-term balancing selection, resulting in the persistence of polymorphisms since the origin of hominoids, whereas human populations have acquired and retained OAS1 alleles from Neanderthal and Denisovan origin. We decided to further investigate the evolution of OAS1 in primates by characterizing intra-specific variation in four species commonly used as models in infectious disease research: the rhesus macaque, the cynomolgus macaque, the olive baboon, and the Guinea baboon. In baboons, OAS1 harbors a very low level of variation. In contrast, OAS1 in macaques exhibits a level of polymorphism far greater than the genomic average, which is consistent with the action of balancing selection. The region of the enzyme that directly interacts with viral RNA, the RNA-binding domain, contains a number of polymorphisms likely to affect the RNA-binding affinity of OAS1. This strongly suggests that pathogen-driven balancing selection acting on the RNA-binding domain of OAS1 is maintaining variation at this locus. Interestingly, we found that a number of polymorphisms involved in RNA-binding were shared between macaques and chimpanzees. This represents an unusual case of convergent polymorphism.}, }
@article {pmid26154139, year = {2015}, author = {Zilhão, J and Banks, WE and d'Errico, F and Gioia, P}, title = {Analysis of Site Formation and Assemblage Integrity Does Not Support Attribution of the Uluzzian to Modern Humans at Grotta del Cavallo.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {10}, number = {7}, pages = {e0131181}, pmid = {26154139}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Fossils ; Geography ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Italy ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Radiometric Dating ; Tooth, Deciduous/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Based on the morphology of two deciduous molars and radiocarbon ages from layers D and E of the Grotta del Cavallo (Lecce, Italy), assigned to the Uluzzian, it has been proposed that modern humans were the makers of this Early Upper Paleolithic culture and that this finding considerably weakens the case for an independent emergence of symbolism among western European Neandertals. Reappraisal of the new dating evidence, of the finds curated in the Taranto Antiquities depot, and of coeval publications detailing the site's 1963-66 excavations shows that (a) Protoaurignacian, Aurignacian and Early Epigravettian lithics exist in the assemblages from layers D and E, (b) even though it contains both inherited and intrusive items, the formation of layer D began during Protoaurignacian times, and (c) the composition of the extant Cavallo assemblages is influenced in a non-negligible manner by the post-hoc assignment of items to stratigraphic units distinct from that of original discovery. In addition, a major disturbance feature affected the 1960s excavation trench down to Mousterian layer F, this feature went unrecognized until 1964, the human remains assigned to the Uluzzian were discovered that year and/or the previous year, and there are contradictions between field reports and the primary anthropological description of the remains as to their morphology and level of provenience. Given these major contextual uncertainties, the Cavallo teeth cannot be used to establish the authorship of the Uluzzian. Since this technocomplex's start date is ca. 45,000 calendar years ago, a number of Neandertal fossils are dated to this period, and the oldest diagnostic European modern human fossil is the <41,400 year-old Oase 1 mandible, Neandertal authorship of the Uluzzian remains the parsimonious reading of the evidence.}, }
@article {pmid26098372, year = {2015}, author = {Fu, Q and Hajdinjak, M and Moldovan, OT and Constantin, S and Mallick, S and Skoglund, P and Patterson, N and Rohland, N and Lazaridis, I and Nickel, B and Viola, B and Prüfer, K and Meyer, M and Kelso, J and Reich, D and Pääbo, S}, title = {An early modern human from Romania with a recent Neanderthal ancestor.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {524}, number = {7564}, pages = {216-219}, pmid = {26098372}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; //Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Asia, Eastern ; *Fossils ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic/*genetics ; Indians, North American/genetics ; Male ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; *Phylogeny ; Romania ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Time Factors ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals are thought to have disappeared in Europe approximately 39,000-41,000 years ago but they have contributed 1-3% of the DNA of present-day people in Eurasia. Here we analyse DNA from a 37,000-42,000-year-old modern human from Peştera cu Oase, Romania. Although the specimen contains small amounts of human DNA, we use an enrichment strategy to isolate sites that are informative about its relationship to Neanderthals and present-day humans. We find that on the order of 6-9% of the genome of the Oase individual is derived from Neanderthals, more than any other modern human sequenced to date. Three chromosomal segments of Neanderthal ancestry are over 50 centimorgans in size, indicating that this individual had a Neanderthal ancestor as recently as four to six generations back. However, the Oase individual does not share more alleles with later Europeans than with East Asians, suggesting that the Oase population did not contribute substantially to later humans in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid26072518, year = {2015}, author = {Hoover, KC and Gokcumen, O and Qureshy, Z and Bruguera, E and Savangsuksa, A and Cobb, M and Matsunami, H}, title = {Global Survey of Variation in a Human Olfactory Receptor Gene Reveals Signatures of Non-Neutral Evolution.}, journal = {Chemical senses}, volume = {40}, number = {7}, pages = {481-488}, pmid = {26072518}, issn = {1464-3553}, support = {DC005782/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Base Sequence ; DNA/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Variation/*genetics ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; Receptors, Odorant/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Allelic variation at 4 loci in the human olfactory receptor gene OR7D4 is associated with perceptual variation in the sex steroid-derived odorants, androstenone, and androstadienone. Androstadienone has been linked with chemosensory identification whereas androstenone makes pork from uncastrated pigs distasteful ("boar taint"). In a sample of 2224 individuals from 43 populations, we identified 45 OR7D4 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Coalescent modeling of frequency-site-spectrum-based statistics identified significant deviation from neutrality in human OR7D4; individual populations with statistically significant deviations from neutrality include Gujarati, Beijing Han, Great Britain, Iberia, and Puerto Rico. Analysis of molecular variation values indicated statistically significant population differentiation driven mainly by the 4 alleles associated with androstenone perception variation; however, fixation values were low suggesting that genetic structure may not have played a strong role in creating these group divisions. We also studied OR7D4 in the genomes of extinct members of the human lineage: Altai Neandertal and Denisovan. No variants were identified in Altai but 2 were in Denisova, one of which is shared by modern humans and one of which is novel. A functional test of modern human and a synthesized mutant Denisova OR7D4 indicated no statistically significant difference in responses to androstenone between the 2 species. Our results suggest non-neutral evolution for an olfactory receptor gene.}, }
@article {pmid26064624, year = {2015}, author = {Diedrich, CG}, title = {'Neanderthal bone flutes': simply products of Ice Age spotted hyena scavenging activities on cave bear cubs in European cave bear dens.}, journal = {Royal Society open science}, volume = {2}, number = {4}, pages = {140022}, pmid = {26064624}, issn = {2054-5703}, abstract = {Punctured extinct cave bear femora were misidentified in southeastern Europe (Hungary/Slovenia) as 'Palaeolithic bone flutes' and the 'oldest Neanderthal instruments'. These are not instruments, nor human made, but products of the most important cave bear scavengers of Europe, hyenas. Late Middle to Late Pleistocene (Mousterian to Gravettian) Ice Age spotted hyenas of Europe occupied mainly cave entrances as dens (communal/cub raising den types), but went deeper for scavenging into cave bear dens, or used in a few cases branches/diagonal shafts (i.e. prey storage den type). In most of those dens, about 20% of adult to 80% of bear cub remains have large carnivore damage. Hyenas left bones in repeating similar tooth mark and crush damage stages, demonstrating a butchering/bone cracking strategy. The femora of subadult cave bears are intermediate in damage patterns, compared to the adult ones, which were fully crushed to pieces. Hyenas produced round-oval puncture marks in cub femora only by the bone-crushing premolar teeth of both upper and lower jaw. The punctures/tooth impact marks are often present on both sides of the shaft of cave bear cub femora and are simply a result of non-breakage of the slightly calcified shaft compacta. All stages of femur puncturing to crushing are demonstrated herein, especially on a large cave bear population from a German cave bear den.}, }
@article {pmid26059778, year = {2015}, author = {Chevalier, T and Özçelik, K and de Lumley, MA and Kösem, B and de Lumley, H and Yalçinkaya, I and Taşkiran, H}, title = {The endostructural pattern of a middle pleistocene human femoral diaphysis from the Karain E site (Southern Anatolia, Turkey).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {157}, number = {4}, pages = {648-658}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22762}, pmid = {26059778}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; Diaphyses/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; Femur/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Turkey ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: The human femur from Karain E Cave (Turkey) exhumed from a Mousterian level provided the opportunity to make an incursion into the structural morphology of a late adolescent, or a young adult, femoral shaft from the late Middle Pleistocene of Anatolia.<br><br>METHODS: Considering the chrono-ecogeographical context, this study focuses particularly on the endostructural morphological similarities between Karain and Neanderthal fossils.<br><br>RESULTS: Comparative analysis shows that some femoral features of the Karain specimen are frequently observed in Neanderthals, in comparison to some Middle Pleistocene Homo and Middle/Upper Paleolithic modern humans. In particular, we note a high degree of circularity and a strong midshaft posteromedial reinforcement of cortical thickness on the medial side. According to the mapping of cortical thickness, this latter feature can be related to the medial spiral distribution pattern of cortical thickness in the mid-proximal shaft, which is present at Karain and in all Neanderthals available for this study. This spiral distribution was not identified in recent modern humans and may be absent from ancient Homo with femoral pilaster.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The endostructural signature of Karain could indicate a similar biomechanical strain system to that of Neanderthals that could be linked to body shape. However, the presence of posteromedial reinforcement in Berg Aukas may point to an ancestral feature and may be independent of latitude. A larger comparative sample should further clarify the taxonomical, biomechanical, and chrono-ecogeographical origins of the structural femoral features observed in an evolutionary Neanderthal context from MIS 7-9 in Karain.}, }
@article {pmid26000734, year = {2015}, author = {Kari, L and Hill, KA and Sayem, AS and Karamichalis, R and Bryans, N and Davis, K and Dattani, NS}, title = {Mapping the space of genomic signatures.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {10}, number = {5}, pages = {e0119815}, pmid = {26000734}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; *Models, Theoretical ; }, abstract = {We propose a computational method to measure and visualize interrelationships among any number of DNA sequences allowing, for example, the examination of hundreds or thousands of complete mitochondrial genomes. An "image distance" is computed for each pair of graphical representations of DNA sequences, and the distances are visualized as a Molecular Distance Map: Each point on the map represents a DNA sequence, and the spatial proximity between any two points reflects the degree of structural similarity between the corresponding sequences. The graphical representation of DNA sequences utilized, Chaos Game Representation (CGR), is genome- and species-specific and can thus act as a genomic signature. Consequently, Molecular Distance Maps could inform species identification, taxonomic classifications and, to a certain extent, evolutionary history. The image distance employed, Structural Dissimilarity Index (DSSIM), implicitly compares the occurrences of oligomers of length up to k (herein k = 9) in DNA sequences. We computed DSSIM distances for more than 5 million pairs of complete mitochondrial genomes, and used Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) to obtain Molecular Distance Maps that visually display the sequence relatedness in various subsets, at different taxonomic levels. This general-purpose method does not require DNA sequence alignment and can thus be used to compare similar or vastly different DNA sequences, genomic or computer-generated, of the same or different lengths. We illustrate potential uses of this approach by applying it to several taxonomic subsets: phylum Vertebrata, (super)kingdom Protista, classes Amphibia-Insecta-Mammalia, class Amphibia, and order Primates. This analysis of an extensive dataset confirms that the oligomer composition of full mtDNA sequences can be a source of taxonomic information. This method also correctly finds the mtDNA sequences most closely related to that of the anatomically modern human (the Neanderthal, the Denisovan, and the chimp), and that the sequence most different from it in this dataset belongs to a cucumber.}, }
@article {pmid25980758, year = {2015}, author = {Heyes, P and MacDonald, K}, title = {Neandertal energetics: Uncertainty in body mass estimation limits comparisons with Homo sapiens.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {85}, number = {}, pages = {193-197}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.04.007}, pmid = {25980758}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Basal Metabolism/*physiology ; Body Size/*physiology ; Energy Metabolism/*physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Locomotion/physiology ; Male ; Neanderthals/*metabolism ; }, }
@article {pmid25976251, year = {2015}, author = {Gravina, B and Discamps, E}, title = {MTA-B or not to be? Recycled bifaces and shifting hunting strategies at Le Moustier and their implication for the late Middle Palaeolithic in southwestern France.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {84}, number = {}, pages = {83-98}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.04.005}, pmid = {25976251}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Diet ; France ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {Explaining late Middle Palaeolithic industrial variability remains a topic of great interest for researchers focusing on aspects of Neanderthal behavioural complexity and the so-called Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic 'transition.' Several sites in southwestern France figure prominently in these discussions, including the eponymous site of Le Moustier (Dordogne, France), one of the 'key' sequences used in larger anthropological models. Here we present a re-assessment of this important site based on a technological and taphonomic re-evaluation of previously studied collections combined with an analysis of unpublished archaeological material, which includes both lithic and faunal components. Our study produces a very different interpretation of the 'classic' Le Moustier sequence, challenging previous cultural attributions in a way that significantly impacts current debates surrounding the proposed Mousterian of Acheulean Tradition (MTA)--Châtelperronian affiliation. This new interpretation highlights independent changes in lithic technology and subsistence strategies that were previously undetected as well as a novel aspect of Neanderthal raw material use. Finally, we discuss how this new vision has important ramifications for broader issues connected to the definition of late Mousterian techno-complexes, such as the MTA, and the identification of relationships between technology, subsistence, and mobility strategies.}, }
@article {pmid25957654, year = {2015}, author = {Hartman, G and Hovers, E and Hublin, JJ and Richards, M}, title = {Isotopic evidence for Last Glacial climatic impacts on Neanderthal gazelle hunting territories at Amud Cave, Israel.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {84}, number = {}, pages = {71-82}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.03.008}, pmid = {25957654}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Antelopes/*physiology ; Archaeology ; Carbon Isotopes/analysis ; Dental Enamel/chemistry ; *Diet ; *Homing Behavior ; Israel ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Oxygen Isotopes/analysis ; Paleontology ; Strontium Isotopes/analysis ; }, abstract = {The Middle Paleolithic site of Amud Cave, Israel, was occupied by Neanderthals at two different time periods, evidenced by two chronologically and stratigraphically distinct depositional sub-units (B4 and B2/B1) during MIS 4 and MIS 3, respectively. The composition of both hunted large fauna and naturally-deposited micromammalian taxa is stable at the site over time, despite a ∼ 10 ky gap between the two occupation phases. However, while gazelle is the most ubiquitous hunted species throughout the occupation, isotopic analysis showed that there is a marked change in Neanderthal hunting ranges between the early (B4) and late (B2/B1) phases. Hunting ranges were reconstructed by comparing oxygen, carbon, and strontium isotopes from gazelle tooth enamel with modern isotope data from the Amud Cave region. This region is characterized by extensive topographic, lithological, and pedological heterogeneity. During the early occupation phase negative oxygen isotope values, low radiogenic (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios, and low Sr concentrations reveal restricted gazelle hunting in the high elevations west of Amud Cave. In the late occupation phase, hunting ranges became more diverse, but concentrate at low elevations closer to the site. Climatic proxies indicate that conditions were drier in the early occupation phase, which may have pushed gazelle populations into higher, more productive foraging areas. This study showed that Neanderthals adjusted their hunting territories considerably in relation to varying environmental conditions over the course of occupation in Amud Cave. It highlights the utility of multiple isotope analysis in enhancing the resolution of behavioral interpretations based on faunal remains and in reconstructing past hunting behaviors of Paleolithic hominins.}, }
@article {pmid25921695, year = {2015}, author = {Traynor, S and Gurtov, AN and Senjem, JH and Hawks, J}, title = {Assessing eye orbits as predictors of Neandertal group size.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {157}, number = {4}, pages = {680-683}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22747}, pmid = {25921695}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Linear Models ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Neocortex/anatomy &amp; histology ; Orbit/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Social Behavior ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The objective is to investigate the hypothesis that Neandertal eye orbits can predict group size and social cognition as presented by Pearce et al. (Proc R Soc B Biol Sci 280 (2013) 20130168).<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a linear regression of known orbital aperture diameter (OAD), neocortex ratio, and group size among 18 extant diurnal primate species. Our data were derived from Kirk (J Hum Evol 51 (2006) 159-170) and Dunbar (J Hum Evol 22 (1992), 469-493; J Hum Evol 28 (1995) 287-296).<br><br>RESULTS: There is a positive correlation between OAD and group size; a positive correlation between neocortex and group size; and a positive correlation between OAD and neocortex size. The strength of the collinearity between OAD and neocortex ratio accounts for any significance of OAD in a model. The model that best accounts for variation in group size is one that includes only neocortex ratio; including OAD does not strengthen the model. OAD accounts for 29 percent of the variation in group size.<br><br>DISCUSSION: Larger orbits are correlated with larger group sizes in primates, although not significantly when controlling for neocortex ratio. Moreover, the amount of variation in group size that can be explained by OAD is negligible. The larger orbits of Neandertals compared to the average modern human population do not permit any interpretation of cognitive ability related to group size.}, }
@article {pmid25908660, year = {2015}, author = {Benazzi, S and Slon, V and Talamo, S and Negrino, F and Peresani, M and Bailey, SE and Sawyer, S and Panetta, D and Vicino, G and Starnini, E and Mannino, MA and Salvadori, PA and Meyer, M and Pääbo, S and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Archaeology. The makers of the Protoaurignacian and implications for Neandertal extinction.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {348}, number = {6236}, pages = {793-796}, doi = {10.1126/science.aaa2773}, pmid = {25908660}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Mitochondrial/analysis/genetics ; Dental Enamel/chemistry ; *Extinction, Biological ; Genome, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Humans ; Incisor/anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/*classification/*genetics ; *Phylogeny ; Tooth, Deciduous/anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry ; }, abstract = {The Protoaurignacian culture is pivotal to the debate about the timing of the arrival of modern humans in western Europe and the demise of Neandertals. However, which group is responsible for this culture remains uncertain. We investigated dental remains associated with the Protoaurignacian. The lower deciduous incisor from Riparo Bombrini is modern human, based on its morphology. The upper deciduous incisor from Grotta di Fumane contains ancient mitochondrial DNA of a modern human type. These teeth are the oldest human remains in an Aurignacian-related archaeological context, confirming that by 41,000 calendar years before the present, modern humans bearing Protoaurignacian culture spread into southern Europe. Because the last Neandertals date to 41,030 to 39,260 calendar years before the present, we suggest that the Protoaurignacian triggered the demise of Neandertals in this area.}, }
@article {pmid25878134, year = {2015}, author = {Feix, T and Kivell, TL and Pouydebat, E and Dollar, AM}, title = {Estimating thumb-index finger precision grip and manipulation potential in extant and fossil primates.}, journal = {Journal of the Royal Society, Interface}, volume = {12}, number = {106}, pages = {}, pmid = {25878134}, issn = {1742-5662}, mesh = {Animals ; Computer Simulation ; Finger Joint/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Fingers/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Fossils/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hand Strength/*physiology ; *Models, Biological ; Motor Skills/*physiology ; Primates/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Range of Motion, Articular ; }, abstract = {Primates, and particularly humans, are characterized by superior manual dexterity compared with other mammals. However, drawing the biomechanical link between hand morphology/behaviour and functional capabilities in non-human primates and fossil taxa has been challenging. We present a kinematic model of thumb-index precision grip and manipulative movement based on bony hand morphology in a broad sample of extant primates and fossil hominins. The model reveals that both joint mobility and digit proportions (scaled to hand size) are critical for determining precision grip and manipulation potential, but that having either a long thumb or great joint mobility alone does not necessarily yield high precision manipulation. The results suggest even the oldest available fossil hominins may have shared comparable precision grip manipulation with modern humans. In particular, the predicted human-like precision manipulation of Australopithecus afarensis, approximately one million years before the first stone tools, supports controversial archaeological evidence of tool-use in this taxon.}, }
@article {pmid25840859, year = {2015}, author = {Gómez-Robles, A and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Martinón-Torres, M and Prado-Simón, L and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {A geometric morphometric analysis of hominin lower molars: Evolutionary implications and overview of postcanine dental variation.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {82}, number = {}, pages = {34-50}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.02.013}, pmid = {25840859}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Asia ; *Biological Evolution ; Classification ; Cuspid/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Europe ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Lower molars have been extensively studied in the context of hominin evolution using classic and geometric morphometric analyses, 2D and 3D approaches, evaluations of the external (outer enamel surface) and internal anatomy (dentine, pulp chamber, and radicular canals), and studies of the crown and root variation. In this study, we present a 2D geometric morphometric analysis of the crown anatomy of lower first, second, and third molars of a broad sample of hominins, including Pliocene and Lower, Middle, and Upper Pleistocene species coming from Africa, Asia, and Europe. We show that shape variability increases from first to second and third molars. While first molars tend to retain a relatively stable 5-cusped conformation throughout the hominin fossil record, second and third molars show marked distal reductions in later Homo species. This trend to distal reduction is similar to that observed in previous studies of premolars and upper second and third molars, and points to a correlated reduction of distal areas across the whole postcanine dentition. Results on lower molar variation, as well as on other postcanine teeth, show certain trends in European Pleistocene populations from the Atapuerca sites. Middle Pleistocene hominins from Sima de los Huesos show Neanderthal affinities and strong dental reduction, especially in the most distal molars. The degree of dental reduction in this population is stronger than that observed in classic Neanderthals. Homo antecessor hominins from Gran Dolina-TD6 have primitive lower teeth that contrast with their more derived upper teeth. The evolutionary implications of these dental affinities are discussed in light of recent paleogenetic studies.}, }
@article {pmid25819346, year = {2015}, author = {Rosas, A and Pérez-Criado, L and Bastir, M and Estalrrich, A and Huguet, R and García-Tabernero, A and Pastor, JF and de la Rasilla, M}, title = {A geometric morphometrics comparative analysis of Neandertal humeri (epiphyses-fused) from the El Sidrón cave site (Asturias, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {82}, number = {}, pages = {51-66}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.02.018}, pmid = {25819346}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Epiphyses/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humerus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Phylogeny ; Sex Factors ; Spain ; }, abstract = {A new collection of 49,000 year old Neandertal fossil humeri from the El Sidrón cave site (Asturias, Spain) is presented. A total of 49 humeral remains were recovered, representing 10 left and 8 right humeri from adults, adolescents, and a juvenile (not included in the analyses). 3D geometric morphometric (GM) methods as well as classic anthropological variables were employed to conduct a broad comparative analysis by means of mean centroid size and shape comparisons, principal components analysis, and cluster studies. Due to the fragmentary nature of the fossils, comparisons were organized in independent analyses according to different humeral portions: distal epiphysis, diaphysis, proximal epiphysis, and the complete humerus. From a multivariate viewpoint, 3D-GM analyses revealed major differences among taxonomic groups, supporting the value of the humerus in systematic classification. Notably, the Australopithecus anamensis (KP-271) and Homo ergaster Nariokotome (KNM-WT 15000) distal humerus consistently clusters close to those of modern humans, which may imply a primitive condition for Homo sapiens morphology. Australopithecus specimens show a high degree of dispersion in the morphospace. The El Sidrón sample perfectly fits into the classic Neandertal pattern, previously described as having a relatively wide olecranon fossa, as well as thin lateral and medial distodorsal pillars. These characteristics were also typical of the Sima de los Huesos (Atapuerca) sample, African mid-Pleistocene Bodo specimen, and Lower Pleistocene TD6-Atapuerca remains and may be considered as a derived state. Finally, we hypothesize that most of the features thought to be different between Neandertals and modern humans might be associated with structural differences in the pectoral girdle and shoulder joint.}, }
@article {pmid25805043, year = {2015}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Crevecoeur, I and Balzeau, A}, title = {La Ferrassie 8 Neandertal child reloaded: New remains and re-assessment of the original collection.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {82}, number = {}, pages = {107-126}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.02.008}, pmid = {25805043}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Finger Phalanges/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; France ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Infant ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Paleontology ; Pelvic Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Ribs/anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spine/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The first evidence of the partial infant Neandertal skeleton La Ferrassie 8 (LF8) was discovered in 1970, although most of the remains were found in 1973 as part of the 1968-1973 work at the site by H. Delporte. This individual and the other Neandertal children from La Ferrassie were published in the early 1980s by J.-L. Heim, and since then LF8 has been regarded as coming from a poorly documented excavation. The recent rediscovery of the box that contained the hominin bones given by Delporte to Heim in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN) collection provided new fossils and helped to locate LF8 in the site: level M2 in square 1. Two visits to the Musée d'Archéologie nationale et Domaine national de Saint-Germain-en-Laye (MAN) yielded additional fossil remains from both the 1970 and 1973 excavations and resulted in the discovery of all of the notes from the excavation of H. Delporte between 1968 and 1973. Here the new fossil remains (47 after performing all possible refits), representing significant portions of the cranium, mandible, and vertebral column together with fragmentary hand and costal remains, are described. Unsurprisingly, the morphology of the bony labyrinth and of a complete stapes from the nearly complete left temporal show clear Neandertal affinities. Additionally, a complete reassessment of the original LF8 collection has resulted in the identification of several errors in the anatomical determination. Despite the significant increase in the anatomical representation of LF8, the skeletal remains are still limited to the head, thorax, pelvis, and four hand phalanges, with some very fragile elements relatively well preserved. Different hypotheses are proposed to explain this anatomical representation, which can be tested during future fieldwork.}, }
@article {pmid25805042, year = {2015}, author = {Lari, M and Di Vincenzo, F and Borsato, A and Ghirotto, S and Micheli, M and Balsamo, C and Collina, C and De Bellis, G and Frisia, S and Giacobini, G and Gigli, E and Hellstrom, JC and Lannino, A and Modi, A and Pietrelli, A and Pilli, E and Profico, A and Ramirez, O and Rizzi, E and Vai, S and Venturo, D and Piperno, M and Lalueza-Fox, C and Barbujani, G and Caramelli, D and Manzi, G}, title = {The Neanderthal in the karst: First dating, morphometric, and paleogenetic data on the fossil skeleton from Altamura (Italy).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {82}, number = {}, pages = {88-94}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.02.007}, pmid = {25805042}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; *Caves ; DNA/analysis ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Italy ; Molecular Sequence Data ; *Neanderthals ; Paleontology/*methods ; Phylogeny ; Scapula/chemistry ; *Skeleton/chemistry ; }, abstract = {In 1993, a fossil hominin skeleton was discovered in the karst caves of Lamalunga, near Altamura, in southern Italy. Despite the fact that this specimen represents one of the most extraordinary hominin specimens ever found in Europe, for the last two decades our knowledge of it has been based purely on the documented on-site observations. Recently, the retrieval from the cave of a fragment of bone (part of the right scapula) allowed the first dating of the individual, the quantitative analysis of a diagnostic morphological feature, and a preliminary paleogenetic characterization of this hominin skeleton from Altamura. Overall, the results concur in indicating that it belongs to the hypodigm of Homo neanderthalensis, with some phenetic peculiarities that appear consistent with a chronology ranging from 172 ± 15 ka to 130.1 ± 1.9 ka. Thus, the skeleton from Altamura represents the most ancient Neanderthal from which endogenous DNA has ever been extracted.}, }
@article {pmid25766902, year = {2015}, author = {Quam, R and Sanz, M and Daura, J and Robson Brown, K and García-González, R and Rodríguez, L and Dawson, H and Rodríguez, RF and Gómez, S and Villaescusa, L and Rubio, &#xc1; and Yagüe, A and Ortega Martínez, MC and Fullola, JM and Zilhão, J and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {The Neandertals of northeastern Iberia: new remains from the Cova del Gegant (Sitges, Barcelona).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {81}, number = {}, pages = {13-28}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.02.002}, pmid = {25766902}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humerus/anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The present study describes a new juvenile hominin mandible and teeth and a new juvenile humerus from level V of the GP2 gallery of Cova del Gegant (Spain). The mandible (Gegant-5) preserves a portion of the right mandibular corpus from the M1 distally to the socket for the dc mesially, and the age at death is estimated as 4.5-5.0 years. Gegant-5 shows a single mental foramen located under the dm1/dm2 interdental septum, a relatively posterior placement compared with recent hominins of a similar developmental age. The mental foramen in Gegant-5 is also placed within the lower half of the mandibular corpus, as in the previously described late adolescent/adult mandible (Gegant-1) from this same Middle Paleolithic site. The Gegant-5 canine shows pronounced marginal ridges, a distal accessory ridge, and a pronounced distolingual tubercle. The P3 shows a lingually-displaced protoconid cusp tip and a distal accessory ridge. The P4 shows a slightly asymmetrical crown outline, a continuous transverse crest, a mesially placed metaconid cusp tip, a slight distal accessory ridge, and an accessory lingual cusp. The M1 shows a Y5 pattern of cusp contact and a well-developed and deep anterior fovea bounded posteriorly by a continuous midtrigonid crest. Gegant-4 is the distal portion of a left humerus from a juvenile estimated to be between 5 and 7 years old at death. The specimen shows thick cortical bone. Although fragmentary, the constellation of morphological and metric features indicates Neandertal affinities for these specimens. Their spatial proximity at the site and similar ages at death suggest these remains may represent a single individual. The addition of these new specimens brings the total number of Neandertal remains from the Cova del Gegant to five, and this site documents the clearest evidence for Neandertal fossils associated with Middle Paleolithic stone tools in this region of the Iberian Peninsula.}, }
@article {pmid25760648, year = {2015}, author = {Radovčić, D and Sršen, AO and Radovčić, J and Frayer, DW}, title = {Evidence for Neandertal jewelry: modified white-tailed eagle claws at Krapina.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {10}, number = {3}, pages = {e0119802}, pmid = {25760648}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Cultural ; Archaeology ; Croatia ; Eagles/anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; *Fossils ; *Hoof and Claw ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {We describe eight, mostly complete white-tailed eagle (Haliaëtus [Haliaeetus] albicilla) talons from the Krapina Neandertal site in present-day Croatia, dating to approximately 130 kyrs ago. Four talons bear multiple, edge-smoothed cut marks; eight show polishing facets and/or abrasion. Three of the largest talons have small notches at roughly the same place along the plantar surface, interrupting the proximal margin of the talon blade. These features suggest they were part of a jewelry assemblage, --- the manipulations a consequence of mounting the talons in a necklace or bracelet. An associated phalanx articulates with one of the talons and has numerous cut marks, some of which are smoothed. These white-tailed eagle bones, discovered more than 100 years ago, all derive from a single level at Krapina and represent more talons than found in the entire European Mousterian period. Presence of eight talons indicates that the Krapina Neandertals acquired and curated eagle talons for some kind of symbolic purpose. Some have argued that Neandertals lacked symbolic ability or copied this behavior from modern humans. These remains clearly show that the Krapina Neandertals made jewelry well before the appearance of modern humans in Europe, extending ornament production and symbolic activity early into the European Mousterian.}, }
@article {pmid25758009, year = {2015}, author = {Webb, AE and Gerek, ZN and Morgan, CC and Walsh, TA and Loscher, CE and Edwards, SV and O'Connell, MJ}, title = {Adaptive Evolution as a Predictor of Species-Specific Innate Immune Response.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {32}, number = {7}, pages = {1717-1729}, pmid = {25758009}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/*genetics ; Amino Acids/metabolism ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Genetics, Population ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate/*genetics ; Mice ; Phylogeny ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; Selection, Genetic ; Species Specificity ; Toll-Like Receptor 3/chemistry ; }, abstract = {It has been proposed that positive selection may be associated with protein functional change. For example, human and macaque have different outcomes to HIV infection and it has been shown that residues under positive selection in the macaque TRIM5α receptor locate to the region known to influence species-specific response to HIV. In general, however, the relationship between sequence and function has proven difficult to fully elucidate, and it is the role of large-scale studies to help bridge this gap in our understanding by revealing major patterns in the data that correlate genotype with function or phenotype. In this study, we investigate the level of species-specific positive selection in innate immune genes from human and mouse. In total, we analyzed 456 innate immune genes using codon-based models of evolution, comparing human, mouse, and 19 other vertebrate species to identify putative species-specific positive selection. Then we used population genomic data from the recently completed Neanderthal genome project, the 1000 human genomes project, and the 17 laboratory mouse genomes project to determine whether the residues that were putatively positively selected are fixed or variable in these populations. We find evidence of species-specific positive selection on both the human and the mouse branches and we show that the classes of genes under positive selection cluster by function and by interaction. Data from this study provide us with targets to test the relationship between positive selection and protein function and ultimately to test the relationship between positive selection and discordant phenotypes.}, }
@article {pmid25683122, year = {2015}, author = {Kim, BY and Lohmueller, KE}, title = {Selection and reduced population size cannot explain higher amounts of Neandertal ancestry in East Asian than in European human populations.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {96}, number = {3}, pages = {454-461}, pmid = {25683122}, issn = {1537-6605}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Asian People/*genetics ; Genetics, Population ; Genome ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; *Population Density ; White People/*genetics ; }, abstract = {It has been hypothesized that the greater proportion of Neandertal ancestry in East Asians than in Europeans is due to the fact that purifying selection is less effective at removing weakly deleterious Neandertal alleles from East Asian populations. Using simulations of a broad range of models of selection and demography, we have shown that this hypothesis cannot account for the higher proportion of Neandertal ancestry in East Asians than in Europeans. Instead, more complex demographic scenarios, most likely involving multiple pulses of Neandertal admixture, are required to explain the data.}, }
@article {pmid25683119, year = {2015}, author = {Vernot, B and Akey, JM}, title = {Complex history of admixture between modern humans and Neandertals.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {96}, number = {3}, pages = {448-453}, pmid = {25683119}, issn = {1537-6605}, support = {R01 GM110068/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; 1R01GM110068/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Gene Flow ; *Genetics, Population ; Genome ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Recent analyses have found that a substantial amount of the Neandertal genome persists in the genomes of contemporary non-African individuals. East Asians have, on average, higher levels of Neandertal ancestry than do Europeans, which might be due to differences in the efficiency of purifying selection, an additional pulse of introgression into East Asians, or other unexplored scenarios. To better define the scope of plausible models of archaic admixture between Neandertals and anatomically modern humans, we analyzed patterns of introgressed sequence in whole-genome data of 379 Europeans and 286 East Asians. We found that inferences of demographic history restricted to neutrally evolving genomic regions allowed a simple one-pulse model to be robustly rejected, suggesting that differences in selection cannot explain the differences in Neandertal ancestry. We show that two additional demographic models, involving either a second pulse of Neandertal gene flow into the ancestors of East Asians or a dilution of Neandertal lineages in Europeans by admixture with an unknown ancestral population, are consistent with the data. Thus, the history of admixture between modern humans and Neandertals is most likely more complex than previously thought.}, }
@article {pmid25681013, year = {2015}, author = {Estalrrich, A and Rosas, A}, title = {Division of labor by sex and age in Neandertals: an approach through the study of activity-related dental wear.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {80}, number = {}, pages = {51-63}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.07.007}, pmid = {25681013}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Belgium ; Female ; *Fossils ; France ; *Gender Identity ; Male ; Neanderthals/*psychology ; Paleodontology ; Sex Factors ; Spain ; *Tooth Wear ; }, abstract = {The analysis of activity-related dental wear patterns in prehistoric anatomically modern humans and modern hunter-gatherers has shown sex differences attributable to a gendered division of labor. Neandertals are known to have extensive anterior dental wear related to the use of their front teeth as a tool. In this study we analyze the i) cultural striations (scratches on the labial surface of the anterior teeth with a cut-mark morphology), and ii) dental chipping (ante-mortem microfracture involving enamel or both enamel and dentine) in 19 Neandertal individuals from the l'Hortus (France), Spy (Belgium), and El Sidrón (Spain) sites, and compare the characteristics of those traits with the age and sex estimation for the individuals and among samples. The study reveals that all individuals have cultural striations, but those detected on the adult females are longer than the striations found in adult males. Regarding the distribution of dental chipping, the prevalence of this trait is higher in the maxillary dentition of males whereas females have the majority of dental chipping on their mandibular teeth. The differences detected on the overall activity-related dental wear pattern denote a difference or a division of labor by age and sex in Neandertals while using the mouth as a third hand, i.e., in activities other than the provisioning of food, and provide new evidence for the lifestyle of this Pleistocene fossil human species.}, }
@article {pmid25602066, year = {2015}, author = {Hublin, JJ and Neubauer, S and Gunz, P}, title = {Brain ontogeny and life history in Pleistocene hominins.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {370}, number = {1663}, pages = {20140062}, pmid = {25602066}, issn = {1471-2970}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Brain/*embryology/*growth &amp; development ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Organ Size ; Paleontology ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {A high level of encephalization is critical to the human adaptive niche and emerged among hominins over the course of the past 2 Myr. Evolving larger brains required important adaptive adjustments, in particular regarding energy allocation and life history. These adaptations included a relatively small brain at birth and a protracted growth of highly dependent offspring within a complex social environment. In turn, the extended period of growth and delayed maturation of the brain structures of humans contribute to their cognitive complexity. The current palaeoanthropological evidence shows that, regarding life history and brain ontogeny, the Pleistocene hominin taxa display different patterns and that one cannot simply contrast an 'ape-model' to a 'human-model'. Large-brained hominins such as Upper Pleistocene Neandertals have evolved along their own evolutionary pathway and can be distinguished from modern humans in terms of growth pattern and brain development. The life-history pattern and brain ontogeny of extant humans emerged only recently in the course of human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid25575941, year = {2015}, author = {Rogers, AR and Bohlender, RJ}, title = {Bias in estimators of archaic admixture.}, journal = {Theoretical population biology}, volume = {100C}, number = {}, pages = {63-78}, doi = {10.1016/j.tpb.2014.12.006}, pmid = {25575941}, issn = {1096-0325}, abstract = {This article evaluates bias in one class of methods used to estimate archaic admixture in modern humans. These methods study the pattern of allele sharing among modern and archaic genomes. They are sensitive to "ghost" admixture, which occurs when a population receives archaic DNA from sources not acknowledged by the statistical model. The effect of ghost admixture depends on two factors: branch-length bias and population-size bias. Branch-length bias occurs because a given amount of admixture has a larger effect if the two populations have been separated for a long time. Population-size bias occurs because differences in population size distort branch lengths in the gene genealogy. In the absence of ghost admixture, these effects are small. They become important, however, in the presence of ghost admixture. Estimators differ in the pattern of response. Increasing a given parameter may inflate one estimator but deflate another. For this reason, comparisons among estimators are informative. Using such comparisons, this article supports previous findings that the archaic population was small and that Europeans received little gene flow from archaic populations other than Neanderthals. It also identifies an inconsistency in estimates of archaic admixture into Melanesia.}, }
@article {pmid25563409, year = {2015}, author = {Perry, GH and Kistler, L and Kelaita, MA and Sams, AJ}, title = {Insights into hominin phenotypic and dietary evolution from ancient DNA sequence data.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {79}, number = {}, pages = {55-63}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.10.018}, pmid = {25563409}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; *Biological Evolution ; DNA/analysis/genetics ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Feeding Behavior/*physiology ; Fossils ; Genetic Variation ; Genomics ; Hominidae/*genetics/*physiology ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Myosin Heavy Chains/genetics ; Neanderthals ; Paleontology ; Phenotype ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/genetics ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {Nuclear genome sequence data from Neandertals, Denisovans, and archaic anatomically modern humans can be used to complement our understanding of hominin evolutionary biology and ecology through i) direct inference of archaic hominin phenotypes, ii) indirect inference of those phenotypes by identifying the effects of previously-introgressed alleles still present among modern humans, or iii) determining the evolutionary timing of relevant hominin-specific genetic changes. Here we review and reanalyze published Neandertal and Denisovan genome sequence data to illustrate an example of the third approach. Specifically, we infer the timing of five human gene presence/absence changes that may be related to particular hominin-specific dietary changes and discuss these results in the context of our broader reconstructions of hominin evolutionary ecology. We show that pseudogenizing (gene loss) mutations in the TAS2R62 and TAS2R64 bitter taste receptor genes and the MYH16 masticatory myosin gene occurred after the hominin-chimpanzee divergence but before the divergence of the human and Neandertal/Denisovan lineages. The absence of a functional MYH16 protein may explain our relatively reduced jaw muscles; this gene loss may have followed the adoption of cooking behavior. In contrast, salivary amylase gene (AMY1) duplications were not observed in the Neandertal and Denisovan genomes, suggesting a relatively recent origin for the AMY1 copy number gains that are observed in modern humans. Thus, if earlier hominins were consuming large quantities of starch-rich underground storage organs, as previously hypothesized, then they were likely doing so without the digestive benefits of increased salivary amylase production. Our most surprising result was the observation of a heterozygous mutation in the first codon of the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor gene in the Neandertal individual, which likely would have resulted in a non-functional protein and inter-individual PTC (phenylthiocarbamide) taste sensitivity variation, as also observed in both humans and chimpanzees.}, }
@article {pmid25563407, year = {2015}, author = {Bastir, M and García-Martínez, D and Estalrrich, A and García-Tabernero, A and Huguet, R and Ríos, L and Barash, A and Recheis, W and de la Rasilla, M and Rosas, A}, title = {The relevance of the first ribs of the El Sidrón site (Asturias, Spain) for the understanding of the Neandertal thorax.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {80}, number = {}, pages = {64-73}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.10.008}, pmid = {25563407}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Ribs/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Thorax/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Reconstructing the morphology of the Neanderthal rib cage not only provides information about the general evolution of human body shape but also aids understanding of functional anatomy and energetics. Despite this paleobiological importance there is still debate about the nature and extent of variations in the size and shape of the Neandertal thorax. The El Sidrón Neandertals can be used to contribute to this debate, providing new costal remains ranging from fully preserved and undistorted ribs to highly fragmented elements. Six first ribs are particularly well preserved and offer the opportunity to analyze thorax morphology in Neandertals. The aims of this paper are to present this new material, to compare the ontogenetic trajectories of the first ribs between Neandertals and modern humans, and, using geometric morphometrics, to test the hypothesis of morphological integration between the first rib and overall thorax morphology. The first ribs of the El Sidrón adult Neandertals are smaller in centroid size and tend to be less curved when compared with those of modern humans, but are similar to Kebara 2. Our results further show that the straightening of the first ribs is significantly correlated with a straightening of the ribs of the upper thorax (R = 0.66; p < 0.0001) in modern humans, suggesting modularity in the upper and lower thorax units as reported in other hominins. It also supports the hypothesis that the upper thorax of Neandertals differs in shape from modern humans with more anteriorly projecting upper ribs during inspiration. These differences could have biomechanical consequences and account for stronger muscle attachments in Neandertals. Different upper thorax shape would also imply a different spatial arrangement of the shoulder girdle and articulation with the humerus (torsion) and its connection to the upper thorax. Future research should address these inferences in the context of Neandertal overall body morphology.}, }
@article {pmid25556237, year = {2015}, author = {Lin, YL and Pavlidis, P and Karakoc, E and Ajay, J and Gokcumen, O}, title = {The evolution and functional impact of human deletion variants shared with archaic hominin genomes.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {32}, number = {4}, pages = {1008-1019}, pmid = {25556237}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Variation ; *Genome ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Sequence Deletion ; }, abstract = {Allele sharing between modern and archaic hominin genomes has been variously interpreted to have originated from ancestral genetic structure or through non-African introgression from archaic hominins. However, evolution of polymorphic human deletions that are shared with archaic hominin genomes has yet to be studied. We identified 427 polymorphic human deletions that are shared with archaic hominin genomes, approximately 87% of which originated before the Human-Neandertal divergence (ancient) and only approximately 9% of which have been introgressed from Neandertals (introgressed). Recurrence, incomplete lineage sorting between human and chimp lineages, and hominid-specific insertions constitute the remaining approximately 4% of allele sharing between humans and archaic hominins. We observed that ancient deletions correspond to more than 13% of all common (>5% allele frequency) deletion variation among modern humans. Our analyses indicate that the genomic landscapes of both ancient and introgressed deletion variants were primarily shaped by purifying selection, eliminating large and exonic variants. We found 17 exonic deletions that are shared with archaic hominin genomes, including those leading to three fusion transcripts. The affected genes are involved in metabolism of external and internal compounds, growth and sperm formation, as well as susceptibility to psoriasis and Crohn's disease. Our analyses suggest that these "exonic" deletion variants have evolved through different adaptive forces, including balancing and population-specific positive selection. Our findings reveal that genomic structural variants that are shared between humans and archaic hominin genomes are common among modern humans and can influence biomedically and evolutionarily important phenotypes.}, }
@article {pmid25551383, year = {2014}, author = {Xing, S and Martinón-Torres, M and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Zhang, Y and Fan, X and Zheng, L and Huang, W and Liu, W}, title = {Middle Pleistocene hominin teeth from Longtan Cave, Hexian, China.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {9}, number = {12}, pages = {e114265}, pmid = {25551383}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Caves ; China ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {Excavations at the Longtan Cave, Hexian, Anhui Province of Eastern China, have yielded several hominin fossils including crania, mandibular fragments, and teeth currently dated to 412 ± 25 ka. While previous studies have focused on the cranial remains, there are no detailed analyses of the dental evidence. In this study, we provide metric and morphological descriptions and comparisons of ten teeth recovered from Hexian, including microcomputed tomography analyses. Our results indicate that the Hexian teeth are metrically and morphologically primitive and overlap with H. ergaster and East Asian Early and mid-Middle Pleistocene hominins in their large dimensions and occlusal complexities. However, the Hexian teeth differ from H. ergaster in features such as conspicuous vertical grooves on the labial/buccal surfaces of the central incisor and the upper premolar, the crown outline shapes of upper and lower molars and the numbers, shapes, and divergences of the roots. Despite their close geological ages, the Hexian teeth are also more primitive than Zhoukoudian specimens, and resemble Sangiran Early Pleistocene teeth. In addition, no typical Neanderthal features have been identified in the Hexian sample. Our study highlights the metrical and morphological primitive status of the Hexian sample in comparison to contemporaneous or even earlier populations of Asia. Based on this finding, we suggest that the primitive-derived gradients of the Asian hominins cannot be satisfactorily fitted along a chronological sequence, suggesting complex evolutionary scenarios with the coexistence and/or survival of different lineages in Eurasia. Hexian could represent the persistence in time of a H. erectus group that would have retained primitive features that were lost in other Asian populations such as Zhoukoudian or Panxian Dadong. Our study expands the metrical and morphological variations known for the East Asian hominins before the mid-Middle Pleistocene and warns about the possibility that the Asian hominin variability may have been taxonomically oversimplified.}, }
@article {pmid25487326, year = {2015}, author = {Sánchez-Quinto, F and Lalueza-Fox, C}, title = {Almost 20 years of Neanderthal palaeogenetics: adaptation, admixture, diversity, demography and extinction.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {370}, number = {1660}, pages = {20130374}, pmid = {25487326}, issn = {1471-2970}, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological/*genetics ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; *Extinction, Biological ; Fossils ; *Genetic Variation ; Genetics, Population ; Genomics/*methods/trends ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Population Dynamics ; }, abstract = {Nearly two decades since the first retrieval of Neanderthal DNA, recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies have allowed the generation of high-coverage genomes from two archaic hominins, a Neanderthal and a Denisovan, as well as a complete mitochondrial genome from remains which probably represent early members of the Neanderthal lineage. This genomic information, coupled with diversity exome data from several Neanderthal specimens is shedding new light on evolutionary processes such as the genetic basis of Neanderthal and modern human-specific adaptations-including morphological and behavioural traits-as well as the extent and nature of the admixture events between them. An emerging picture is that Neanderthals had a long-term small population size, lived in small and isolated groups and probably practised inbreeding at times. Deleterious genetic effects associated with these demographic factors could have played a role in their extinction. The analysis of DNA from further remains making use of new large-scale hybridization-capture-based methods as well as of new approaches to discriminate contaminant DNA sequences will provide genetic information in spatial and temporal scales that could help clarify the Neanderthal's-and our very own-evolutionary history.}, }
@article {pmid25481629, year = {2015}, author = {Yravedra, J and Cobo-Sánchez, L}, title = {Neanderthal exploitation of ibex and chamois in southwestern Europe.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {78}, number = {}, pages = {12-32}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.10.002}, pmid = {25481629}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Environment ; Geologic Sediments ; *Goats ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Paleontology ; Predatory Behavior/*physiology ; Rupicapra ; Seasons ; Spain ; }, abstract = {There is increasing evidence that Neanderthals had a diverse and flexible diet. They exploited a wide range of resources from large proboscideans to small animals like turtles, rabbits, and marine species. Here, we discuss the importance of ibex and chamois in Neanderthal hunting strategies. The exploitation of both animals has traditionally been regarded as typical of Homo sapiens hunting behavior but was not a feature of Neanderthal behavior, which was thought to have focused on other kinds of game like deer, horses or large bovids. Our analysis of an extensive sample of Middle Paleolithic sites with faunal remains in the Iberian Peninsula reveals that Iberian ibex and chamois were frequently present throughout this period. Statistical analyses allowed us to assess the conditions that might have favored the presence or absence of these animals in the sites, while the taphonomic analyses enabled us to address the issue of whether ibex and chamois were indeed hunted by Neanderthals in the Iberian Peninsula. Our results indicate a better representation of both species in rocky and mountainous areas. The taphonomy of some sites reveals that chamois and ibex were hunted by Neanderthals, who showed great adaptive capacities to a wide variety of environments, including mountainous habitats. In contrast, other sites with favorable ecological conditions for ibex and chamois where these animals were not exploited by Neanderthals, who chose to hunt other species like deer, horses or aurochs, suggest behavioral complexity and large versatility.}, }
@article {pmid25467111, year = {2015}, author = {Sams, AJ and Hawks, J and Keinan, A}, title = {The utility of ancient human DNA for improving allele age estimates, with implications for demographic models and tests of natural selection.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {79}, number = {}, pages = {64-72}, pmid = {25467111}, issn = {1095-8606}, support = {R01 GM108805/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01GM108805/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; DNA/analysis/*genetics ; Europe ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genetics, Population/*methods ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {The age of polymorphic alleles in humans is often estimated from population genetic patterns in extant human populations, such as allele frequencies, linkage disequilibrium, and rate of mutations. Ancient DNA can improve the accuracy of such estimates, as well as facilitate testing the validity of demographic models underlying many population genetic methods. Specifically, the presence of an allele in a genome derived from an ancient sample testifies that the allele is at least as old as that sample. In this study, we consider a common method for estimating allele age based on allele frequency as applied to variants from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Exome Sequencing Project. We view these estimates in the context of the presence or absence of each allele in the genomes of the 5300 year old Tyrolean Iceman, Ötzi, and of the 50,000 year old Altai Neandertal. Our results illuminate the accuracy of these estimates and their sensitivity to demographic events that were not included in the model underlying age estimation. Specifically, allele presence in the Iceman genome provides a good fit of allele age estimates to the expectation based on the age of that specimen. The equivalent based on the Neandertal genome leads to a poorer fit. This is likely due in part to the older age of the Neandertal and the older time of the split between modern humans and Neandertals, but also due to gene flow from Neandertals to modern humans not being considered in the underlying demographic model. Thus, the incorporation of ancient DNA can improve allele age estimation, demographic modeling, and tests of natural selection. Our results also point to the importance of considering a more diverse set of ancient samples for understanding the geographic and temporal range of individual alleles.}, }
@article {pmid25454779, year = {2015}, author = {Smith, GM}, title = {Neanderthal megafaunal exploitation in Western Europe and its dietary implications: a contextual reassessment of La Cotte de St Brelade (Jersey).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {78}, number = {}, pages = {181-201}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.10.007}, pmid = {25454779}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Diet ; *Ecology ; Europe ; Feeding Behavior/*physiology ; Fossils ; France ; Geologic Sediments ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Paleontology ; Perissodactyla ; Ursidae ; Wolves ; }, abstract = {The recurrent presence at Middle Palaeolithic sites of megafaunal remains, such as mammoth, elephant and rhinoceros, together with isotope analyses signalling meat as a prominent protein source, have been used to argue that these species played a central role in Neanderthal diet. Key to this model are the bone heap horizons from La Cotte de St Brelade (Jersey), which were previously interpreted as game drive debris resulting from systematic Neanderthal hunting. However, this hypothesis has never been rigorously tested, neither at a site-scale, incorporating taphonomic and contextual data, nor at a wider European scale. First, this paper provides a contextual reassessment of the faunal remains from La Cotte to fully understand Neanderthal behaviour at the site. Second, a comparative database of 30 well-published Middle Palaeolithic sites with megafauna permits a data-driven, broader spatial (European) and diachronic assessment of the role of megafauna in Neanderthal subsistence behaviour. Results suggest initial Neanderthal occupation at La Cotte was intensive although through time site visits became more infrequent, as highlighted by a reduction in cultural debris concurrent with a rise in carnivore presence. While mammoths, just as other large mammals and occasionally carnivores, were clearly butchered at this locality, their acquisition and role in Neanderthal diet remains ambiguous. Broader comparisons across Western Europe indicate a main focus on a range of large herbivores, with only a minor, opportunistic, role for megafauna. Whilst stable isotope analysis suggests that Neanderthal diet was meat-oriented, zooarchaeological data do not support the inference that megafauna were the major contributor of meat.}, }
@article {pmid25440134, year = {2014}, author = {Rubini, M and Cerroni, V and Festa, G and Sardella, R and Zaio, P}, title = {A revision of hominin fossil teeth from Fontana Ranuccio (Middle Pleistocene, Anagni, Frosinone, Italy).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {77}, number = {}, pages = {204-216}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.09.002}, pmid = {25440134}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Dental Pulp Cavity/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Geologic Sediments ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Italy ; Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Root/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The Fontana Ranuccio hominin teeth (FR, Latium, Italy) are dated to the Middle Pleistocene. In previous studies these teeth were classified as two lower (left and right) second molars, one lower left central incisor and a badly worn incisor crown, the exact position of which could not be determined. In 2012 these remains were acquired by the Anthropological Service of S.B.A.L. (Italian Ministry of Culture) and for this reason re-analysed. In a thorough revision we have reassessed them both morphologically and dimensionally as two lower (left and right) first molars, one lower left lateral incisor and a possible upper left canine. The comparison with penecontemporaneous and diachronic samples shows that the Fontana Ranuccio teeth are morphologically similar to Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos, Arago XIII and Neanderthal samples.}, }
@article {pmid25439708, year = {2014}, author = {Mateos, A and Goikoetxea, I and Leonard, WR and Martín-González, J&#xc1; and Rodríguez-Gómez, G and Rodríguez, J}, title = {Neandertal growth: what are the costs?.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {77}, number = {}, pages = {167-178}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.09.003}, pmid = {25439708}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Basal Metabolism/*physiology ; Body Height/physiology ; Body Temperature Regulation/physiology ; Body Weight/physiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Energy Metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Neanderthals/*growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {Energetic approaches have been increasingly used to address key issues in Neandertal palaeoecology and palaeobiology. Previous research has focused exclusively on the energy requirements of adults and highlights the high energy demands of these individuals compared with modern humans. Less attention has been paid to the energy requirements of sub-adult Neandertals, even though this age group could provide clues for a better understanding of Neandertal life history. Accordingly, herein, we estimate the energy costs of maintenance and growth in Neandertal infants and children from one to six years of age and compare these costs with values for modern humans. Statural growth models for two modern human populations (Beasain and Evenki) and an average Neandertal model population are used to establish weight growth models. In turn, these models of body weight growth are used to estimate key components of energetic variables (basal metabolic rate, total energy expenditure, energy of growth and daily energy requirements). Between three and six years of age, Neandertal children have slightly lower basal and growth energy costs than do modern humans of the same age, due primarily to their smaller body mass and slower growth rates. The reduction in energy allocated to growth is likely the result of metabolic adaptations to other somatic factors and thermal stress. Data from contemporary human infants and children suggest that even mild cold stress increases non-shivering thermogenesis, thus elevating metabolic needs by 50% or more. These results suggest that thermal stress likely played a strong role in shaping the delayed developmental patterns and lower energy allocated to growth during early life in Neandertals relative to Homo sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid25413709, year = {2015}, author = {Hofreiter, M and Paijmans, JL and Goodchild, H and Speller, CF and Barlow, A and Fortes, GG and Thomas, JA and Ludwig, A and Collins, MJ}, title = {The future of ancient DNA: Technical advances and conceptual shifts.}, journal = {BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology}, volume = {37}, number = {3}, pages = {284-293}, doi = {10.1002/bies.201400160}, pmid = {25413709}, issn = {1521-1878}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; DNA Damage ; Genome ; *High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Temperature ; }, abstract = {Technological innovations such as next generation sequencing and DNA hybridisation enrichment have resulted in multi-fold increases in both the quantity of ancient DNA sequence data and the time depth for DNA retrieval. To date, over 30 ancient genomes have been sequenced, moving from 0.7× coverage (mammoth) in 2008 to more than 50× coverage (Neanderthal) in 2014. Studies of rapid evolutionary changes, such as the evolution and spread of pathogens and the genetic responses of hosts, or the genetics of domestication and climatic adaptation, are developing swiftly and the importance of palaeogenomics for investigating evolutionary processes during the last million years is likely to increase considerably. However, these new datasets require new methods of data processing and analysis, as well as conceptual changes in interpreting the results. In this review we highlight important areas of future technical and conceptual progress and discuss research topics in the rapidly growing field of palaeogenomics.}, }
@article {pmid25407444, year = {2015}, author = {Fiorenza, L and Benazzi, S and Henry, AG and Salazar-García, DC and Blasco, R and Picin, A and Wroe, S and Kullmer, O}, title = {To meat or not to meat? New perspectives on Neanderthal ecology.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {156 Suppl 59}, number = {}, pages = {43-71}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22659}, pmid = {25407444}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Calculus/pathology ; Europe ; *Feeding Behavior ; *Fossils ; Isotopes/analysis ; *Meat ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Paleopathology ; Technology ; Tooth Wear/pathology ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals have been commonly depicted as top predators who met their nutritional needs by focusing entirely on meat. This information mostly derives from faunal assemblage analyses and stable isotope studies: methods that tend to underestimate plant consumption and overestimate the intake of animal proteins. Several studies in fact demonstrate that there is a physiological limit to the amount of animal proteins that can be consumed: exceeding these values causes protein toxicity that can be particularly dangerous to pregnant women and newborns. Consequently, to avoid food poisoning from meat-based diets, Neanderthals must have incorporated alternative food sources in their daily diets, including plant materials as well.}, }
@article {pmid25407030, year = {2015}, author = {Benazzi, S and Nguyen, HN and Kullmer, O and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Exploring the biomechanics of taurodontism.}, journal = {Journal of anatomy}, volume = {226}, number = {2}, pages = {180-188}, pmid = {25407030}, issn = {1469-7580}, mesh = {Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology ; Dental Pulp Cavity/*abnormalities/physiopathology ; Dental Stress Analysis/methods ; Finite Element Analysis ; Mastication/physiology ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Stress, Physiological/physiology ; Tooth Abnormalities/*physiopathology ; }, abstract = {Taurodontism (i.e. enlarged pulp chamber with concomitant apical displacement of the root bi/trifurcation) is considered a dental anomaly with relatively low incidence in contemporary societies, but it represents a typical trait frequently found in Neandertal teeth. Four hypotheses can be envisioned to explain the high frequency in Neandertals: adaptation to a specific occlusal loading regime (biomechanical advantage), adaptation to a high attrition diet, pleiotropic or genetic drift effects. In this contribution we used finite element analysis (FEA) and advanced loading concepts based on macrowear information to evaluate whether taurodontism supplies some dental biomechanical advantages. Loads were applied to the digital model of the lower right first molar (RM1) of the Neandertal specimen Le Moustier 1, as well as to the digital models of both a shortened and a hyper-taurodontic version of Le Moustier RM1 . Moreover, we simulated a scenario where an object is held between teeth and pulled in different directions to investigate whether taurodontism might be useful for para-masticatory activities. Our results do not show any meaningful difference among all the simulations, pointing out that taurodontism does not improve the functional biomechanics of the tooth and does not favour para-masticatory pulling activities. Therefore, taurodontism should be considered either an adaptation to a high attrition diet or most likely the result of pleiotropic or genetic drift effects. Finally, our results have important implications for modern dentistry during endodontic treatments, as we observed that filling the pulp chamber with dentine-like material increases tooth stiffness, and ultimately tensile stresses in the crown, thus favouring tooth failure.}, }
@article {pmid25388672, year = {2015}, author = {Fukase, H and Kondo, O and Ishida, H}, title = {Size and placement of developing anterior teeth in immature Neanderthal mandibles from Dederiyeh Cave, Syria: implications for emergence of the modern human chin.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {156}, number = {3}, pages = {482-488}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22665}, pmid = {25388672}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Caves ; Chin/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Incisor/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Syria ; }, abstract = {Evolutionary and functional significance of the human chin has long been explored from various perspectives including masticatory biomechanics, speech, and anterior tooth size. Recent ontogenetic studies have indicated that the spatial position of internally forming anterior teeth partially constrains adult mandibular symphyseal morphology. The present study therefore preliminarily examined the size and placement of developing anterior teeth in immature Neanderthal mandibles of Dederiyeh 1 and 2, compared with similarly-aged modern humans (N = 16) and chimpanzees (N = 7) whose incisors are comparatively small and large among extant hominids, respectively. The Dederiyeh 1 mandible is described as slightly presenting a mental trigone and attendant mental fossa, whereas Dederiyeh 2 completely lacks such chin-associated configurations. Results showed that, despite symphyseal size being within the modern human range, both Dederiyeh mandibles accommodated overall larger anterior dentition and displayed a remarkably wide bicanine space compared to those of modern humans. Dederiyeh 2 had comparatively thicker deciduous incisor roots and more enlarged permanent incisor crypts than Dederiyeh 1, but both Dederiyeh individuals exhibited a total dental size mostly intermediate between modern humans and chimpanzees. These findings potentially imply that the large deciduous/permanent incisors collectively distended the labial alveolar bone, obscuring an incipient mental trigone. It is therefore hypothesized that the appearance of chin-associated features, particularly of the mental trigone and fossa, can be accounted for partly by developmental relationships between the sizes of the available mandibular space and anterior teeth. This hypothesis must be, however, further addressed with more referential samples in future studies.}, }
@article {pmid25378462, year = {2014}, author = {Seguin-Orlando, A and Korneliussen, TS and Sikora, M and Malaspinas, AS and Manica, A and Moltke, I and Albrechtsen, A and Ko, A and Margaryan, A and Moiseyev, V and Goebel, T and Westaway, M and Lambert, D and Khartanovich, V and Wall, JD and Nigst, PR and Foley, RA and Lahr, MM and Nielsen, R and Orlando, L and Willerslev, E}, title = {Paleogenomics. Genomic structure in Europeans dating back at least 36,200 years.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {346}, number = {6213}, pages = {1113-1118}, doi = {10.1126/science.aaa0114}, pmid = {25378462}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {DNA/*genetics/history ; Europe ; Fossils ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; Genomics ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Male ; Siberia ; White People/*genetics/history ; }, abstract = {The origin of contemporary Europeans remains contentious. We obtained a genome sequence from Kostenki 14 in European Russia dating from 38,700 to 36,200 years ago, one of the oldest fossils of anatomically modern humans from Europe. We find that Kostenki 14 shares a close ancestry with the 24,000-year-old Mal'ta boy from central Siberia, European Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, some contemporary western Siberians, and many Europeans, but not eastern Asians. Additionally, the Kostenki 14 genome shows evidence of shared ancestry with a population basal to all Eurasians that also relates to later European Neolithic farmers. We find that Kostenki 14 contains more Neandertal DNA that is contained in longer tracts than present Europeans. Our findings reveal the timing of divergence of western Eurasians and East Asians to be more than 36,200 years ago and that European genomic structure today dates back to the Upper Paleolithic and derives from a metapopulation that at times stretched from Europe to central Asia.}, }
@article {pmid25369936, year = {2014}, author = {Brower, CS and Rosen, CE and Jones, RH and Wadas, BC and Piatkov, KI and Varshavsky, A}, title = {Liat1, an arginyltransferase-binding protein whose evolution among primates involved changes in the numbers of its 10-residue repeats.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {111}, number = {46}, pages = {E4936-45}, pmid = {25369936}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {R56 DK039520/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM031530/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 DK039520/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; DK039520/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; R37 DK039520/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; GM031530/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alternative Splicing ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Aminoacyltransferases/*metabolism ; Animals ; Arginine/metabolism ; Base Sequence ; Chromosome Mapping ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Exons/genetics ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Ligands ; Mice/*genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Primates/*genetics ; Protein Binding ; Protein Isoforms/metabolism ; Protein Processing, Post-Translational ; Proteolysis ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Homology ; Species Specificity ; *Tandem Repeat Sequences ; }, abstract = {The arginyltransferase Ate1 is a component of the N-end rule pathway, which recognizes proteins containing N-terminal degradation signals called N-degrons, polyubiquitylates these proteins, and thereby causes their degradation by the proteasome. At least six isoforms of mouse Ate1 are produced through alternative splicing of Ate1 pre-mRNA. We identified a previously uncharacterized mouse protein, termed Liat1 (ligand of Ate1), that interacts with Ate1 but does not appear to be its arginylation substrate. Liat1 has a higher affinity for the isoforms Ate1(1A7A) and Ate1(1B7A). Liat1 stimulated the in vitro N-terminal arginylation of a model substrate by Ate1. All examined vertebrate and some invertebrate genomes encode proteins sequelogous (similar in sequence) to mouse Liat1. Sequelogs of Liat1 share a highly conserved ∼30-residue region that is shown here to be required for the binding of Liat1 to Ate1. We also identified non-Ate1 proteins that interact with Liat1. In contrast to Liat1 genes of nonprimate mammals, Liat1 genes of primates are subtelomeric, a location that tends to confer evolutionary instability on a gene. Remarkably, Liat1 proteins of some primates, from macaques to humans, contain tandem repeats of a 10-residue sequence, whereas Liat1 proteins of other mammals contain a single copy of this motif. Quantities of these repeats are, in general, different in Liat1 of different primates. For example, there are 1, 4, 13, 13, 17, and 17 repeats in the gibbon, gorilla, orangutan, bonobo, neanderthal, and human Liat1, respectively, suggesting that repeat number changes in this previously uncharacterized protein may contribute to evolution of primates.}, }
@article {pmid25341783, year = {2014}, author = {Fu, Q and Li, H and Moorjani, P and Jay, F and Slepchenko, SM and Bondarev, AA and Johnson, PL and Aximu-Petri, A and Prüfer, K and de Filippo, C and Meyer, M and Zwyns, N and Salazar-García, DC and Kuzmin, YV and Keates, SG and Kosintsev, PA and Razhev, DI and Richards, MP and Peristov, NV and Lachmann, M and Douka, K and Higham, TF and Slatkin, M and Hublin, JJ and Reich, D and Kelso, J and Viola, TB and Pääbo, S}, title = {Genome sequence of a 45,000-year-old modern human from western Siberia.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {514}, number = {7523}, pages = {445-449}, pmid = {25341783}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {R01-GM40282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; F32 GM115006/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; K99 GM104158/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; K99-GM104158/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; //Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12/genetics ; Diet ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Fossils ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic/genetics ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation Rate ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Population Density ; Population Dynamics ; Principal Component Analysis ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Siberia ; }, abstract = {We present the high-quality genome sequence of a ∼45,000-year-old modern human male from Siberia. This individual derives from a population that lived before-or simultaneously with-the separation of the populations in western and eastern Eurasia and carries a similar amount of Neanderthal ancestry as present-day Eurasians. However, the genomic segments of Neanderthal ancestry are substantially longer than those observed in present-day individuals, indicating that Neanderthal gene flow into the ancestors of this individual occurred 7,000-13,000 years before he lived. We estimate an autosomal mutation rate of 0.4 × 10(-9) to 0.6 × 10(-9) per site per year, a Y chromosomal mutation rate of 0.7 × 10(-9) to 0.9 × 10(-9) per site per year based on the additional substitutions that have occurred in present-day non-Africans compared to this genome, and a mitochondrial mutation rate of 1.8 × 10(-8) to 3.2 × 10(-8) per site per year based on the age of the bone.}, }
@article {pmid25339238, year = {2015}, author = {Macias, ME and Churchill, SE}, title = {Functional morphology of the Neandertal scapular glenoid fossa.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {298}, number = {1}, pages = {168-179}, doi = {10.1002/ar.23072}, pmid = {25339238}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/physiology ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology ; Glenoid Cavity/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Locomotion/physiology ; *Mathematics ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Pan troglodytes/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Pongo/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Principal Component Analysis ; }, abstract = {Neandertals and Homo sapiens are known to differ in scapular glenoid fossa morphology. Functional explanations may be appropriate for certain aspects of glenoid fossa morphology; however, other factors--e.g., allometry, evolutionary development--must be addressed before functional morphology is considered. Using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics, shape of the scapular glenoid fossa was compared among Neandertals, early and recent modern humans, chimpanzees, orangutans, Australopithecus afarensis, and Au. sediba. Permutation analysis revealed that side, sex, and lifestyle did not correlate with shape. Of the features we found to differ between groups, anterior glenoid rim morphology and fossa curvature did not correlate with the aforementioned shape variables; thus, a functional explanation is appropriate for these components of glenoid fossa shape. Shared morphology among recent humans and chimpanzees (to the exclusion of Neandertals and orangutans) suggests independent forces contributing to these morphological configurations. Potential explanations include adaptations to habitual behavior and locomotor adaptations in the scapulae of recent humans and chimpanzees; these explanations are supported by clinical and experimental literature. The absence of these morphological features in Neandertals may support the lack of these selective forces on their scapular glenoid fossa morphology.}, }
@article {pmid25329008, year = {2015}, author = {Xing, S and Martinón-Torres, M and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Wu, X and Liu, W}, title = {Hominin teeth from the early Late Pleistocene site of Xujiayao, Northern China.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {156}, number = {2}, pages = {224-240}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22641}, pmid = {25329008}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; China ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {It is generally accepted that from the late Middle to the early Late Pleistocene (∼340-90 ka BP), Neanderthals were occupying Europe and Western Asia, whereas anatomically modern humans were present in the African continent. In contrast, the paucity of hominin fossil evidence from East Asia from this period impedes a complete evolutionary picture of the genus Homo, as well as assessment of the possible contribution of or interaction with Asian hominins in the evolution of Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis. Here we present a comparative study of a hominin dental sample recovered from the Xujiayao site, in Northern China, attributed to the early Late Pleistocene (MIS 5 to 4). Our dental study reveals a mosaic of primitive and derived dental features for the Xujiayao hominins that can be summarized as follows: i) they are different from archaic and recent modern humans, ii) they present some features that are common but not exclusive to the Neanderthal lineage, and iii) they retain some primitive conformations classically found in East Asian Early and Middle Pleistocene hominins despite their young geological age. Thus, our study evinces the existence in China of a population of unclear taxonomic status with regard to other contemporary populations such as H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis. The morphological and metric studies of the Xujiayao teeth expand the variability known for early Late Pleistocene hominin fossils and suggest the possibility that a primitive hominin lineage may have survived late into the Late Pleistocene in China.}, }
@article {pmid25295956, year = {2014}, author = {Faivre, JP and Maureille, B and Bayle, P and Crevecoeur, I and Duval, M and Grün, R and Bemilli, C and Bonilauri, S and Coutard, S and Bessou, M and Limondin-Lozouet, N and Cottard, A and Deshayes, T and Douillard, A and Henaff, X and Pautret-Homerville, C and Kinsley, L and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Middle pleistocene human remains from Tourville-la-Rivière (Normandy, France) and their archaeological context.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {9}, number = {10}, pages = {e104111}, pmid = {25295956}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Fossils ; France ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; }, abstract = {Despite numerous sites of great antiquity having been excavated since the end of the 19th century, Middle Pleistocene human fossils are still extremely rare in northwestern Europe. Apart from the two partial crania from Biache-Saint-Vaast in northern France, all known human fossils from this period have been found from ten sites in either Germany or England. Here we report the discovery of three long bones from the same left upper limb discovered at the open-air site of Tourville-la-Rivière in the Seine Valley of northern France. New U-series and combined US-ESR dating on animal teeth produced an age range for the site of 183 to 236 ka. In combination with paleoecological indicators, they indicate an age toward the end of MIS 7. The human remains from Tourville-la-Rivière are attributable to the Neandertal lineage based on morphological and metric analyses. An abnormal crest on the left humerus represents a deltoid muscle enthesis. Micro- and or macro-traumas connected to repetitive movements similar to those documented for professional throwing athletes could be origin of abnormality.}, }
@article {pmid25282273, year = {2014}, author = {Fornai, C and Benazzi, S and Svoboda, J and Pap, I and Harvati, K and Weber, GW}, title = {Enamel thickness variation of deciduous first and second upper molars in modern humans and Neanderthals.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {76}, number = {}, pages = {83-91}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.05.013}, pmid = {25282273}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Enamel/*diagnostic imaging ; Fossils/diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Molar/*diagnostic imaging ; *Neanderthals ; Tooth Wear/diagnostic imaging ; Tooth, Deciduous/*diagnostic imaging ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {Enamel thickness and dental tissue proportions have been recognized as effective taxonomic discriminators between Neanderthal and modern humans teeth. However, most of the research on this topic focused on permanent teeth, and little information is available for the deciduous dentition. Moreover, although worn teeth are more frequently found than unworn teeth, published data for worn teeth are scarce and methods for the assessment of their enamel thickness need to be developed. Here, we addressed this issue by studying the 2D average enamel thickness (AET) and 2D relative enamel thickness (RET) of Neanderthal and modern humans unworn to moderately worn upper first deciduous molars (dm(1)s) and upper second deciduous molars (dm(2)s). In particular, we used 3D μCT data to investigate the mesial section for dm(1)s and both mesial and buccal sections for dm(2)s. Our results confirmed previous findings of an Neanderthal derived condition of thin enamel, and thinner enamel in dm(1)s than dm(2)s in both Neanderthal and modern humans. We demonstrated that the Neanderthal 2D RET indices are significantly lower than those of modern humans at similar wear stages in both dm(1)s and dm(2)s (p < 0.05). The discriminant analysis showed that using 2D RET from dm(1) and dm(2) sections at different wear stages up to 93% of the individuals are correctly classified. Moreover, we showed that the dm(2) buccal sections, although non-conventionally used, might have an advantage on mesial sections since they distinguish as well as mesial sections but tend to be less worn. Therefore, the 2D analysis of enamel thickness is suggested as a means for taxonomic discrimination between modern humans and Neanderthal unworn to moderately worn upper deciduous molars.}, }
@article {pmid25279839, year = {2015}, author = {Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Quam, R and Martinón-Torres, M and Martínez, I and Gracia-Téllez, A and Arsuaga, JL and Carbonell, E}, title = {The medial pterygoid tubercle in the Atapuerca Early and Middle Pleistocene mandibles: evolutionary implications.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {156}, number = {1}, pages = {102-109}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22631}, pmid = {25279839}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Numerous studies have attempted to identify the presence of uniquely derived (autoapomorphic) Neandertal features. Here, we deal with the medial pterygoid tubercle (MTP), which is usually present on the internal face of the ascending ramus of Neandertal specimens. Our study stems from the identification of a hypertrophied tubercle in ATD6-96, an Early Pleistocene mandible recovered from the TD6 level of the Atapuerca-Gran Dolina site and attributed to Homo antecessor. Our review of the literature and study of numerous original fossil specimens and high quality replicas confirm that the MTP occurs at a high frequency in Neandertals (ca. 89%) and is also present in over half (ca. 55%) of the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos (SH) hominins. In contrast, it is generally absent or minimally developed in other extinct hominins, but can be found in variable frequencies (<ca. 25%) in Pleistocene and recent H. sapiens samples. The presence of this feature in ATD6-96 joins other traits shared by H. antecessor, the SH hominins and Neandertals. Since the TD6 hominins have been attributed either to MIS 21 or to MIS 25, it seems that a suite of assumed derived Neandertal features appeared in the Early Pleistocene, and they should be interpreted as synapomorphies shared among different taxa. We suggest that H. antecessor, the SH hominins and Neandertals shared a common ancestor in which these features appeared during the Early Pleistocene. The presence of the MTP in taxa other than H. neanderthalensis precludes this feature from being a Neandertal autapomorphy.}, }
@article {pmid25277105, year = {2014}, author = {Schneider, E and El Hajj, N and Haaf, T}, title = {Epigenetic information from ancient DNA provides new insights into human evolution. Commentary on Gokhman D et al. (2014): Reconstructing the DNA methylation maps of the Neanderthal and the Denisovan. Science 344:523-527.}, journal = {Brain, behavior and evolution}, volume = {84}, number = {3}, pages = {169-171}, doi = {10.1159/000365650}, pmid = {25277105}, issn = {1421-9743}, mesh = {Animals ; *DNA Methylation ; *Epigenesis, Genetic ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid25249249, year = {2015}, author = {Kang, L and Michalak, P}, title = {The evolution of cancer-related genes in hominoids.}, journal = {Journal of molecular evolution}, volume = {80}, number = {1}, pages = {37-41}, pmid = {25249249}, issn = {1432-1432}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Oncogenes ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; }, abstract = {The evolution of cancer suppression is essential for the maintenance of multicellularity. The lack of correlation between body size and cancer risk across species, known as Peto's paradox, suggests that genetic variation in cancer resistance is sufficient to compensate for increases of cell numbers in bigger animals. To assess evolutionary dynamics of cancer-related genes, we analyzed Ka, Ks,and Ka/Ks values in 120 oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes (TSG) among seven hominoid species, including two extinct species, Neanderthal and Denisovan. Ka/Ks of tumor suppressor genes tended to be higher relative to that of oncogenes, consistent with relaxed purifying selection acting on the former. Ka/Ks values were positively correlated with TSG scores, but negatively correlated with oncogene scores, suggesting opposing selection pressures operating on the two groups of cancer-related genes. Additionally, we found 108 species-divergent substitutions that were prevalent germline genotypes in some species but in humans appeared only as somatic cancerous mutations. Better understanding the resistance to cancer may lead to new methods of cancer prevention in humans.}, }
@article {pmid25246543, year = {2014}, author = {Nigst, PR and Haesaerts, P and Damblon, F and Frank-Fellner, C and Mallol, C and Viola, B and Götzinger, M and Niven, L and Trnka, G and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Early modern human settlement of Europe north of the Alps occurred 43,500 years ago in a cold steppe-type environment.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {111}, number = {40}, pages = {14394-14399}, pmid = {25246543}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology/*methods ; Austria ; *Cold Temperature ; *Ecosystem ; Europe ; *Fossils ; Geography ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {The first settlement of Europe by modern humans is thought to have occurred between 50,000 and 40,000 calendar years ago (cal B.P.). In Europe, modern human remains of this time period are scarce and often are not associated with archaeology or originate from old excavations with no contextual information. Hence, the behavior of the first modern humans in Europe is still unknown. Aurignacian assemblages--demonstrably made by modern humans--are commonly used as proxies for the presence of fully behaviorally and anatomically modern humans. The site of Willendorf II (Austria) is well known for its Early Upper Paleolithic horizons, which are among the oldest in Europe. However, their age and attribution to the Aurignacian remain an issue of debate. Here, we show that archaeological horizon 3 (AH 3) consists of faunal remains and Early Aurignacian lithic artifacts. By using stratigraphic, paleoenvironmental, and chronological data, AH 3 is ascribed to the onset of Greenland Interstadial 11, around 43,500 cal B.P., and thus is older than any other Aurignacian assemblage. Furthermore, the AH 3 assemblage overlaps with the latest directly radiocarbon-dated Neanderthal remains, suggesting that Neanderthal and modern human presence overlapped in Europe for some millennia, possibly at rather close geographical range. Most importantly, for the first time to our knowledge, we have a high-resolution environmental context for an Early Aurignacian site in Central Europe, demonstrating an early appearance of behaviorally modern humans in a medium-cold steppe-type environment with some boreal trees along valleys around 43,500 cal B.P.}, }
@article {pmid25214705, year = {2014}, author = {Pearce, E and Moutsiou, T}, title = {Using obsidian transfer distances to explore social network maintenance in late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological archaeology}, volume = {36}, number = {}, pages = {12-20}, pmid = {25214705}, issn = {0278-4165}, support = {295663/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, abstract = {Social behaviour is notoriously difficult to study archaeologically and it is unclear how large the networks of prehistoric humans were, or how they remained connected. Maintaining social cohesion was crucial for early humans because social networks facilitate cooperation and are imperative for survival and reproduction. Recent hunter-gatherer social organisation typically comprises a number of nested layers, ranging from the nuclear family through to the ~1500-strong ethnolinguistic tribe. Here we compare maximum obsidian transfer distances from the late Pleistocene with ethnographic data on the size of the geographic areas associated with each of these social grouping layers in recent hunter-gatherers. The closest match between the two is taken to indicate the maximum social layer within which contact could be sustained by Pleistocene hominins. Within both the (sub)tropical African and Subarctic biomes, the maximum obsidian transfer distances for Pleistocene modern humans (~200km and ~400km respectively) correspond to the geographic ranges of the outermost tribal layer in recent hunter-gatherers. This suggests that modern humans could potentially sustain the cohesion of their entire tribe at all latitudes, even though networks are more dispersed nearer the poles. Neanderthal obsidian transfer distances (300km) indicate that although Neanderthal home ranges are larger than those of low latitude hominins, Neanderthals travelled shorter distances than modern humans living at the same high latitudes. We argue that, like modern humans, Neanderthals could have maintained tribal cohesion, but that their tribes were substantially smaller than those of contemporary modern humans living in similar environments. The greater time taken to traverse the larger modern human tribal ranges may have limited the frequency of their face-to-face interactions and thus necessitated additional mechanisms to ensure network connectivity, such as the exchange of symbolic artefacts including ornaments and figurines. Such cultural supports may not have been required to the same extent by the Neanderthals due to their smaller tribes and home ranges.}, }
@article {pmid25200886, year = {2015}, author = {Lorenzo, C and Pablos, A and Carretero, JM and Huguet, R and Valverdú, J and Martinón-Torres, M and Arsuaga, JL and Carbonell, E and Bermúdez de Castro, JM}, title = {Early Pleistocene human hand phalanx from the Sima del Elefante (TE) cave site in Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {78}, number = {}, pages = {114-121}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.08.007}, pmid = {25200886}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Caves ; Finger Phalanges/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {In this study, a new Early Pleistocene proximal hand phalanx (ATE9-2) from the Sima del Elefante cave site (TE - Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain), ascribed to Homo sp., is presented and comparatively described in the context of the evolution of the genus Homo. The ATE9-2 specimen is especially important because of the paucity of hand bones in the human fossil record during the Early Pleistocene. The morphological and metrical analyses of the phalanx ATE9-2 indicate that there are no essential differences between it and comparator fossil specimens for the genus Homo after 1.3 Ma (millions of years ago). Similar to Sima de los Huesos and Neandertal specimens, ATE9-2 is a robust proximal hand phalanx, probably reflecting greater overall body robusticity in these populations or a higher gracility in modern humans. The age of level TE9 from Sima del Elefante and morphological and metrical studies of ATE9-2 suggest that the morphology of the proximal hand phalanges and, thus, the morphology of the hand could have remained stable over the last 1.2-1.3 Ma. Taking into account the evidence recently provided by a metacarpal from Kaitio (Kenya) from around 1.42 Ma, we argue that modern hand morphology is present in the genus Homo subsequent to Homo habilis.}, }
@article {pmid25172957, year = {2014}, author = {Racimo, F and Kuhlwilm, M and Slatkin, M}, title = {A test for ancient selective sweeps and an application to candidate sites in modern humans.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {31}, number = {12}, pages = {3344-3358}, pmid = {25172957}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01-GM40282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; *Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {We introduce a new method to detect ancient selective sweeps centered on a candidate site. We explored different patterns produced by sweeps around a fixed beneficial mutation, and found that a particularly informative statistic measures the consistency between majority haplotypes near the mutation and genotypic data from a closely related population. We incorporated this statistic into an approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) method that tests for sweeps at a candidate site. We applied this method to simulated data and show that it has some power to detect sweeps that occurred more than 10,000 generations in the past. We also applied it to 1,000 Genomes and Complete Genomics data combined with high-coverage Denisovan and Neanderthal genomes to test for sweeps in modern humans since the separation from the Neanderthal-Denisovan ancestor. We tested sites at which humans are fixed for the derived (i.e., nonchimpanzee allele) whereas the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes are homozygous for the ancestral allele. We observe only weak differences in statistics indicative of selection between functional categories. When we compare patterns of scaled diversity or use our ABC approach, we fail to find a significant difference in signals of classic selective sweeps between regions surrounding nonsynonymous and synonymous changes, but we detect a slight enrichment for reduced scaled diversity around splice site changes. We also present a list of candidate sites that show high probability of having undergone a classic sweep in the modern human lineage since the split from Neanderthals and Denisovans.}, }
@article {pmid25156452, year = {2014}, author = {Márquez, S and Pagano, AS and Delson, E and Lawson, W and Laitman, JT}, title = {The nasal complex of Neanderthals: an entry portal to their place in human ancestry.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {297}, number = {11}, pages = {2121-2137}, doi = {10.1002/ar.23040}, pmid = {25156452}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {*Adaptation, Physiological/physiology ; Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nasal Cavity/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Nose/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; *Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals are one of the most intensely studied groups of extinct humans, as aspects of their phylogeny and functional morphology remain controversial. They have long been described as cold adapted but recent analyses of their nasal anatomy suggest that traits formerly considered adaptations may be the result of genetic drift. This study performs quantitative and qualitative analysis of aspects of the nasal complex (NC) in Neanderthals and other later Pleistocene fossils from Europe and Africa. A geographically diverse sample of modern human crania was used to establish an anatomical baseline for populations inhabiting cold and tropical climates. Nasofrontal angle, piriform aperture dimensions, and relative maxillary sinus volume were analyzed along with qualitative features of the piriform aperture rim. Results indicate that Neanderthals and other later Pleistocene Homo possessed NC's that align them with tropical modern humans. Thus comparison of Neanderthal nasal morphology with that of modern humans from cold climates may not be appropriate as differences in overall craniofacial architecture may constrain the narrowing of the piriform apertures in Neanderthals. They retain primitively long, low crania, large maxillary sinuses, and large piriform aperture area similar to mid-Pleistocene Homo specimens such as Petralona 1 and Kabwe 1. Adaptation to cold climate may have necessitated other adaptations such as bony medial projections at the piriform aperture rim and, potentially, midfacial prognathism. Nasal complex components of the upper respiratory tract remain a critical but poorly understood area that may yet offer novel insight into one of the greatest continuing controversies in paleoanthropology.}, }
@article {pmid25150897, year = {2014}, author = {Wilson, L and Browne, CL}, title = {Change in raw material selection and subsistence behaviour through time at a Middle Palaeolithic site in southern France.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {75}, number = {}, pages = {28-39}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.12.018}, pmid = {25150897}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Feeding Behavior/*physiology ; *Fossils ; France ; Geologic Sediments ; History, Ancient ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Technology ; Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {We apply a resource selection model to the lithic assemblages from 11 archaeological layers at a Middle Palaeolithic site in southern France, the Bau de l'Aubesier. The model calculates how to weight each of 10 variables in order to best match the proportions of raw materials from various potential sources in the lithic assemblages. We then combine the variables into two sets of five each, those related to the characteristics of the raw materials themselves, and those related to the sources and the terrain around them. Running the model with each subset shows that the terrain variables always provide a better match to raw material use than do the raw material variables taken by themselves, but the best model is always the overall (10-variable) model. This means that terrain is most important in every case, but raw material properties also matter. Comparing the percentage contributions of each subset within the overall model, however, shows a clear change in emphasis in the upper layers versus the lower layers of the site. In the lower six layers, the percent contribution of the terrain variables is always greater than that of the raw material variables, but in the upper five layers the reverse is true: terrain still matters, but raw material becomes more important. We also look at faunal and basic tool typological data, which show a progressive change through time, as smaller prey become more important (and large prey less so), and tools and cores proportionally less abundant in the assemblages in the upper layers. We suggest that these results reflect a change in subsistence strategies at the time of a particularly harsh climate near the end of the Middle Pleistocene, and that hominin groups using this site continued to use this new approach throughout the rest of the Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid25143113, year = {2014}, author = {Higham, T and Douka, K and Wood, R and Ramsey, CB and Brock, F and Basell, L and Camps, M and Arrizabalaga, A and Baena, J and Barroso-Ruíz, C and Bergman, C and Boitard, C and Boscato, P and Caparrós, M and Conard, NJ and Draily, C and Froment, A and Galván, B and Gambassini, P and Garcia-Moreno, A and Grimaldi, S and Haesaerts, P and Holt, B and Iriarte-Chiapusso, MJ and Jelinek, A and Jordá Pardo, JF and Maíllo-Fernández, JM and Marom, A and Maroto, J and Menéndez, M and Metz, L and Morin, E and Moroni, A and Negrino, F and Panagopoulou, E and Peresani, M and Pirson, S and de la Rasilla, M and Riel-Salvatore, J and Ronchitelli, A and Santamaria, D and Semal, P and Slimak, L and Soler, J and Soler, N and Villaluenga, A and Pinhasi, R and Jacobi, R}, title = {The timing and spatiotemporal patterning of Neanderthal disappearance.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {512}, number = {7514}, pages = {306-309}, pmid = {25143113}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Acculturation/*history ; Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; *Extinction, Biological ; *Geography ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; *Neanderthals/genetics/physiology ; Radiometric Dating ; *Spatio-Temporal Analysis ; Time Factors ; Tool Use Behavior ; Uncertainty ; }, abstract = {The timing of Neanderthal disappearance and the extent to which they overlapped with the earliest incoming anatomically modern humans (AMHs) in Eurasia are key questions in palaeoanthropology. Determining the spatiotemporal relationship between the two populations is crucial if we are to understand the processes, timing and reasons leading to the disappearance of Neanderthals and the likelihood of cultural and genetic exchange. Serious technical challenges, however, have hindered reliable dating of the period, as the radiocarbon method reaches its limit at ∼50,000 years ago. Here we apply improved accelerator mass spectrometry (14)C techniques to construct robust chronologies from 40 key Mousterian and Neanderthal archaeological sites, ranging from Russia to Spain. Bayesian age modelling was used to generate probability distribution functions to determine the latest appearance date. We show that the Mousterian ended by 41,030-39,260 calibrated years bp (at 95.4% probability) across Europe. We also demonstrate that succeeding 'transitional' archaeological industries, one of which has been linked with Neanderthals (Châtelperronian), end at a similar time. Our data indicate that the disappearance of Neanderthals occurred at different times in different regions. Comparing the data with results obtained from the earliest dated AMH sites in Europe, associated with the Uluzzian technocomplex, allows us to quantify the temporal overlap between the two human groups. The results reveal a significant overlap of 2,600-5,400 years (at 95.4% probability). This has important implications for models seeking to explain the cultural, technological and biological elements involved in the replacement of Neanderthals by AMHs. A mosaic of populations in Europe during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition suggests that there was ample time for the transmission of cultural and symbolic behaviours, as well as possible genetic exchanges, between the two groups.}, }
@article {pmid25142605, year = {2014}, author = {Lee, A and Huntley, D and Aiewsakun, P and Kanda, RK and Lynn, C and Tristem, M}, title = {Novel Denisovan and Neanderthal retroviruses.}, journal = {Journal of virology}, volume = {88}, number = {21}, pages = {12907-12909}, pmid = {25142605}, issn = {1098-5514}, support = {//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Endogenous Retroviruses/classification/*genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; Female ; Fossils/*virology ; Genome ; Hominidae/*virology ; }, abstract = {Following the recent availability of high-coverage genomes for Denisovan and Neanderthal hominids, we conducted a screen for endogenized retroviruses, identifying six novel, previously unreported HERV-K(HML2) elements (HERV-K is human endogenous retrovirus K). These elements are absent from the human genome (hg38) and appear to be unique to archaic hominids. These findings provide further evidence supporting the recent activity of the HERV-K(HML2) group, which has been implicated in human disease. They will also provide insights into the evolution of archaic hominids.}, }
@article {pmid25081630, year = {2014}, author = {Gansauge, MT and Meyer, M}, title = {Selective enrichment of damaged DNA molecules for ancient genome sequencing.}, journal = {Genome research}, volume = {24}, number = {9}, pages = {1543-1549}, pmid = {25081630}, issn = {1549-5469}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA Contamination ; Deoxyuracil Nucleotides/*chemistry/genetics ; *Genome ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {Contamination by present-day human and microbial DNA is one of the major hindrances for large-scale genomic studies using ancient biological material. We describe a new molecular method, U selection, which exploits one of the most distinctive features of ancient DNA--the presence of deoxyuracils--for selective enrichment of endogenous DNA against a complex background of contamination during DNA library preparation. By applying the method to Neanderthal DNA extracts that are heavily contaminated with present-day human DNA, we show that the fraction of useful sequence information increases ∼ 10-fold and that the resulting sequences are more efficiently depleted of human contamination than when using purely computational approaches. Furthermore, we show that U selection can lead to a four- to fivefold increase in the proportion of endogenous DNA sequences relative to those of microbial contaminants in some samples. U selection may thus help to lower the costs for ancient genome sequencing of nonhuman samples also.}, }
@article {pmid25078953, year = {2013}, author = {Steele, J and Clegg, M and Martelli, S}, title = {Comparative morphology of the hominin and African ape hyoid bone, a possible marker of the evolution of speech.}, journal = {Human biology}, volume = {85}, number = {5}, pages = {639-672}, doi = {10.3378/027.085.0501}, pmid = {25078953}, issn = {1534-6617}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Air Sacs/anatomy &amp; histology ; Anatomy, Comparative ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Child ; Female ; Gorilla gorilla/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Larynx/anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Pan troglodytes/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Speech/*physiology ; }, abstract = {This study examines the morphology of the hyoid in three closely related species, Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, and Gorilla gorilla. Differences and similarities between the hyoids of these species are characterized and used to interpret the morphology and affi nities of the Dikika A. afarensis, Kebara 2 Neanderthal, and other fossil hominin hyoid bones. Humans and African apes are found to have distinct hyoid morphologies. In humans the maximum width across the distal tips of the articulated greater horns is usually slightly greater than the maximum length (distal greater horn tip to most anterior point of the hyoid body in the midline). A different pattern is usually found in the African ape hyoids, which have much greater maximum lengths. In humans, the hyoid body is also much more anteroposteriorly shallow in proportion to its height and width, and this is true for all age classes. The Dikika australopithecine hyoid body proportions are chimpanzeelike. A discriminant function analysis, using a larger subadult sample from the three extant species than that reported by Alemseged et al. (2006), confirms this finding. The Kebara hyoid dimensions (body alone, and articulated body and greater horns) are almost all within the observed range for human hyoids. Discriminant functions clearly distinguish human from African ape hyoids and classify the Kebara 2 hyoid as human (confirming the finding of Arensburg et al. 1989). Our virtual dissection of a chimpanzee air sac system shows its subhyoid extension into the dorsal hyoid body. Following Alemseged et al. (2006), the expanded bulla characteristic of the African ape and australopithecine hyoid body is therefore interpreted as refl ecting the presence of such a laryngeal air sac extension. Its absence in the human, Neanderthal, and H. heidelbergensis (Atapuerca SH) hyoids implicates the loss of the laryngeal air sacs as a derived Neanderthal and modern human trait, which evolved no later than the middle Pleistocene. If, as has been argued by de Boer (2012), the loss of the air sac helped to enhance perceptual discrimination of speech sounds, then this derived hyoid morphology can be added to the list of fossil markers of the capacity for speech.}, }
@article {pmid25063566, year = {2014}, author = {Garralda, MD and Galván, B and Hernández, CM and Mallol, C and Gómez, JA and Maureille, B}, title = {Neanderthals from El Salt (Alcoy, Spain) in the context of the latest Middle Palaeolithic populations from the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {75}, number = {}, pages = {1-15}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.02.019}, pmid = {25063566}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Dental Pulp Cavity/abnormalities ; Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Spain ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; Tooth Abnormalities ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {We present a bioanthropological study of dental remains recovered from El Salt Middle Palaeolithic site (Alcoy, Alicante, Spain). The dental remains were found in a sedimentary layer representing a calm depositional environment within a freshwater spring system. The corresponding archaeological context comprises a Middle Palaeolithic faunal and lithic assemblage that represents the last documented evidence of human occupation at the site, dating to between 47.2 ± 4.4 and 45.2 ± 3.4 ka (thousands of years ago). This evidence is overlain by an archaeologically sterile deposit dated to 44.7 ± 3.2 ka. Results show that the teeth belong to a single juvenile or young adult individual with morphological and metric features falling within the Neanderthal range of variability, although the considered traits are not taxonomically highly discriminant. The reported fossils are representative of the latest Middle Palaeolithic groups in the region and may be considered in the ongoing debate on the disappearance of Neanderthals and the end of the Middle Palaeolithic.}, }
@article {pmid25043897, year = {2014}, author = {Nicholas, CL and Franciscus, RG}, title = {The ontogeny of nasal floor shape variation in extant humans.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {155}, number = {3}, pages = {369-378}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22570}, pmid = {25043897}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Infant ; Maxilla/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Nasal Bone/anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Palate, Hard/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Variation in nasal floor topography has generated both neontological and paleontological interest. Three categories of nasal floor shape (Franciscus: J Hum Evol 44 (2003) 699-727) have been used when analyzing this trait in extant humans and fossil Homo: flat, sloped, and depressed (or "bi-level"). Variation in the frequency of these configurations within and among extant and fossil humans has been well-documented (Franciscus: J Hum Evol 44 (2003) 699-727; Wu et al.: Anthropol Sci 120 (2012) 217-226). However, variation in this trait in Homo has been observed primarily in adults, with comparatively small subadult sample sizes and/or large age gradients that may not sufficiently track key ontogenetic changes. In this study, we investigate the ontogeny of nasal floor shape in a relatively large cross-sectional age sample of extant humans (n = 382) ranging from 4.0 months fetal to 21 years post-natal. Results indicate that no fetal or young infant individuals possess a depressed nasal floor, and that a depressed nasal floor, when present (ca. 21% of the sample), does not occur until 3.0 years postnatal. A canonical variates analysis of maxillary shape revealed that individuals with depressed nasal floors were also characterized by relatively taller anterior alveolar regions. This suggests that palate remodeling at about 3.0-3.5 years after birth, under the influence of tooth development, strongly influences nasal floor variation, and that various aspects of dental development, including larger crown/root size, may contribute to the development of a depressed nasal floor. These results in extant humans may help explain the high frequency of this trait found in Neandertal and other archaic Homo maxillae.}, }
@article {pmid25020020, year = {2014}, author = {Bruner, E and Lozano, M and Malafouris, L and Langbroek, M and Wynn, T and Coolidge, FL and Martin-Loeches, M}, title = {Extended mind and visuo-spatial integration: three hands for the Neandertal lineage.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {92}, number = {}, pages = {273-280}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.92009}, pmid = {25020020}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Brain/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Humans ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Organ Size/physiology ; *Paleontology ; Parietal Lobe/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; }, }
@article {pmid25020018, year = {2014}, author = {Peresani, M and Dallatorre, S and Astuti, P and Dal Colle, M and Ziggiotti, S and Peretto, C}, title = {Symbolic or utilitarian? Juggling interpretations of Neanderthal behavior: new inferences from the study of engraved stone surfaces.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {92}, number = {}, pages = {233-255}, doi = {10.4436/JASS.92007}, pmid = {25020018}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Behavior, Animal ; Engraving and Engravings/*history ; History, Ancient ; Italy ; *Neanderthals ; Technology/*history ; }, abstract = {Different categories of finds reveal how Neanderthals have manifested at different moments behaviors not ascribable to the utilitarian sphere, but to the aesthetic or symbolic. When the majority of this evidence dates to the few millennia that preceded the spread of Anatomically Modern Humans in Europe, these are grounds to continue the debate regarding the emergence of complex behavior, seen as an autonomous phenomenon of Neanderthal man or as the result of contact with immigrant populations. Re-examination of pebbles or flaked stones, a large part of such evidence, using a rigorous technological and taphonomic approach integrated with experimental tests, has already revealed these materials to be insignificant or natural, rather than anthropic, in origin. The following work seeks to shed light on the uncertainty existing around those stones and lithic artefacts bearing surface lines and scratches; these are of doubtful anthropic origin, but have not, as yet, been definitively interpreted. Generally, these findings are occasional in Mousterian sites, and when they are recovered with an excellent degree of preservation, different methods and levels of observation can be used for investigating them. The case studies taken into account are three sites in north Italy, where the surfaces of pebbles and flakes reveal a variety of signs and modifications attributable to various utilitarian acts. Of these, preventive cleaning of flint nodules has not been excluded, even if the traces on some tools reveal intentionality and repetition of gestures applied to the construction of a curated artifact.}, }
@article {pmid25016565, year = {2014}, author = {Galván, B and Hernández, CM and Mallol, C and Mercier, N and Sistiaga, A and Soler, V}, title = {New evidence of early Neanderthal disappearance in the Iberian Peninsula.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {75}, number = {}, pages = {16-27}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.06.002}, pmid = {25016565}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Fossils ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Radiometric Dating ; Spain ; Technology ; *Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {The timing of the end of the Middle Palaeolithic and the disappearance of Neanderthals continue to be strongly debated. Current chronometric evidence from different European sites pushes the end of the Middle Palaeolithic throughout the continent back to around 42 thousand years ago (ka). This has called into question some of the dates from the Iberian Peninsula, previously considered as one of the last refuge zones of the Neanderthals. Evidence of Neanderthal occupation in Iberia after 42 ka is now very scarce and open to debate on chronological and technological grounds. Here we report thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates from El Salt, a Middle Palaeolithic site in Alicante, Spain, the archaeological sequence of which shows a transition from recurrent to sporadic human occupation culminating in the abandonment of the site. The new dates place this sequence within MIS 3, between ca. 60 and 45 ka. An abrupt sedimentary change towards the top of the sequence suggests a strong aridification episode coinciding with the last Neanderthal occupation of the site. These results are in agreement with current chronometric data from other sites in the Iberian Peninsula and point towards possible breakdown and disappearance of the Neanderthal local population around the time of the Heinrich 5 event. Iberian sites with recent dates (<40 ka) attributed to the Middle Palaeolithic should be revised in the light of these data.}, }
@article {pmid25002467, year = {2014}, author = {Wu, XJ and Crevecoeur, I and Liu, W and Xing, S and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Temporal labyrinths of eastern Eurasian Pleistocene humans.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {111}, number = {29}, pages = {10509-10513}, pmid = {25002467}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; *Paleontology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Semicircular Canals ; Temporal Lobe/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {One of the morphological features that has been identified as uniquely derived for the western Eurasian Neandertals concerns the relative sizes and positions of their semicircular canals. In particular, they exhibit a relatively small anterior canal, a relatively larger lateral one, and a more inferior position of the posterior one relative to the lateral one. These discussions have not included full paleontological data on eastern Eurasian Pleistocene human temporal labyrinths, which have the potential to provide a broader context for assessing Pleistocene Homo trait polarities. We present the temporal labyrinths of four eastern Eurasian Pleistocene Homo, one each of Early (Lantian 1), Middle (Hexian 1), and Late (Xujiayao 15) Pleistocene archaic humans and one early modern human (Liujiang 1). The labyrinths of the two earlier specimens and the most recent one conform to the proportions seen among western early and recent modern humans, reinforcing the modern human pattern as generally ancestral for the genus Homo. The labyrinth of Xujiayao 15 is in the middle of the Neandertal variation and separate from the other samples. This eastern Eurasian labyrinthine dichotomy occurs in the context of none of the distinctive Neandertal external temporal or other cranial features. As such, it raises questions regarding possible cranial and postcranial morphological correlates of Homo labyrinthine variation, the use of individual "Neandertal" features for documenting population affinities, and the nature of late archaic human variation across Eurasia.}, }
@article {pmid25001002, year = {2014}, author = {Schwartz, JJ and Roach, DJ and Thomas, JH and Shendure, J}, title = {Primate evolution of the recombination regulator PRDM9.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {5}, number = {}, pages = {4370}, pmid = {25001002}, issn = {2041-1723}, support = {R01 HG006283/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; HG006283/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Variation ; Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/*genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Primates/*genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Zinc Fingers ; }, abstract = {The PRDM9 gene encodes a protein with a highly variable tandem-repeat zinc finger (ZF) DNA-binding domain that plays a key role in determining sequence-specific hotspots of meiotic recombination genome wide. Here we survey the diversity of the PRDM9 ZF domain by sequencing this region in 64 primates from 18 species, revealing 68 unique alleles across all groups. We report ubiquitous positive selection at nucleotide positions corresponding to DNA contact residues and the expansion of ZFs within clades, which confirms the rapid evolution of the ZF domain throughout the primate lineage. Alignment of Neandertal and Denisovan sequences suggests that PRDM9 in archaic hominins was closely related to present-day human alleles that are rare and specific to African populations. In the context of its role in reproduction, our results are consistent with variation in PRDM9 contributing to speciation events in primates.}, }
@article {pmid24963925, year = {2014}, author = {Sistiaga, A and Mallol, C and Galván, B and Summons, RE}, title = {The Neanderthal meal: a new perspective using faecal biomarkers.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {9}, number = {6}, pages = {e101045}, pmid = {24963925}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Biomarkers/*analysis ; Cholestanol/analysis ; Cholesterol/analysis ; Feces/*chemistry ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Humans ; *Meals ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Sitosterols/analysis ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal dietary reconstructions have, to date, been based on indirect evidence and may underestimate the significance of plants as a food source. While zooarchaeological and stable isotope data have conveyed an image of Neanderthals as largely carnivorous, studies on dental calculus and scattered palaeobotanical evidence suggest some degree of contribution of plants to their diet. However, both views remain plausible and there is no categorical indication of an omnivorous diet. Here we present direct evidence of Neanderthal diet using faecal biomarkers, a valuable analytical tool for identifying dietary provenance. Our gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results from El Salt (Spain), a Middle Palaeolithic site dating to ca. 50,000 yr. BP, represents the oldest positive identification of human faecal matter. We show that Neanderthals, like anatomically modern humans, have a high rate of conversion of cholesterol to coprostanol related to the presence of required bacteria in their guts. Analysis of five sediment samples from different occupation floors suggests that Neanderthals predominantly consumed meat, as indicated by high coprostanol proportions, but also had significant plant intake, as shown by the presence of 5β-stigmastanol. This study highlights the applicability of the biomarker approach in Pleistocene contexts as a provider of direct palaeodietary information and supports the opportunity for further research into cholesterol metabolism throughout human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid24954798, year = {2014}, author = {Gallagher, A}, title = {Absolute and relative endocranial size in Neandertals and later Pleistocene Homo.}, journal = {Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen}, volume = {65}, number = {5}, pages = {349-375}, doi = {10.1016/j.jchb.2014.02.002}, pmid = {24954798}, issn = {1618-1301}, mesh = {Animals ; Asia ; Biological Evolution ; Body Size ; Europe ; Female ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Organ Size ; Selection Bias ; Sex Characteristics ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Eurasian Neandertals encompass the entire observed range of recent and fossil Homo sapiens in absolute, but not relative endocranial volume, and Neandertals attest an average EQ significantly lower than their Upper Pleistocene successors. While the cognitive, social, and evolutionary implications of this phenomenon have been emphasised, the statistical basis of a mean inference of EQ in the Neandertal hypodigm has not been appropriately demonstrated. A demonstrable male bias in the available postcranial, not cranial, series has skewed perceptions of Neandertal brain-to-body size scaling towards a rejection of the null hypothesis. A simple resolution to this problem is a concise assessment of paired associated covariates against a suitable recent human comparator series. Permutations of Fisher's z and Student's t statistics are valid metrics in tests of significance in single datum hypotheses. Bootstrapped single observation tests determined significance in body size, absolute and relative endocranial volume in Pleistocene archaic, early modern, and late Pleistocene H. sapiens. With respect to absolute ECV, all current Middle-Upper Pleistocene crania fall within the substantial recent Homo range. Nevertheless, simple indices derived from raw and modified data in normal and logarithmic space reveal that Western European Neandertal males approach the lower extremes of our observed size range in relative ECV, yet none exceed statistical significance. Results confirm that relative ECV/brain size in Neandertals was not significantly depressed relative to recent and fossil H. sapiens and this is consistent with a substantial body of data from living humans dismissing any simple correspondence of relative brain size with intelligence and, by extension, evolutionary success.}, }
@article {pmid24948730, year = {2014}, author = {Arsuaga, JL and Martínez, I and Arnold, LJ and Aranburu, A and Gracia-Téllez, A and Sharp, WD and Quam, RM and Falguères, C and Pantoja-Pérez, A and Bischoff, J and Poza-Rey, E and Parés, JM and Carretero, JM and Demuro, M and Lorenzo, C and Sala, N and Martinón-Torres, M and García, N and Alcázar de Velasco, A and Cuenca-Bescós, G and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Moreno, D and Pablos, A and Shen, CC and Rodríguez, L and Ortega, AI and García, R and Bonmatí, A and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Carbonell, E}, title = {Neandertal roots: Cranial and chronological evidence from Sima de los Huesos.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {344}, number = {6190}, pages = {1358-1363}, doi = {10.1126/science.1253958}, pmid = {24948730}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain/anatomy &amp; histology ; Extinction, Biological ; *Fossils ; Genetic Drift ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; Organ Size ; Reproductive Isolation ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Seventeen Middle Pleistocene crania from the Sima de los Huesos site (Atapuerca, Spain) are analyzed, including seven new specimens. This sample makes it possible to thoroughly characterize a Middle Pleistocene hominin paleodeme and to address hypotheses about the origin and evolution of the Neandertals. Using a variety of techniques, the hominin-bearing layer could be reassigned to a period around 430,000 years ago. The sample shows a consistent morphological pattern with derived Neandertal features present in the face and anterior vault, many of which are related to the masticatory apparatus. This suggests that facial modification was the first step in the evolution of the Neandertal lineage, pointing to a mosaic pattern of evolution, with different anatomical and functional modules evolving at different rates.}, }
@article {pmid24948719, year = {2014}, author = {Hublin, JJ}, title = {Anthropology. How to build a Neandertal.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {344}, number = {6190}, pages = {1338-1339}, doi = {10.1126/science.1255554}, pmid = {24948719}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, }
@article {pmid24943273, year = {2014}, author = {Rosas, A and Peña-Melián, A and García-Tabernero, A and Bastir, M and De La Rasilla, M}, title = {Temporal lobe sulcal pattern and the bony impressions in the middle cranial fossa: the case of the el Sidrón (Spain) neandertal sample.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {297}, number = {12}, pages = {2331-2341}, doi = {10.1002/ar.22957}, pmid = {24943273}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Cranial Fossa, Middle/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Temporal Lobe/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {Correspondence between temporal lobe sulcal pattern and bony impressions on the middle cranial fossae (MCF) was analyzed. MCF bone remains (SD-359, SD-315, and SD-1219) from the El Sidrón (Spain) neandertal site are analyzed in this context. Direct comparison of the soft and hard tissues from the same individual was studied by means of: 1) dissection of two human heads; 2) optic (white light) surface scans; 3) computed tomography and magnetic resonance of the same head. The inferior temporal sulcus and gyrus are the features most strongly influencing MCF bone surface. The Superior temporal sulcus and middle temporal and fusiform gyri also leave imprints. Temporal lobe form differs between Homo sapiens and neandertals. A wider and larger post-arcuate fossa (posterior limit of Brodmann area 20 and the anterior portion of area 37) is present in modern humans as compared to neandertals. However other traits of the MCF surface are similar in these two large-brained human groups. A conspicuous variation is appreciated in the more vertical location of the inferior temporal gyrus in H. sapiens. In parallel, structures of the lower surface of the temporal lobe are more sagittally orientated. Grooves accommodating the fusiform and the lower temporal sulci become grossly parallel to the temporal squama. These differences can be understood within the context of a supero-lateral deployment of the lobe in H. sapiens, a pattern previously identified (Bastir et al., Nat Commun 2 (2011) 588-595). Regarding dural sinus pattern, a higher incidence of petrosquamous sinus is detected in neandertal samples.}, }
@article {pmid24932746, year = {2014}, author = {Stringer, CB and Buck, LT}, title = {Diagnosing Homo sapiens in the fossil record.}, journal = {Annals of human biology}, volume = {41}, number = {4}, pages = {312-322}, doi = {10.3109/03014460.2014.922616}, pmid = {24932746}, issn = {1464-5033}, mesh = {Archaeology ; *Biological Evolution ; DNA/*analysis ; Fossils/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Phenotype ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Diagnosing Homo sapiens is a critical question in the study of human evolution. Although what constitutes living members of our own species is straightforward, in the fossil record this is still a matter of much debate. The issue is complicated by questions of species diagnoses and ideas about the mode by which a new species is born, by the arguments surrounding the behavioural and cognitive separateness of the species, by the increasing appreciation of variation in the early African H. sapiens record and by new DNA evidence of hybridization with extinct species.<br><br>METHODS AND RESULTS: This study synthesizes thinking on the fossils, archaeology and underlying evolutionary models of the last several decades with recent DNA results from both H. sapiens and fossil species.<br><br>CONCLUSION: It is concluded that, although it may not be possible or even desirable to cleanly partition out a homogenous morphological description of recent H. sapiens in the fossil record, there are key, distinguishing morphological traits in the cranium, dentition and pelvis that can be usefully employed to diagnose the H. sapiens lineage. Increasing advances in retrieving and understanding relevant genetic data provide a complementary and perhaps potentially even more fruitful means of characterizing the differences between H. sapiens and its close relatives.}, }
@article {pmid24919796, year = {2014}, author = {Dolores Garralda, M and Maureille, B and Vandermeersch, B}, title = {Neanderthal infant and adult infracranial remains from Marillac (Charente, France).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {155}, number = {1}, pages = {99-113}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22557}, pmid = {24919796}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Bone and Bones/*pathology ; Burial ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; *Fossils ; France ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {At the site of Marillac, near the Ligonne River in Marillac-le-Franc (Charente, France), a remarkable stratigraphic sequence has yielded a wealth of archaeological information, palaeoenvironmental data, as well as faunal and human remains. Marillac must have been a sinkhole used by Neanderthal groups as a hunting camp during MIS 4 (TL date 57,600 ± 4,600BP), where Quina Mousterian lithics and fragmented bones of reindeer predominate. This article describes three infracranial skeleton fragments. Two of them are from adults and consist of the incomplete shafts of a right radius (Marillac 24) and a left fibula (Marillac 26). The third fragment is the diaphysis of the right femur of an immature individual (Marillac 25), the size and shape of which resembles those from Teshik-Tash and could be assigned to a child of a similar age. The three fossils have been compared with the remains of other Neanderthals or anatomically Modern Humans (AMH). Furthermore, the comparison of the infantile femora, Marillac 25 and Teshik-Tash, with the remains of several European children from the early Middle Ages clearly demonstrates the robustness and rounded shape of both Neanderthal diaphyses. Evidence of peri-mortem manipulations have been identified on all three bones, with spiral fractures, percussion pits and, in the case of the radius and femur, unquestionable cutmarks made with flint implements, probably during defleshing. Traces of periostosis appear on the fibula fragment and on the immature femoral diaphysis, although their aetiology remains unknown.}, }
@article {pmid24916031, year = {2014}, author = {Ding, Q and Hu, Y and Xu, S and Wang, CC and Li, H and Zhang, R and Yan, S and Wang, J and Jin, L}, title = {Neanderthal origin of the haplotypes carrying the functional variant Val92Met in the MC1R in modern humans.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {31}, number = {8}, pages = {1994-2003}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/msu180}, pmid = {24916031}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Animals ; Asian People/ethnology/genetics ; Biological Evolution ; Genetic Variation ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Methionine/*metabolism ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1/*genetics ; Skin Aging/genetics ; Valine/*metabolism ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Skin color is one of the most visible and important phenotypes of modern humans. Melanocyte-stimulating hormone and its receptor played an important role in regulating skin color. In this article, we present evidence of Neanderthal introgression encompassing the melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor gene MC1R. The haplotypes from Neanderthal introgression diverged with the Altai Neanderthal 103.3 ka, which postdates the anatomically modern human-Neanderthal divergence. We further discovered that all of the putative Neanderthal introgressive haplotypes carry the Val92Met variant, a loss-of-function variant in MC1R that is associated with multiple dermatological traits including skin color and photoaging. Frequency of this Neanderthal introgression is low in Europeans (∼5%), moderate in continental East Asians (∼30%), and high in Taiwanese aborigines (60-70%). As the putative Neanderthal introgressive haplotypes carry a loss-of-function variant that could alter the function of MC1R and is associated with multiple traits related to skin color, we speculate that the Neanderthal introgression may have played an important role in the local adaptation of Eurasians to sunlight intensity.}, }
@article {pmid24832686, year = {2014}, author = {Wong, LP and Lai, JK and Saw, WY and Ong, RT and Cheng, AY and Pillai, NE and Liu, X and Xu, W and Chen, P and Foo, JN and Tan, LW and Koo, SH and Soong, R and Wenk, MR and Lim, WY and Khor, CC and Little, P and Chia, KS and Teo, YY}, title = {Insights into the genetic structure and diversity of 38 South Asian Indians from deep whole-genome sequencing.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {10}, number = {5}, pages = {e1004377}, pmid = {24832686}, issn = {1553-7404}, mesh = {*Genetic Variation ; *Genetics, Population ; *Genome, Human ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; India ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; }, abstract = {South Asia possesses a significant amount of genetic diversity due to considerable intergroup differences in culture and language. There have been numerous reports on the genetic structure of Asian Indians, although these have mostly relied on genotyping microarrays or targeted sequencing of the mitochondria and Y chromosomes. Asian Indians in Singapore are primarily descendants of immigrants from Dravidian-language-speaking states in south India, and 38 individuals from the general population underwent deep whole-genome sequencing with a target coverage of 30X as part of the Singapore Sequencing Indian Project (SSIP). The genetic structure and diversity of these samples were compared against samples from the Singapore Sequencing Malay Project and populations in Phase 1 of the 1,000 Genomes Project (1 KGP). SSIP samples exhibited greater intra-population genetic diversity and possessed higher heterozygous-to-homozygous genotype ratio than other Asian populations. When compared against a panel of well-defined Asian Indians, the genetic makeup of the SSIP samples was closely related to South Indians. However, even though the SSIP samples clustered distinctly from the Europeans in the global population structure analysis with autosomal SNPs, eight samples were assigned to mitochondrial haplogroups that were predominantly present in Europeans and possessed higher European admixture than the remaining samples. An analysis of the relative relatedness between SSIP with two archaic hominins (Denisovan, Neanderthal) identified higher ancient admixture in East Asian populations than in SSIP. The data resource for these samples is publicly available and is expected to serve as a valuable complement to the South Asian samples in Phase 3 of 1 KGP.}, }
@article {pmid24829968, year = {2014}, author = {Trowsdale, J and Koch, N}, title = {Reply to Ding et al.: Non-Neanderthal origin of the HLA-DPB1*0401.}, journal = {The Journal of biological chemistry}, volume = {289}, number = {14}, pages = {10253}, pmid = {24829968}, issn = {1083-351X}, support = {100140//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; HLA-DP Antigens/*genetics ; HLA-DR Antigens/*genetics ; Humans ; *Immunoblotting ; *Mutation ; }, }
@article {pmid24789039, year = {2014}, author = {Villa, P and Roebroeks, W}, title = {Neandertal demise: an archaeological analysis of the modern human superiority complex.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {9}, number = {4}, pages = {e96424}, pmid = {24789039}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Archaeology ; *Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Language ; *Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology/psychology ; }, abstract = {Neandertals are the best-studied of all extinct hominins, with a rich fossil record sampling hundreds of individuals, roughly dating from between 350,000 and 40,000 years ago. Their distinct fossil remains have been retrieved from Portugal in the west to the Altai area in central Asia in the east and from below the waters of the North Sea in the north to a series of caves in Israel in the south. Having thrived in Eurasia for more than 300,000 years, Neandertals vanished from the record around 40,000 years ago, when modern humans entered Europe. Modern humans are usually seen as superior in a wide range of domains, including weaponry and subsistence strategies, which would have led to the demise of Neandertals. This systematic review of the archaeological records of Neandertals and their modern human contemporaries finds no support for such interpretations, as the Neandertal archaeological record is not different enough to explain the demise in terms of inferiority in archaeologically visible domains. Instead, current genetic data suggest that complex processes of interbreeding and assimilation may have been responsible for the disappearance of the specific Neandertal morphology from the fossil record.}, }
@article {pmid24786081, year = {2014}, author = {Gokhman, D and Lavi, E and Prüfer, K and Fraga, MF and Riancho, JA and Kelso, J and Pääbo, S and Meshorer, E and Carmel, L}, title = {Reconstructing the DNA methylation maps of the Neandertal and the Denisovan.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {344}, number = {6183}, pages = {523-527}, doi = {10.1126/science.1250368}, pmid = {24786081}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; *DNA Methylation ; *Epigenesis, Genetic ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Ancient DNA sequencing has recently provided high-coverage archaic human genomes. However, the evolution of epigenetic regulation along the human lineage remains largely unexplored. We reconstructed the full DNA methylation maps of the Neandertal and the Denisovan by harnessing the natural degradation processes of methylated and unmethylated cytosines. Comparing these ancient methylation maps to those of present-day humans, we identified ~2000 differentially methylated regions (DMRs). Particularly, we found substantial methylation changes in the HOXD cluster that may explain anatomical differences between archaic and present-day humans. Additionally, we found that DMRs are significantly more likely to be associated with diseases. This study provides insight into the epigenetic landscape of our closest evolutionary relatives and opens a window to explore the epigenomes of extinct species.}, }
@article {pmid24759802, year = {2014}, author = {Talamo, S and Peresani, M and Romandini, M and Duches, R and Jéquier, C and Nannini, N and Pastoors, A and Picin, A and Vaquero, M and Weniger, GC and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Detecting human presence at the border of the Northeastern Italian Pre-Alps. 14C dating at Rio Secco cave as expression of the first Gravettian and the late mousterian in the Northern Adriatic Region.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {9}, number = {4}, pages = {e95376}, pmid = {24759802}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Austria ; Fossils ; Humans ; Italy ; Neanderthals ; *Radiometric Dating ; }, abstract = {In the northern Adriatic regions, which include the Venetian region and the Dalmatian coast, late Neanderthal settlements are recorded in few sites and even more ephemeral are remains of the Mid-Upper Palaeolithic occupations. A contribution to reconstruct the human presence during this time range has been produced from a recently investigated cave, Rio Secco, located in the northern Adriatic region at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps. Chronometric data make Rio Secco a key site in the context of recording occupation by late Neanderthals and regarding the diffusion of the Mid-Upper Palaeolithic culture in a particular district at the border of the alpine region. As for the Gravettian, its diffusion in Italy is a subject of on-going research and the aim of this paper is to provide new information on the timing of this process in Italy. In the southern end of the Peninsula the first occupation dates to around 28,000 14C BP, whereas our results on Gravettian layer range from 29,390 to 28,995 14C years BP. At the present state of knowledge, the emergence of the Gravettian in eastern Italy is contemporaneous with several sites in Central Europe and the chronological dates support the hypothesis that the Swabian Gravettian probably dispersed from eastern Austria.}, }
@article {pmid24753607, year = {2014}, author = {Castellano, S and Parra, G and Sánchez-Quinto, FA and Racimo, F and Kuhlwilm, M and Kircher, M and Sawyer, S and Fu, Q and Heinze, A and Nickel, B and Dabney, J and Siebauer, M and White, L and Burbano, HA and Renaud, G and Stenzel, U and Lalueza-Fox, C and de la Rasilla, M and Rosas, A and Rudan, P and Brajković, D and Kucan, &#x17d; and Gušic, I and Shunkov, MV and Derevianko, AP and Viola, B and Meyer, M and Kelso, J and Andrés, AM and Pääbo, S}, title = {Patterns of coding variation in the complete exomes of three Neandertals.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {111}, number = {18}, pages = {6666-6671}, pmid = {24753607}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Amino Acid Substitution ; Animals ; Croatia ; DNA/genetics ; *Exome ; Gene Frequency ; *Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Paleontology ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Siberia ; Spain ; }, abstract = {We present the DNA sequence of 17,367 protein-coding genes in two Neandertals from Spain and Croatia and analyze them together with the genome sequence recently determined from a Neandertal from southern Siberia. Comparisons with present-day humans from Africa, Europe, and Asia reveal that genetic diversity among Neandertals was remarkably low, and that they carried a higher proportion of amino acid-changing (nonsynonymous) alleles inferred to alter protein structure or function than present-day humans. Thus, Neandertals across Eurasia had a smaller long-term effective population than present-day humans. We also identify amino acid substitutions in Neandertals and present-day humans that may underlie phenotypic differences between the two groups. We find that genes involved in skeletal morphology have changed more in the lineage leading to Neandertals than in the ancestral lineage common to archaic and modern humans, whereas genes involved in behavior and pigmentation have changed more on the modern human lineage.}, }
@article {pmid24706180, year = {2014}, author = {Ding, Q and Hu, Y and Jin, L}, title = {Non-Neanderthal origin of the HLA-DPB1*0401.}, journal = {The Journal of biological chemistry}, volume = {289}, number = {14}, pages = {10252}, pmid = {24706180}, issn = {1083-351X}, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; HLA-DP Antigens/*genetics ; HLA-DR Antigens/*genetics ; Humans ; *Immunoblotting ; *Mutation ; }, }
@article {pmid24690587, year = {2014}, author = {Khrameeva, EE and Bozek, K and He, L and Yan, Z and Jiang, X and Wei, Y and Tang, K and Gelfand, MS and Prufer, K and Kelso, J and Paabo, S and Giavalisco, P and Lachmann, M and Khaitovich, P}, title = {Neanderthal ancestry drives evolution of lipid catabolism in contemporary Europeans.}, journal = {Nature communications}, volume = {5}, number = {}, pages = {3584}, pmid = {24690587}, issn = {2041-1723}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Genome ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Lipid Metabolism ; Neanderthals/classification/*genetics/*metabolism ; Pan troglodytes/genetics/metabolism ; Phylogeny ; White People/classification/*genetics/history ; }, abstract = {Although Neanderthals are extinct, fragments of their genomes persist in contemporary humans. Here we show that while the genome-wide frequency of Neanderthal-like sites is approximately constant across all contemporary out-of-Africa populations, genes involved in lipid catabolism contain more than threefold excess of such sites in contemporary humans of European descent. Evolutionally, these genes show significant association with signatures of recent positive selection in the contemporary European, but not Asian or African populations. Functionally, the excess of Neanderthal-like sites in lipid catabolism genes can be linked with a greater divergence of lipid concentrations and enzyme expression levels within this pathway, seen in contemporary Europeans, but not in the other populations. We conclude that sequence variants that evolved in Neanderthals may have given a selective advantage to anatomically modern humans that settled in the same geographical areas.}, }
@article {pmid24689136, year = {2014}, author = {Carbon, CC and Wirth, BE}, title = {Neanderthal paintings? Production of prototypical human (Homo sapiens) faces shows systematic distortions.}, journal = {Perception}, volume = {43}, number = {1}, pages = {99-102}, doi = {10.1068/p7604}, pmid = {24689136}, issn = {0301-0066}, mesh = {Animals ; Cues ; Face ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Memory/*physiology ; Neanderthals/*psychology ; Paintings/*psychology ; Perceptual Distortion/*physiology ; }, abstract = {People's sketches of human faces seem to be systematically distorted: the eye position is always higher than in reality. This bias was experimentally analyzed by a series of experiments varying drawing conditions. Participants either drew prototypical faces from memory (studies 1 and 2: free reconstruction; study 3: cued reconstruction) or directly copied average faces (study 4). Participants consistently showed this positioning bias, which is even in accord with facial depictions published in influential research articles by famous face researchers (study 5). We discuss plausible explanations for this reliable and stable bias, which is coincidentally similar to the morphology of Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid24675930, year = {2014}, author = {Gibbons, A}, title = {Human evolution. Oldest Homo sapiens genome pinpoints Neandertal input.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {343}, number = {6178}, pages = {1417}, doi = {10.1126/science.343.6178.1417}, pmid = {24675930}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Siberia ; }, }
@article {pmid24673173, year = {2014}, author = {Srivastava, K and Almarry, NS and Flegel, WA}, title = {Genetic variation of the whole ICAM4 gene in Caucasians and African Americans.}, journal = {Transfusion}, volume = {54}, number = {9}, pages = {2315-2324}, pmid = {24673173}, issn = {1537-2995}, support = {Z99 CL999999//Intramural NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Black or African American/genetics ; Alleles ; Cell Adhesion Molecules/*genetics ; Exons/genetics ; Genetic Variation/*genetics ; Genotype ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Humans ; Introns/genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Landsteiner-Wiener (LW) is the human blood group system Number 16, which comprises two antithetical antigens, LW(a) and LW(b) and the high-prevalence antigen LW(ab) . LW is encoded by the intracellular adhesion molecule 4 (ICAM4) gene. The ICAM4 protein is part of the Rhesus complex in the red cell membrane and is involved in cell-cell adhesion.<br><br>STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We developed a method to sequence the whole 1.9-kb ICAM4 gene from genomic DNA in one amplicon. We determined the nucleotide sequence of Exons 1 to 3, the two introns, and 402-bp 5'-untranslated region (UTR) and 347-bp 3'-UTR in 97 Caucasian and 91 African American individuals.<br><br>RESULTS: Seven variant ICAM4 alleles were found, distinct from the wild-type ICAM4 allele (GenBank KF712272), known as LW*05 and encoding LW(a) . An effect of the LW(a) /LW(b) amino acid substitution on the protein structure was predicted by two of the three computational modeling programs used.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We describe a practical approach for sequencing and determining the ICAM4 alleles using genomic DNA. LW*05 is the ancestral allele, which had also been observed in a Neanderthal sample. All seven variant alleles are immediate derivatives of the prevalent LW*05 and caused by one single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in each allele. Our data were consistent with the NHLBI GO Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) and the dbSNP databases, as all SNPs had been observed previously. Our study has the advantage over the other databases in that it adds haplotype (allele) information for the ICAM4 gene, clinically relevant in the field of transfusion medicine.}, }
@article {pmid24670743, year = {2014}, author = {Callaway, E}, title = {Human evolution: The Neanderthal in the family.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {507}, number = {7493}, pages = {414-416}, pmid = {24670743}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Agriculture/history ; Animals ; Animals, Domestic/genetics ; Dogs ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Extinction, Biological ; Fossils ; Genomics/*methods/trends ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/classification/genetics ; Horses/genetics ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Neanderthals/*classification/*genetics ; Paleontology/methods/trends ; *Phylogeny ; Selection, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods ; Wolves/genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid24667833, year = {2014}, author = {Sazzini, M and Schiavo, G and De Fanti, S and Martelli, PL and Casadio, R and Luiselli, D}, title = {Searching for signatures of cold adaptations in modern and archaic humans: hints from the brown adipose tissue genes.}, journal = {Heredity}, volume = {113}, number = {3}, pages = {259-267}, pmid = {24667833}, issn = {1365-2540}, mesh = {*Adaptation, Physiological/genetics ; *Adipose Tissue, Brown/metabolism ; Alleles ; Biological Evolution ; Climate ; Cold Temperature ; Fossils ; *Genome/genetics ; *Thermogenesis/genetics ; Humans ; }, abstract = {Adaptation to low temperatures has been reasonably developed in the human species during the colonization of the Eurasian landmass subsequent to Out of Africa migrations of anatomically modern humans. In addition to morphological and cultural changes, also metabolic ones are supposed to have favored human isolation from cold and body heat production and this can be hypothesized also for most Neandertal and at least for some Denisovan populations, which lived in geographical areas that strongly experienced the last glacial period. Modulation of non-shivering thermogenesis, for which adipocytes belonging to the brown adipose tissue are the most specialized cells, might have driven these metabolic adaptations. To perform an exploratory analysis aimed at looking into this hypothesis, variation at 28 genes involved in such functional pathway was investigated in modern populations from different climate zones, as well as in Neandertal and Denisovan genomes. Patterns of variation at the LEPR gene, strongly related to increased heat dissipation by mitochondria, appeared to have been shaped by positive selection in modern East Asians, but not in Europeans. Moreover, a single potentially cold-adapted LEPR allele, different from the supposed adaptive one identified in Homo sapiens, was found also in Neandertal and Denisovan genomes. These findings suggest that independent mechanisms for cold adaptations might have been developed in different non-African human groups, as well as that the evolution of possible enhanced thermal efficiency in Neandertals and in some Denisovan populations has plausibly entailed significant changes also in other functional pathways than in the examined one.}, }
@article {pmid24666601, year = {2014}, author = {Benazzi, S and Bailey, SE and Peresani, M and Mannino, MA and Romandini, M and Richards, MP and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Middle Paleolithic and Uluzzian human remains from Fumane Cave, Italy.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {70}, number = {}, pages = {61-68}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.03.001}, pmid = {24666601}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Caves ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Incisor/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Italy ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Tooth, Deciduous/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The site of Fumane Cave (western Lessini Mountains, Italy) contains a stratigraphic sequence spanning the Middle to early Upper Paleolithic. During excavations from 1989 to 2011, four human teeth were unearthed from the Mousterian (Fumane 1, 4, 5) and Uluzzian (Fumane 6) levels of the cave. In this contribution, we provide the first morphological description and morphometric analysis of the dental remains. All of the human remains, except for Fumane 6, are deciduous teeth. Based on metric data (crown and cervical outline analysis, and lateral enamel thickness) and non-metric dental traits (e.g., mid-trigonid crest), Fumane 1 (lower left second deciduous molar) clearly belongs to a Neandertal. For Fumane 4 (upper right central deciduous incisor), the taxonomic attribution is difficult due to heavy incisal wear. Some morphological features observed in Fumane 5 (lower right lateral deciduous incisor), coupled with the large size of the tooth, support Neandertal affinity. Fumane 6, a fragment of a permanent molar, does not show any morphological features useful for taxonomic discrimination. The human teeth from Fumane Cave increase the sample of Italian fossil remains, and emphasize the need to develop new methods to extract meaningful taxonomic information from deciduous and worn teeth.}, }
@article {pmid24627034, year = {2014}, author = {Eriksson, A and Manica, A}, title = {The doubly conditioned frequency spectrum does not distinguish between ancient population structure and hybridization.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {31}, number = {6}, pages = {1618-1621}, pmid = {24627034}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {BB/H005854/1//Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Black People/*genetics ; Demography ; Gene Flow ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Distinguishing between hybridization and population structure in the ancestral species is a key challenge in our understanding of how permeable species boundaries are to gene flow. The doubly conditioned frequency spectrum (dcfs) has been argued to be a powerful metric to discriminate between these two explanations, and it was used to argue for hybridization between Neandertal and anatomically modern humans. The shape of the observed dcfs for these two species cannot be reproduced by a model that represents ancient population structure in Africa with two populations, while adding hybridization produces realistic shapes. In this letter, we show that this result is a consequence of the spatial coarseness of the demographic model and that a spatially structured stepping stone model can generate realistic dcfs without hybridization. This result highlights how inferences on hybridization between recently diverged species can be strongly affected by the choice of how population structure is represented in the underlying demographic model. We also conclude that the dcfs has limited power in distinguishing between the signals left by hybridization and ancient structure.}, }
@article {pmid24620439, year = {2014}, author = {Mew, J}, title = {In search of our direct ancestor an anthropological and orthodontic summary.}, journal = {Dental historian : Lindsay Club newsletter}, volume = {}, number = {59}, pages = {33-38}, pmid = {24620439}, issn = {0958-6687}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Europe ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae/growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Malocclusion/*history ; Maxillofacial Development/*physiology ; *Neanderthals/growth &amp; development ; Paleontology ; }, abstract = {This paper reviews the development of human facial anatomy in H Erectus, Neanderthal and modern man. Modern orthodontic measurements are used to compare different jaw size and relationships.}, }
@article {pmid24616525, year = {2014}, author = {Trinkaus, E and Holliday, TW and Auerbach, BM}, title = {Neandertal clavicle length.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {111}, number = {12}, pages = {4438-4442}, pmid = {24616525}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Clavicle/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; Fossils ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {The Late Pleistocene archaic humans from western Eurasia (the Neandertals) have been described for a century as exhibiting absolutely and relatively long clavicles. This aspect of their body proportions has been used to distinguish them from modern humans, invoked to account for other aspects of their anatomy and genetics, used in assessments of their phylogenetic polarities, and used as evidence for Late Pleistocene population relationships. However, it has been unclear whether the usual scaling of Neandertal clavicular lengths to their associated humeral lengths reflects long clavicles, short humeri, or both. Neandertal clavicle lengths, along with those of early modern humans and latitudinally diverse recent humans, were compared with both humeral lengths and estimated body masses (based on femoral head diameters). The Neandertal do have long clavicles relative their humeri, even though they fall within the ranges of variation of early and recent humans. However, when scaled to body masses, their humeral lengths are relatively short, and their clavicular lengths are indistinguishable from those of Late Pleistocene and recent modern humans. The few sufficiently complete Early Pleistocene Homo clavicles seem to have relative lengths also well within recent human variation. Therefore, appropriately scaled clavicular length seems to have varied little through the genus Homo, and it should not be used to account for other aspects of Neandertal biology or their phylogenetic status.}, }
@article {pmid24615397, year = {2014}, author = {Been, E and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Kramer, PA}, title = {Brief communication: Lumbar lordosis in extinct hominins: implications of the pelvic incidence.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {154}, number = {2}, pages = {307-314}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22507}, pmid = {24615397}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Hylobates/anatomy &amp; histology ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Pelvis/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Posture/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Recently, interest has peaked regarding the posture of extinct hominins. Here, we present a new method of reconstructing lordosis angles of extinct hominin specimens based on pelvic morphology, more specifically the orientation of the sacrum in relation to the acetabulum (pelvic incidence). Two regression models based on the correlation between pelvic incidence and lordosis angle in living hominoids have been developed. The mean values of the calculated lordosis angles based on these models are 36°-45° for australopithecines, 45°-47° for Homo erectus, 27°-34° for the Neandertals and the Sima de los Huesos hominins, and 49°-51° for fossil H. sapiens. The newly calculated lordosis values are consistent with previously published values of extinct hominins (Been et al.: Am J Phys Anthropol 147 (2012) 64-77). If the mean values of the present nonhuman hominoids are representative of the pelvic and lumbar morphology of the last common ancestor between humans and nonhuman hominoids, then both pelvic incidence and lordosis angle dramatically increased during hominin evolution from 27° ± 5 to 22° ± 3 (respectively) in nonhuman hominoids to 54° ± 10 and 51° ± 11 in modern humans. This change to a more human-like configuration appeared early in the hominin evolution as the pelvis and spines of both australopithecines and H. erectus show a higher pelvic incidence and lordosis angle than nonhuman hominoids. The Sima de los Huesos hominins and Neandertals show a derived configuration with a low pelvic incidence and lordosis angle.}, }
@article {pmid24612646, year = {2014}, author = {Henry, AG and Brooks, AS and Piperno, DR}, title = {Plant foods and the dietary ecology of Neanderthals and early modern humans.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {69}, number = {}, pages = {44-54}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.12.014}, pmid = {24612646}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; *Archaeology ; Biological Evolution ; *Diet ; Europe ; Humans ; Middle East ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; *Plants, Edible ; }, abstract = {One of the most important challenges in anthropology is understanding the disappearance of Neanderthals. Previous research suggests that Neanderthals had a narrower diet than early modern humans, in part because they lacked various social and technological advances that lead to greater dietary variety, such as a sexual division of labor and the use of complex projectile weapons. The wider diet of early modern humans would have provided more calories and nutrients, increasing fertility, decreasing mortality and supporting large population sizes, allowing them to out-compete Neanderthals. However, this model for Neanderthal dietary behavior is based on analysis of animal remains, stable isotopes, and other methods that provide evidence only of animal food in the diet. This model does not take into account the potential role of plant food. Here we present results from the first broad comparison of plant foods in the diets of Neanderthals and early modern humans from several populations in Europe, the Near East, and Africa. Our data comes from the analysis of plant microremains (starch grains and phytoliths) in dental calculus and on stone tools. Our results suggest that both species consumed a similarly wide array of plant foods, including foods that are often considered low-ranked, like underground storage organs and grass seeds. Plants were consumed across the entire range of individuals and sites we examined, and none of the expected predictors of variation (species, geographic region, or associated stone tool technology) had a strong influence on the number of plant species consumed. Our data suggest that Neanderthal dietary ecology was more complex than previously thought. This implies that the relationship between Neanderthal technology, social behavior, and food acquisition strategies must be better explored.}, }
@article {pmid24610299, year = {2014}, author = {Hill, CA and Radovčić, J and Frayer, DW}, title = {Brief communication: Investigation of the semicircular canal variation in the Krapina Neandertals.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {154}, number = {2}, pages = {302-306}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22506}, pmid = {24610299}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Semicircular Canals/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Temporal Bone/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {Previous studies comparing bony labyrinth morphology in geographically-dispersed samples of Neandertals and modern Homo sapiens (H. sapiens) showed that Neandertals generally have smaller semicircular canals than modern H. sapiens (Hublin et al., ; Spoor et al., ; Glantz et al.,). Here we analyze the morphology of a single group of Neandertal specimens from one locale, the Krapina site, to determine the intraspecific variation in Neandertal semicircular canal sizes. Dimensions of the semicircular canals were collected from computed tomography scans of nine temporal bones. With the rare exception, the dimensions of the semicircular canals in the Krapina sample are similar to those previously reported across a geographically-dispersed sample of Neandertals, further supporting previous studies that suggest low levels of variation in the semicircular canals for Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid24599118, year = {2014}, author = {Mariotti, M and Smith, TF and Sudmant, PH and Goldberger, G}, title = {Pseudogenization of testis-specific Lfg5 predates human/Neanderthal divergence.}, journal = {Journal of human genetics}, volume = {59}, number = {5}, pages = {288-291}, pmid = {24599118}, issn = {1435-232X}, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Exons ; Genomics ; Humans ; Introns ; Male ; Multigene Family ; Mutation ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Organ Specificity/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Testis/*metabolism ; }, abstract = {Recent reviews discussed the critical roles of apoptosis in human spermatogenesis and infertility. These reviews highlight the FasL-induced caspase cascade in apoptosis lending importance to our discovery of the pseudogene status of the Lfg5 gene in modern humans, Neanderthal and the Denisovan. This gene is a member of the ancient and highly conserved apoptosis Lifeguard family. This pseudogenization is the result of a premature stop codon at the 3'-end of exon 8 not found in any other ortholog. With the current exception of the domesticated bovine and buffalo, Lfg5's expression in mammals is testis-specific. A full analysis of this gene, its phylogenetic context and its recent hominin changes suggest its inactivation was likely under selection in human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid24586184, year = {2014}, author = {Engelken, J and Carnero-Montoro, E and Pybus, M and Andrews, GK and Lalueza-Fox, C and Comas, D and Sekler, I and de la Rasilla, M and Rosas, A and Stoneking, M and Valverde, MA and Vicente, R and Bosch, E}, title = {Extreme population differences in the human zinc transporter ZIP4 (SLC39A4) are explained by positive selection in Sub-Saharan Africa.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {10}, number = {2}, pages = {e1004128}, pmid = {24586184}, issn = {1553-7404}, mesh = {Acrodermatitis/*genetics/pathology ; Africa South of the Sahara ; Cation Transport Proteins/*genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation/genetics ; Gene Frequency ; *Genetics, Population ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Mutation ; Selection, Genetic/*genetics ; Zinc/*deficiency ; }, abstract = {Extreme differences in allele frequency between West Africans and Eurasians were observed for a leucine-to-valine substitution (Leu372Val) in the human intestinal zinc uptake transporter, ZIP4, yet no further evidence was found for a selective sweep around the ZIP4 gene (SLC39A4). By interrogating allele frequencies in more than 100 diverse human populations and resequencing Neanderthal DNA, we confirmed the ancestral state of this locus and found a strong geographical gradient for the derived allele (Val372), with near fixation in West Africa. In extensive coalescent simulations, we show that the extreme differences in allele frequency, yet absence of a classical sweep signature, can be explained by the effect of a local recombination hotspot, together with directional selection favoring the Val372 allele in Sub-Saharan Africans. The possible functional effect of the Leu372Val substitution, together with two pathological mutations at the same codon (Leu372Pro and Leu372Arg) that cause acrodermatitis enteropathica (a disease phenotype characterized by extreme zinc deficiency), was investigated by transient overexpression of human ZIP4 protein in HeLa cells. Both acrodermatitis mutations cause absence of the ZIP4 transporter cell surface expression and nearly absent zinc uptake, while the Val372 variant displayed significantly reduced surface protein expression, reduced basal levels of intracellular zinc, and reduced zinc uptake in comparison with the Leu372 variant. We speculate that reduced zinc uptake by the ZIP4-derived Val372 isoform may act by starving certain pathogens of zinc, and hence may have been advantageous in Sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, these functional results may indicate differences in zinc homeostasis among modern human populations with possible relevance for disease risk.}, }
@article {pmid24532731, year = {2014}, author = {Lohse, K and Frantz, LA}, title = {Neandertal admixture in Eurasia confirmed by maximum-likelihood analysis of three genomes.}, journal = {Genetics}, volume = {196}, number = {4}, pages = {1241-1251}, pmid = {24532731}, issn = {1943-2631}, mesh = {Animals ; Asian People/*genetics ; Computer Simulation ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genome ; Humans ; *Likelihood Functions ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeography ; White People/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Although there has been much interest in estimating histories of divergence and admixture from genomic data, it has proved difficult to distinguish recent admixture from long-term structure in the ancestral population. Thus, recent genome-wide analyses based on summary statistics have sparked controversy about the possibility of interbreeding between Neandertals and modern humans in Eurasia. Here we derive the probability of full mutational configurations in nonrecombining sequence blocks under both admixture and ancestral structure scenarios. Dividing the genome into short blocks gives an efficient way to compute maximum-likelihood estimates of parameters. We apply this likelihood scheme to triplets of human and Neandertal genomes and compare the relative support for a model of admixture from Neandertals into Eurasian populations after their expansion out of Africa against a history of persistent structure in their common ancestral population in Africa. Our analysis allows us to conclusively reject a model of ancestral structure in Africa and instead reveals strong support for Neandertal admixture in Eurasia at a higher rate (3.4-7.3%) than suggested previously. Using analysis and simulations we show that our inference is more powerful than previous summary statistics and robust to realistic levels of recombination.}, }
@article {pmid24491378, year = {2014}, author = {Garralda, MD and Maureille, B and Vandermeersch, B}, title = {Hyperostosis frontalis interna in a Neandertal from Marillac (Charente, France).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {67}, number = {}, pages = {76-84}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.12.003}, pmid = {24491378}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Humans ; Hyperostosis Frontalis Interna/diagnostic imaging/*pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Neanderthals ; Paleopathology ; Radiography ; }, abstract = {The site of Marillac (Charente, France) has yielded an important stratigraphic sequence containing numerous Neandertal remains (some of them with peri-mortem manipulations) from lithofacies 2 (Quina Mousterian). This level has been correlated with MIS 4 and is associated with a TL date of 57,600 ± 4600 years BP (before present). The study of one of the cranial fragments (Marillac 3) revealed a grade 2 or Type B Hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI), remodelling and altering the internal table of the thick frontal bone. This pathology has been analysed macroscopically together with radiography and sections made using a microscanner and a scanner. The development of the HFI is compared with published evidence for Sangiran 3 (Homo erectus), two other Neandertals (Forbes' Quarry and Shanidar 5), and several archaeological samples. Forbes' Quarry seems to display more advanced HFI than either Shanidar 5 or Marillac 3. The three Neandertals may be considered mature individuals (≥40 years) and it seems likely that the aetiology of this pathology may be associated with hormonal alterations, as has been suggested for past and extant populations. While the prevalence of HFI in contemporary post-menopausal women is well documented, the identification of HFI amongst males from several archaeological samples (Neanderthals, Ancient Egypt, Syrian Bronze Age or the Anasazi), with different stages of development, confirm that the pathology affected both sexes in past populations. Additional data and research are still needed to elucidate the etiopathogenesis of this illness and to better understand the relationship between environmental factors and their possible influences/consequences for the development of metabolic disorders in prehistoric populations.}, }
@article {pmid24485350, year = {2014}, author = {Hora, M and Sladek, V}, title = {Influence of lower limb configuration on walking cost in Late Pleistocene humans.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {67}, number = {}, pages = {19-32}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.09.011}, pmid = {24485350}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Female ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Leg Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Lower Extremity/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Walking/*physiology ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {It has been proposed that Neandertals had about 30% higher gross cost of transport than anatomically modern humans (AMH) and that such difference implies higher daily energy demands and reduced foraging ranges in Neandertals. Thus, reduced walking economy could be among the factors contributing to the Neandertals' loss in competition with their anatomically modern successors. Previously, Neandertal walking cost had been estimated from just two parameters and based upon a pooled-sex sample. In the present study, we estimate sex-specific walking cost of Neandertals using a model accounting for body mass, lower limb length, lower limb proportions, and other features of lower limb configuration. Our results suggest that Neandertals needed more energy to walk a given distance than did AMH but the difference was less than half of that previously estimated in males and even far less pronounced in females. In contrast, comparison of the estimated walking cost adjusted to body mass indicates that Neandertals spent less energy per kilogram of body mass than AMH thanks to their lower limb configuration, males having 1-5% lower and females 1-3% lower mass-specific net cost of transport than AMH of the same sex. The primary cause of high cost of transport in Neandertal males is thus their great body mass, possibly a consequence of adaptation to cold, which was not fully offset by their cost-moderating lower limb configuration. The estimated differences in absolute energy spent for locomotion between Neandertal and AMH males would account for about 1% of previously estimated daily energy expenditure of Neandertal or AMH males.}, }
@article {pmid24482249, year = {2014}, author = {Bailey, SE and Benazzi, S and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Allometry, merism, and tooth shape of the upper deciduous M2 and permanent M1.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {154}, number = {1}, pages = {104-114}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22477}, pmid = {24482249}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Humans ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals ; Odontometry/methods ; Principal Component Analysis ; Tooth, Deciduous/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of allometry on the shape of dm(2) and M(1) crown outlines and to examine whether the trajectory and magnitude of scaling are shared between species. The sample included 160 recent Homo sapiens, 28 Upper Paleolithic H. sapiens, 10 early H. sapiens, and 33 H. neanderthalensis (Neandertal) individuals. Of these, 97 were dm(2) /M(1) pairs from the same individuals. A two-block partial least squares analysis of paired individuals revealed a significant correlation in crown shape between dm(2) and M(1) . A principal component analysis confirmed that Neandertal and H. sapiens dm(2) and M(1) shapes differ significantly and that this difference is primarily related to hypocone size and projection. Allometry accounted for a small but significant proportion of the total morphological variance. We found the magnitude of the allometric effect to be significantly stronger in Neandertals than in H. sapiens. Procrustes distances were significantly different between the two tooth classes in Neandertals, but not among H. sapiens groups. Nevertheless, we could not reject the null hypothesis that the two species share the same allometric trajectory. Although size clearly contributes to the unique shape of the Neandertal dm(2) and M(1) , the largest H. sapiens teeth do not exhibit the most Neandertal-like morphology. Hence, additional factors must contribute to the differences in dm(2) and M(1) crown shape between these two species. We suggest an investigation of the role of timing and rate of development on the shapes of the dm(2) and M(1) may provide further answers.}, }
@article {pmid24476815, year = {2014}, author = {Sankararaman, S and Mallick, S and Dannemann, M and Prüfer, K and Kelso, J and Pääbo, S and Patterson, N and Reich, D}, title = {The genomic landscape of Neanderthal ancestry in present-day humans.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {507}, number = {7492}, pages = {354-357}, pmid = {24476815}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {/HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HG006399/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Female ; Gene Flow/genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease/*genetics ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; Genomics ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Humans ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Infertility, Male/*genetics ; Keratins/genetics ; Male ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Organ Specificity ; *Phylogeny ; Selection, Genetic/*genetics ; Testis/metabolism ; X Chromosome/genetics ; }, abstract = {Genomic studies have shown that Neanderthals interbred with modern humans, and that non-Africans today are the products of this mixture. The antiquity of Neanderthal gene flow into modern humans means that genomic regions that derive from Neanderthals in any one human today are usually less than a hundred kilobases in size. However, Neanderthal haplotypes are also distinctive enough that several studies have been able to detect Neanderthal ancestry at specific loci. We systematically infer Neanderthal haplotypes in the genomes of 1,004 present-day humans. Regions that harbour a high frequency of Neanderthal alleles are enriched for genes affecting keratin filaments, suggesting that Neanderthal alleles may have helped modern humans to adapt to non-African environments. We identify multiple Neanderthal-derived alleles that confer risk for disease, suggesting that Neanderthal alleles continue to shape human biology. An unexpected finding is that regions with reduced Neanderthal ancestry are enriched in genes, implying selection to remove genetic material derived from Neanderthals. Genes that are more highly expressed in testes than in any other tissue are especially reduced in Neanderthal ancestry, and there is an approximately fivefold reduction of Neanderthal ancestry on the X chromosome, which is known from studies of diverse species to be especially dense in male hybrid sterility genes. These results suggest that part of the explanation for genomic regions of reduced Neanderthal ancestry is Neanderthal alleles that caused decreased fertility in males when moved to a modern human genetic background.}, }
@article {pmid24476670, year = {2014}, author = {Vernot, B and Akey, JM}, title = {Resurrecting surviving Neandertal lineages from modern human genomes.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {343}, number = {6174}, pages = {1017-1021}, doi = {10.1126/science.1245938}, pmid = {24476670}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Genetic Variation ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic ; Indians, North American/genetics ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {Anatomically modern humans overlapped and mated with Neandertals such that non-African humans inherit ~1 to 3% of their genomes from Neandertal ancestors. We identified Neandertal lineages that persist in the DNA of modern humans, in whole-genome sequences from 379 European and 286 East Asian individuals, recovering more than 15 gigabases of introgressed sequence that spans ~20% of the Neandertal genome (false discovery rate = 5%). Analyses of surviving archaic lineages suggest that there were fitness costs to hybridization, admixture occurred both before and after divergence of non-African modern humans, and Neandertals were a source of adaptive variation for loci involved in skin phenotypes. Our results provide a new avenue for paleogenomics studies, allowing substantial amounts of population-level DNA sequence information to be obtained from extinct groups, even in the absence of fossilized remains.}, }
@article {pmid24469802, year = {2014}, author = {Skoglund, P and Northoff, BH and Shunkov, MV and Derevianko, AP and Pääbo, S and Krause, J and Jakobsson, M}, title = {Separating endogenous ancient DNA from modern day contamination in a Siberian Neandertal.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {111}, number = {6}, pages = {2229-2234}, pmid = {24469802}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Siberia ; }, abstract = {One of the main impediments for obtaining DNA sequences from ancient human skeletons is the presence of contaminating modern human DNA molecules in many fossil samples and laboratory reagents. However, DNA fragments isolated from ancient specimens show a characteristic DNA damage pattern caused by miscoding lesions that differs from present day DNA sequences. Here, we develop a framework for evaluating the likelihood of a sequence originating from a model with postmortem degradation-summarized in a postmortem degradation score-which allows the identification of DNA fragments that are unlikely to originate from present day sources. We apply this approach to a contaminated Neandertal specimen from Okladnikov Cave in Siberia to isolate its endogenous DNA from modern human contaminants and show that the reconstructed mitochondrial genome sequence is more closely related to the variation of Western Neandertals than what was discernible from previous analyses. Our method opens up the potential for genomic analysis of contaminated fossil material.}, }
@article {pmid24465235, year = {2013}, author = {Ahmed, M and Liang, P}, title = {Study of Modern Human Evolution via Comparative Analysis with the Neanderthal Genome.}, journal = {Genomics &amp; informatics}, volume = {11}, number = {4}, pages = {230-238}, pmid = {24465235}, issn = {1598-866X}, abstract = {Many other human species appeared in evolution in the last 6 million years that have not been able to survive to modern times and are broadly known as archaic humans, as opposed to the extant modern humans. It has always been considered fascinating to compare the modern human genome with that of archaic humans to identify modern human-specific sequence variants and figure out those that made modern humans different from their predecessors or cousin species. Neanderthals are the latest humans to become extinct, and many factors made them the best representatives of archaic humans. Even though a number of comparisons have been made sporadically between Neanderthals and modern humans, mostly following a candidate gene approach, the major breakthrough took place with the sequencing of the Neanderthal genome. The initial genome-wide comparison, based on the first draft of the Neanderthal genome, has generated some interesting inferences regarding variations in functional elements that are not shared by the two species and the debated admixture question. However, there are certain other genetic elements that were not included or included at a smaller scale in those studies, and they should be compared comprehensively to better understand the molecular make-up of modern humans and their phenotypic characteristics. Besides briefly discussing the important outcomes of the comparative analyses made so far between modern humans and Neanderthals, we propose that future comparative studies may include retrotransposons, pseudogenes, and conserved non-coding regions, all of which might have played significant roles during the evolution of modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid24458432, year = {2014}, author = {Caspermeyer, J}, title = {Sunlight adaptation region of Neanderthal genome found in up to 65% of modern East Asian populations.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {31}, number = {3}, pages = {763}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/msu003}, pmid = {24458432}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/*genetics ; Animals ; Asian People/*genetics ; Asia, Eastern ; Genome/*genetics ; Geography ; Humans ; Mutation/genetics ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Population Density ; *Sunlight ; }, }
@article {pmid24432504, year = {2013}, author = {Viidik, A}, title = {[Genes tell of the Neanderthal role in human evolution].}, journal = {Lakartidningen}, volume = {110}, number = {48}, pages = {2184-2185}, pmid = {24432504}, issn = {0023-7205}, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid24392153, year = {2014}, author = {Hughes, GM and Teeling, EC and Higgins, DG}, title = {Loss of olfactory receptor function in hominin evolution.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {e84714}, pmid = {24392153}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genome ; Genomics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Multigene Family ; Olfactory Receptor Neurons/*metabolism ; Phylogeny ; Receptors, Odorant/chemistry/classification/*genetics ; Sequence Alignment ; }, abstract = {The mammalian sense of smell is governed by the largest gene family, which encodes the olfactory receptors (ORs). The gain and loss of OR genes is typically correlated with adaptations to various ecological niches. Modern humans have 853 OR genes but 55% of these have lost their function. Here we show evidence of additional OR loss of function in the Neanderthal and Denisovan hominin genomes using comparative genomic methodologies. Ten Neanderthal and 8 Denisovan ORs show evidence of loss of function that differ from the reference modern human OR genome. Some of these losses are also present in a subset of modern humans, while some are unique to each lineage. Morphological changes in the cranium of Neanderthals suggest different sensory arrangements to that of modern humans. We identify differences in functional olfactory receptor genes among modern humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans, suggesting varied loss of function across all three taxa and we highlight the utility of using genomic information to elucidate the sensory niches of extinct species.}, }
@article {pmid24367647, year = {2013}, author = {Reno, PL and McLean, CY and Hines, JE and Capellini, TD and Bejerano, G and Kingsley, DM}, title = {A penile spine/vibrissa enhancer sequence is missing in modern and extinct humans but is retained in multiple primates with penile spines and sensory vibrissae.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {8}, number = {12}, pages = {e84258}, pmid = {24367647}, issn = {1932-6203}, support = {RR016483/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; RR014491/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; U42 RR015087/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; C06 RR016483/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; C06 RR014491/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; P50 HG002568/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; 5P50HG2568/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; RR015087/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Enhancer Elements, Genetic/*genetics ; *Extinction, Biological ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Penis/*metabolism ; Primates/*genetics ; Receptors, Androgen/*genetics ; Sequence Analysis ; Somatosensory Cortex/physiology ; Species Specificity ; Vibrissae/*metabolism/physiology ; }, abstract = {Previous studies show that humans have a large genomic deletion downstream of the Androgen Receptor gene that eliminates an ancestral mammalian regulatory enhancer that drives expression in developing penile spines and sensory vibrissae. Here we use a combination of large-scale sequence analysis and PCR amplification to demonstrate that the penile spine/vibrissa enhancer is missing in all humans surveyed and in the Neandertal and Denisovan genomes, but is present in DNA samples of chimpanzees and bonobos, as well as in multiple other great apes and primates that maintain some form of penile integumentary appendage and facial vibrissae. These results further strengthen the association between the presence of the penile spine/vibrissa enhancer and the presence of penile spines and macro- or micro- vibrissae in non-human primates as well as show that loss of the enhancer is both a distinctive and characteristic feature of the human lineage.}, }
@article {pmid24367509, year = {2013}, author = {D'Anastasio, R and Wroe, S and Tuniz, C and Mancini, L and Cesana, DT and Dreossi, D and Ravichandiran, M and Attard, M and Parr, WC and Agur, A and Capasso, L}, title = {Micro-biomechanics of the Kebara 2 hyoid and its implications for speech in Neanderthals.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {8}, number = {12}, pages = {e82261}, pmid = {24367509}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Humans ; *Hyoid Bone ; Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {The description of a Neanderthal hyoid from Kebara Cave (Israel) in 1989 fuelled scientific debate on the evolution of speech and complex language. Gross anatomy of the Kebara 2 hyoid differs little from that of modern humans. However, whether Homo neanderthalensis could use speech or complex language remains controversial. Similarity in overall shape does not necessarily demonstrate that the Kebara 2 hyoid was used in the same way as that of Homo sapiens. The mechanical performance of whole bones is partly controlled by internal trabecular geometries, regulated by bone-remodelling in response to the forces applied. Here we show that the Neanderthal and modern human hyoids also present very similar internal architectures and micro-biomechanical behaviours. Our study incorporates detailed analysis of histology, meticulous reconstruction of musculature, and computational biomechanical analysis with models incorporating internal micro-geometry. Because internal architecture reflects the loadings to which a bone is routinely subjected, our findings are consistent with a capacity for speech in the Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid24352235, year = {2014}, author = {Prüfer, K and Racimo, F and Patterson, N and Jay, F and Sankararaman, S and Sawyer, S and Heinze, A and Renaud, G and Sudmant, PH and de Filippo, C and Li, H and Mallick, S and Dannemann, M and Fu, Q and Kircher, M and Kuhlwilm, M and Lachmann, M and Meyer, M and Ongyerth, M and Siebauer, M and Theunert, C and Tandon, A and Moorjani, P and Pickrell, J and Mullikin, JC and Vohr, SH and Green, RE and Hellmann, I and Johnson, PL and Blanche, H and Cann, H and Kitzman, JO and Shendure, J and Eichler, EE and Lein, ES and Bakken, TE and Golovanova, LV and Doronichev, VB and Shunkov, MV and Derevianko, AP and Viola, B and Slatkin, M and Reich, D and Kelso, J and Pääbo, S}, title = {The complete genome sequence of a Neanderthal from the Altai Mountains.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {505}, number = {7481}, pages = {43-49}, pmid = {24352235}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {R01-GM40282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; HG002385/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; HG006283/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HG006283/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HG002385/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; }, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Caves ; DNA Copy Number Variations/genetics ; Female ; *Fossils ; Gene Flow/genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genome/*genetics ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Inbreeding ; Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/classification/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; Population Density ; Siberia/ethnology ; Toe Phalanges/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {We present a high-quality genome sequence of a Neanderthal woman from Siberia. We show that her parents were related at the level of half-siblings and that mating among close relatives was common among her recent ancestors. We also sequenced the genome of a Neanderthal from the Caucasus to low coverage. An analysis of the relationships and population history of available archaic genomes and 25 present-day human genomes shows that several gene flow events occurred among Neanderthals, Denisovans and early modern humans, possibly including gene flow into Denisovans from an unknown archaic group. Thus, interbreeding, albeit of low magnitude, occurred among many hominin groups in the Late Pleistocene. In addition, the high-quality Neanderthal genome allows us to establish a definitive list of substitutions that became fixed in modern humans after their separation from the ancestors of Neanderthals and Denisovans.}, }
@article {pmid24344286, year = {2014}, author = {Rendu, W and Beauval, C and Crevecoeur, I and Bayle, P and Balzeau, A and Bismuth, T and Bourguignon, L and Delfour, G and Faivre, JP and Lacrampe-Cuyaubère, F and Tavormina, C and Todisco, D and Turq, A and Maureille, B}, title = {Evidence supporting an intentional Neandertal burial at La Chapelle-aux-Saints.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {111}, number = {1}, pages = {81-86}, pmid = {24344286}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology/*methods ; Bone and Bones ; Burial/*history ; Fossils ; France ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Paleontology/*methods ; }, abstract = {The bouffia Bonneval at La Chapelle-aux-Saints is well known for the discovery of the first secure Neandertal burial in the early 20th century. However, the intentionality of the burial remains an issue of some debate. Here, we present the results of a 12-y fieldwork project, along with a taphonomic analysis of the human remains, designed to assess the funerary context of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neandertal. We have established the anthropogenic nature of the burial pit and underlined the taphonomic evidence of a rapid burial of the body. These multiple lines of evidence support the hypothesis of an intentional burial. Finally, the discovery of skeletal elements belonging to the original La Chapelle aux Saints 1 individual, two additional young individuals, and a second adult in the bouffia Bonneval highlights a more complex site-formation history than previously proposed.}, }
@article {pmid24344276, year = {2014}, author = {Ward, CV and Tocheri, MW and Plavcan, JM and Brown, FH and Manthi, FK}, title = {Early Pleistocene third metacarpal from Kenya and the evolution of modern human-like hand morphology.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {111}, number = {1}, pages = {121-124}, pmid = {24344276}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical/*methods ; Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones/physiology ; Female ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Kenya ; Male ; Metacarpal Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; }, abstract = {Despite discoveries of relatively complete hands from two early hominin species (Ardipithecus ramidus and Australopithecus sediba) and partial hands from another (Australopithecus afarensis), fundamental questions remain about the evolution of human-like hand anatomy and function. These questions are driven by the paucity of hand fossils in the hominin fossil record between 800,000 and 1.8 My old, a time interval well documented for the emergence and subsequent proliferation of Acheulian technology (shaped bifacial stone tools). Modern and Middle to Late Pleistocene humans share a suite of derived features in the thumb, wrist, and radial carpometacarpal joints that is noticeably absent in early hominins. Here we show that one of the most distinctive features of this suite in the Middle Pleistocene to recent human hand, the third metacarpal styloid process, was present ∼1.42 Mya in an East African hominin from Kaitio, West Turkana, Kenya. This fossil thus provides the earliest unambiguous evidence for the evolution of a key shared derived characteristic of modern human and Neandertal hand morphology and suggests that the distinctive complex of radial carpometacarpal joint features in the human hand arose early in the evolution of the genus Homo and probably in Homo erectus sensu lato.}, }
@article {pmid24344097, year = {2013}, author = {Overmann, K and Coolidge, F}, title = {Human species and mating systems: Neandertal-Homo sapiens reproductive isolation and the archaeological and fossil records.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {91}, number = {}, pages = {91-110}, doi = {10.4436/jass.91021}, pmid = {24344097}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology ; *Fossils ; *Genetic Speciation ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic ; *Neanderthals ; *Reproductive Isolation ; }, abstract = {The present paper examined the assumption of strong reproductive isolation (RI) between Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens, as well as the question of what form it might have taken, using insights from the parallel case of chimpanzee–bonobo hybridization. RI from hybrid sterility or inviability was thought unlikely based on the short separation-to-introgression timeline. The forms of RI that typically develop in primates have relatively short timelines (especially for partial implementation); they generally preclude mating or influence hybrid survival and reproduction in certain contexts, and they have the potential to skew introgression directionality. These RI barriers are also consistent with some interpretations of the archaeological and fossil records, especially when behavioral, cognitive, morphological, and genetic differences between the two human species are taken into consideration. Differences potentially influencing patterns of survival and reproduction include interspecies violence, Neandertal xenophobia, provisioning behavior, and ontogenetic, morphological, and behavioral differences affecting matters such as kin and mate recognition, infanticide, and sexual selection. These factors may have skewed the occurrence of interbreeding or the survival and reproduction of hybrids in a way that might at least partially explain the pattern of introgression.}, }
@article {pmid24336922, year = {2014}, author = {Ding, Q and Hu, Y and Xu, S and Wang, J and Jin, L}, title = {Neanderthal introgression at chromosome 3p21.31 was under positive natural selection in East Asians.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {31}, number = {3}, pages = {683-695}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/mst260}, pmid = {24336922}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/genetics ; Alleles ; Animals ; Asian People/*genetics ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3/*genetics ; Asia, Eastern ; Genetic Variation ; Geography ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium/genetics ; Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; Recombination, Genetic/genetics ; *Selection, Genetic ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Studies of the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes demonstrate archaic hominin introgression in Eurasians. Here, we present evidence of Neanderthal introgression within the chromosome 3p21.31 region, occurring with a high frequency in East Asians (ranging from 49.4% to 66.5%) and at a low frequency in Europeans. We also detected a signal of strong positive selection in this region only in East Asians. Our data indicate that likely candidate targets of selection include rs12488302-T and its associated alleles--among which four are nonsynonymous, including rs35455589-G in HYAL2, a gene related to the cellular response to ultraviolet-B irradiation. Furthermore, suggestive evidence supports latitude-dependent selection, implicating a role of ultraviolet-B. Interestingly, the distribution of rs35455589-G suggests that this allele was lost during the exodus of ancestors of modern Eurasians from Africa and reintroduced to Eurasians from Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid24331083, year = {2014}, author = {Benazzi, S and Peresani, M and Talamo, S and Fu, Q and Mannino, MA and Richards, MP and Hublin, JJ}, title = {A reassessment of the presumed Neandertal remains from San Bernardino Cave, Italy.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {66}, number = {}, pages = {89-94}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.09.009}, pmid = {24331083}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Carbon Isotopes/analysis ; Caves ; Chronology as Topic ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Fossils ; Humans/classification ; Italy ; Mass Spectrometry ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology/*chemistry ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neanderthals/*classification ; Nitrogen Isotopes/analysis ; Paleodontology ; Phylogeny ; Radiometric Dating ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology ; Tooth Root/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {In 1986-1987, three human remains were unearthed from macro-unit II of San Bernardino Cave (Berici Hills, Veneto, Italy), a deposit containing a late Mousterian lithic assemblage. The human remains (a distal phalanx, a lower right third molar and a lower right second deciduous incisor) do not show diagnostic morphological features that could be used to determine whether they were from Homo neanderthalensis or Homo sapiens. Despite being of small size, and thus more similar to recent H. sapiens, the specimens were attributed to Neandertals, primarily because they were found in Mousterian layers. We carried out a taxonomic reassessment of the lower right third molar (LRM3; San Bernardino 4) using digital morphometric analysis of the root, ancient DNA analysis, carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses, and direct accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating of dentine collagen. Mitochondrial DNA analysis and root morphology show that the molar belongs to a modern human and not to a Neandertal. Carbon 14 ((14)C) dating of the molar attributes it to the end of the Middle Ages (1420-1480 cal AD, 2 sigma). Carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses suggest that the individual in question had a diet similar to that of Medieval Italians. These results show that the molar, as well as the other two human remains, belong to recent H. sapiens and were introduced in the Mousterian levels post-depositionally.}, }
@article {pmid24305051, year = {2014}, author = {Meyer, M and Fu, Q and Aximu-Petri, A and Glocke, I and Nickel, B and Arsuaga, JL and Martínez, I and Gracia, A and de Castro, JM and Carbonell, E and Pääbo, S}, title = {A mitochondrial genome sequence of a hominin from Sima de los Huesos.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {505}, number = {7483}, pages = {403-406}, pmid = {24305051}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; Consensus Sequence/genetics ; Cytosine/metabolism ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Deamination ; Femur/anatomy &amp; histology/metabolism ; *Fossils ; Genome, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*classification/*genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neanderthals/genetics ; *Phylogeny ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Excavations of a complex of caves in the Sierra de Atapuerca in northern Spain have unearthed hominin fossils that range in age from the early Pleistocene to the Holocene. One of these sites, the 'Sima de los Huesos' ('pit of bones'), has yielded the world's largest assemblage of Middle Pleistocene hominin fossils, consisting of at least 28 individuals dated to over 300,000 years ago. The skeletal remains share a number of morphological features with fossils classified as Homo heidelbergensis and also display distinct Neanderthal-derived traits. Here we determine an almost complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a hominin from Sima de los Huesos and show that it is closely related to the lineage leading to mitochondrial genomes of Denisovans, an eastern Eurasian sister group to Neanderthals. Our results pave the way for DNA research on hominins from the Middle Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid24262833, year = {2013}, author = {Marchi, E and Kanapin, A and Byott, M and Magiorkinis, G and Belshaw, R}, title = {Neanderthal and Denisovan retroviruses in modern humans.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {23}, number = {22}, pages = {R994-R995}, pmid = {24262833}, issn = {1879-0445}, support = {/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; MR/K010565/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Retroviridae/*genetics ; }, abstract = {In the June 5th 2012 issue of Current Biology, Agoni et al. reported finding 14 endogenous retrovirus (ERV) loci in the genome sequences of Neanderthal and/or Denisovan fossils (both ∼40,000 years old) that are not found in the human reference genome sequence. The authors concluded that these retroviruses were infecting the germline of these archaic hominins at or subsequent to their divergence from modern humans (∼400,000 years ago). However, in our search for unfixed ERVs in the modern human population, we have found most of these loci. We explain this apparent contradiction using population genetic theory and suggest that it illustrates an important phenomenon for the study of transposable elements such as ERVs.}, }
@article {pmid24214983, year = {2014}, author = {Temme, S and Zacharias, M and Neumann, J and Wohlfromm, S and König, A and Temme, N and Springer, S and Trowsdale, J and Koch, N}, title = {A novel family of human leukocyte antigen class II receptors may have its origin in archaic human species.}, journal = {The Journal of biological chemistry}, volume = {289}, number = {2}, pages = {639-653}, pmid = {24214983}, issn = {1083-351X}, support = {100140/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; G0901682/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Binding Sites/genetics ; COS Cells ; Cell Line ; Chlorocebus aethiops ; *Evolution, Molecular ; HLA-DP Antigens/chemistry/*genetics/metabolism ; HLA-DP alpha-Chains/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; HLA-DP beta-Chains/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; HLA-DR Antigens/chemistry/*genetics/metabolism ; HLA-DR alpha-Chains/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; HLA-DR beta-Chains/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Humans ; *Immunoblotting ; Models, Molecular ; *Mutation ; Neanderthals ; Protein Binding ; Protein Multimerization ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; }, abstract = {HLA class II α and β chains form receptors for antigen presentation to CD4(+) T cells. Numerous pairings of class II α and β subunits from the wide range of haplotypes and isotypes may form, but most of these combinations, in particular those produced by isotype mixing, yielded mismatched dimers. It is unclear how selection of functional receptors is achieved. At the atomic level, it is not known which interactions of class II residues regulate selection of matched αβ heterodimers and the evolutionary origin of matched isotype mixed dimer formation. In this study we investigated assembly of isotype-mixed HLA class II α and β heterodimers. Assembly and carbohydrate maturation of various HLA-class II isotype-mixed α and β subunits was dependent on the groove binding section of the invariant chain (Ii). By mutation of polymorphic DPβ sequences, we identified two motifs, Lys-69 and GGPM-(84-87), that are engaged in Ii-dependent assembly of DPβ with DRα. We identified five members of a family of DPβ chains containing Lys-69 and GGPM 84-87, which assemble with DRα. The Lys/GGPM motif is present in the DPβ sequence of the Neanderthal genome, and this ancient sequence is related to the human allele DPB1*0401. By site-directed mutagenesis, we inspected Neanderthal amino acid residues that differ from the DPB1*0401 allele and aimed to determine whether matched heterodimers are formed by assembly of DPβ mutants with DRα. Because the *0401 allele is rare in the sub-Saharan population but frequent in the European population, it may have arisen in modern humans by admixture with Neanderthals in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid24214385, year = {2013}, author = {Mersey, B and Brudvik, K and Black, MT and Defleur, A}, title = {Neanderthal axial and appendicular remains from Moula-Guercy, Ardèche, France.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {152}, number = {4}, pages = {530-542}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22388}, pmid = {24214385}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; *Fossils ; France ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Excavations carried out during the 1990s at Moula-Guercy cave Ardèche, France, yielded 108 hominid specimens dating to 100-120 Ka. In this paper, we describe and compare the 39 axial and appendicular specimens not including hand and foot bones. Among these remains are a large adult femur, several clavicles, a likely antimeric pair of radial heads, and a nearly complete superior pubic ramus. Analyses of this material indicate a clear affinity with Neanderthals by the presence of large and robust muscle attachments, thick long bone cortices, a long pubic ramus, and a superoinferiorly flattened clavicle shaft. The recovered remains reveal the presence of a mature male, a smaller mature individual, possibly a reproductive age female, an immature individual of age 10-12, and a second immature individual of age 4. Future analyses on the Moula-Guercy remains will illuminate ties to other known Neanderthal populations and contribute to the ongoing debate over the relative rate of Neanderthal metric growth.}, }
@article {pmid24214384, year = {2013}, author = {Mersey, B and Jabbour, RS and Brudvik, K and Defleur, A}, title = {Neanderthal hand and foot remains from Moula-Guercy, Ardèche, France.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {152}, number = {4}, pages = {516-529}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22389}, pmid = {24214384}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Foot Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; France ; Hand Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The hand and foot remains from Moula-Guercy cave (Ardèche, France) comprise 24 specimens of Eemian age (ca. 120 ka). The specimens include primarily complete elements, which are rare among the Moula-Guercy postcrania. The hand remains have several characteristic Neanderthal traits including a laterally facing (parasagittally oriented) second metacarpal-capitate articulation, a short styloid process, a wide proximal articular surface on the third metacarpal, and absolutely expanded apical tuberosities on the distal hand phalanges relative to modern humans. The foot remains include several incomplete elements along with an antimeric pair of naviculars, a medial cuneiform and cuboid, and a single complete element from each of the distal segments (one each: metatarsal, proximal foot phalanx, intermediate foot phalanx, distal foot phalanx). Consistent among the specimens are relatively wide diaphyses for length in the metatarsals and phalanges and large and prominent muscle attachments, both consistent with previously published Neanderthal morphology. The hand and foot collection from Moula-Guercy is an important dataset for future studies of Neanderthal functional morphology, dexterity, and behavior as it represents a previously undersampled time period for European Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid24174545, year = {2013}, author = {Hochreiter, S}, title = {HapFABIA: identification of very short segments of identity by descent characterized by rare variants in large sequencing data.}, journal = {Nucleic acids research}, volume = {41}, number = {22}, pages = {e202}, pmid = {24174545}, issn = {1362-4962}, mesh = {*Genetic Variation ; Genomics ; Genotyping Techniques ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/*methods ; Humans ; Inheritance Patterns ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {Identity by descent (IBD) can be reliably detected for long shared DNA segments, which are found in related individuals. However, many studies contain cohorts of unrelated individuals that share only short IBD segments. New sequencing technologies facilitate identification of short IBD segments through rare variants, which convey more information on IBD than common variants. Current IBD detection methods, however, are not designed to use rare variants for the detection of short IBD segments. Short IBD segments reveal genetic structures at high resolution. Therefore, they can help to improve imputation and phasing, to increase genotyping accuracy for low-coverage sequencing and to increase the power of association studies. Since short IBD segments are further assumed to be old, they can shed light on the evolutionary history of humans. We propose HapFABIA, a computational method that applies biclustering to identify very short IBD segments characterized by rare variants. HapFABIA is designed to detect short IBD segments in genotype data that were obtained from next-generation sequencing, but can also be applied to DNA microarray data. Especially in next-generation sequencing data, HapFABIA exploits rare variants for IBD detection. HapFABIA significantly outperformed competing algorithms at detecting short IBD segments on artificial and simulated data with rare variants. HapFABIA identified 160 588 different short IBD segments characterized by rare variants with a median length of 23 kb (mean 24 kb) in data for chromosome 1 of the 1000 Genomes Project. These short IBD segments contain 752 000 single nucleotide variants (SNVs), which account for 39% of the rare variants and 23.5% of all variants. The vast majority-152 000 IBD segments-are shared by Africans, while only 19 000 and 11 000 are shared by Europeans and Asians, respectively. IBD segments that match the Denisova or the Neandertal genome are found significantly more often in Asians and Europeans but also, in some cases exclusively, in Africans. The lengths of IBD segments and their sharing between continental populations indicate that many short IBD segments from chromosome 1 existed before humans migrated out of Africa. Thus, rare variants that tag these short IBD segments predate human migration from Africa. The software package HapFABIA is available from Bioconductor. All data sets, result files and programs for data simulation, preprocessing and evaluation are supplied at http://www.bioinf.jku.at/research/short-IBD.}, }
@article {pmid24162011, year = {2013}, author = {Wang, S and Lachance, J and Tishkoff, SA and Hey, J and Xing, J}, title = {Apparent variation in Neanderthal admixture among African populations is consistent with gene flow from Non-African populations.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {5}, number = {11}, pages = {2075-2081}, pmid = {24162011}, issn = {1759-6653}, support = {DP1 ES022577/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; F32 HG006648/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R00 HG005846/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; DP1 ES022577/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Africa South of the Sahara ; Animals ; Black People/*genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Gene Flow ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; }, abstract = {Recent studies have found evidence of introgression from Neanderthals into modern humans outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Given the geographic range of Neanderthals, the findings have been interpreted as evidence of gene exchange between Neanderthals and modern humans descended from the Out-of-Africa (OOA) migration. Here, we examine an alternative interpretation in which the introgression occurred earlier within Africa, between ancestors or relatives of Neanderthals and a subset of African modern humans who were the ancestors of those involved in the OOA migration. Under the alternative model, if the population structure among present-day Africans predates the OOA migration, we might find some African populations show a signal of Neanderthal introgression whereas others do not. To test this alternative model, we compiled a whole-genome data set including 38 sub-Saharan Africans from eight populations and 25 non-African individuals from five populations. We assessed differences in the amount of Neanderthal-like single-nucleotide polymorphism alleles among these populations and observed up to 1.5% difference in the number of Neanderthal-like alleles among African populations. Further analyses suggest that these differences are likely due to recent non-African admixture in these populations. After accounting for recent non-African admixture, our results do not support the alternative model of older (e.g., >100 kya) admixture between modern humans and Neanderthal-like hominids within Africa.}, }
@article {pmid24146836, year = {2013}, author = {Picin, A and Peresani, M and Falguères, C and Gruppioni, G and Bahain, JJ}, title = {San Bernardino Cave (Italy) and the appearance of Levallois technology in Europe: results of a radiometric and technological reassessment.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {8}, number = {10}, pages = {e76182}, pmid = {24146836}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Caves ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ; *Fossils ; *Genetic Speciation ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Italy ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology/psychology ; Paleodontology ; Radiometry ; Technology/*history/instrumentation ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; }, abstract = {The introduction of Levallois technology in Europe marked the transition from the Lower to the early Middle Paleolithic. This new method of flake production was accompanied by significant behavioral changes in hominin populations. The emergence of this technological advance is considered homogeneous in the European archaeological record at the Marine isotopic stage (MIS) 9/MIS 8 boundary. In this paper we report a series of combined electron spin resonance/U-series dates on mammal bones and teeth recovered from the lower units of San Bernardino Cave (Italy) and the technological analyses of the lithic assemblages. The San Bernardino Cave has yielded the earliest evidence of Levallois production on the Italian Peninsula recovered to date. In addition to our results and the review of the archaeological record, we describe the chronological and geographical differences between European territories and diversities in terms of technological developments. The belated emergence of Levallois technology in Italy compared to western Europe corresponds to the late Italian Neanderthal speciation event. The new radiometric dates and the technological analyses of San Bernardino Cave raise the issue of the different roles of glacial refugia in the peopling and the spread of innovative flaking strategies in Europe during the late Middle Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid24145426, year = {2013}, author = {Gómez-Robles, A and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Arsuaga, JL and Carbonell, E and Polly, PD}, title = {No known hominin species matches the expected dental morphology of the last common ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {110}, number = {45}, pages = {18196-18201}, pmid = {24145426}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Linear Models ; *Phylogeny ; Species Specificity ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {A central problem in paleoanthropology is the identity of the last common ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans ([N-MH]LCA). Recently developed analytical techniques now allow this problem to be addressed using a probabilistic morphological framework. This study provides a quantitative reconstruction of the expected dental morphology of the [N-MH]LCA and an assessment of whether known fossil species are compatible with this ancestral position. We show that no known fossil species is a suitable candidate for being the [N-MH]LCA and that all late Early and Middle Pleistocene taxa from Europe have Neanderthal dental affinities, pointing to the existence of a European clade originated around 1 Ma. These results are incongruent with younger molecular divergence estimates and suggest at least one of the following must be true: (i) European fossils and the [N-MH]LCA selectively retained primitive dental traits; (ii) molecular estimates of the divergence between Neanderthals and modern humans are underestimated; or (iii) phenotypic divergence and speciation between both species were decoupled such that phenotypic differentiation, at least in dental morphology, predated speciation.}, }
@article {pmid24074611, year = {2013}, author = {Turq, A and Roebroeks, W and Bourguignon, L and Faivre, JP}, title = {The fragmented character of Middle Palaeolithic stone tool technology.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {65}, number = {5}, pages = {641-655}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.07.014}, pmid = {24074611}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Neanderthals ; Technology/history/*instrumentation ; }, abstract = {The importance of the transport of stone artefacts in structuring Neandertal lithic assemblages has often been addressed, but the degree to which this led to fragmentation of lithic reduction over Middle Palaeolithic landscapes has not been explicitly studied thus far. Large-scale excavations of Middle Palaeolithic open-air sites and refitting studies of the retrieved assemblages have yielded new, high-resolution data on the mobile aspects of Neandertal stone tool technology. In this paper, we integrate lithic technology and raw material data from recent studies of Middle Palaeolithic open-air and rock shelter sites in Western Europe. We demonstrate that the results of a variety of typological, technological (especially refitting), and lithological studies have important consequences for our knowledge of the acquisition of raw materials and subsequent production, usage and discard of stone artefacts in the Middle Palaeolithic. Neandertal production and use of stone tools was fragmented in three domains: the spatial, the temporal and the social domain. We show that this versatile segmentation of stone artefact handling strategies is a main determinant of the character of the Neandertal archaeological record. Our data testify to ubiquitous and continuous transport of stone artefacts of a wide variety of forms, picked by Neandertals using selection criteria that were sometimes far removed from what archaeologists have traditionally considered, and to some degree still consider, to be desired end products of knapping activities. The data presented here testify to the variability and versatility of Middle Palaeolithic stone tool technology, whose fragmented character created very heterogeneous archaeological assemblages, usually the product of a wide variety of independent import, use, discard and/or subsequent transport events.}, }
@article {pmid24069017, year = {2013}, author = {Berwick, RC and Hauser, MD and Tattersall, I}, title = {Neanderthal language? Just-so stories take center stage.}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {4}, number = {}, pages = {671}, pmid = {24069017}, issn = {1664-1078}, }
@article {pmid23999832, year = {2013}, author = {Benazzi, S and Bailey, SE and Mallegni, F}, title = {Brief communication: A morphometric analysis of the neandertal upper second molar Leuca I.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {152}, number = {2}, pages = {300-305}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22355}, pmid = {23999832}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils ; Italy ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; }, abstract = {The scarcity of Neandertal remains from Southern Europe hampers our understanding of Neandertal variability, and can bias interpretations about Neandertal geographic variation. To address this issue, it is often important to reassess human remains that, while discovered decades ago, remain relatively unknown to the scientific community. In this contribution, we provide a complete state-of-the-art comparative morphometric analysis of Leuca I, an unworn left second upper molar (LM(2)) discovered in 1958 in Bambino's Cave (near Santa Maria di Leuca, Apulia, Italy) and attributed to Homo neanderthalensis. Our study includes comparisons of standard metric and nonmetric data, a 2D image analysis of the occlusal surface and measurements of both 2D and 3D enamel thickness and dental tissue proportions. Although Leuca I follows the Neandertal M(2) s trend in some morphometric aspects (i.e., small relative occlusal polygon area), in other cases it falls to the higher end (for 3D average enamel thickness) or even outside (for 3D-relative enamel thickness) the Neandertal M(2) variability, thus increasing the known Neandertal range of variation.}, }
@article {pmid23998458, year = {2013}, author = {Freidline, SE and Gunz, P and Harvati, K and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Evaluating developmental shape changes in Homo antecessor subadult facial morphology.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {65}, number = {4}, pages = {404-423}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.07.012}, pmid = {23998458}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Facial Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The fossil ATD6-69 from Atapuerca, Spain, dated to ca. 900 ka (thousands of years ago) has been suggested to mark the earliest appearance of modern human facial features. However, this specimen is a subadult and the interpretation of its morphology remains controversial, because it is unclear how developmental shape changes would affect the features that link ATD6-69 to modern humans. Here we analyze ATD6-69 in an evolutionary and developmental context. Our modern human sample comprises cross-sectional growth series from four populations. The fossil sample covers human specimens from the Pleistocene to the Upper Paleolithic, and includes several subadult Early Pleistocene humans and Neanderthals. We digitized landmarks and semilandmarks on surface and CT scans and analyzed the Procrustes shape coordinates using multivariate statistics. Ontogenetic allometric trajectories and developmental simulations were employed in order to identify growth patterns and to visualize potential adult shapes of ATD6-69. We show that facial differences between modern and archaic humans are not exclusively allometric. We find that while postnatal growth further accentuates the differences in facial features between Neanderthals and modern humans, those features that have been suggested to link ATD6-69's morphology to modern humans would not have been significantly altered in the course of subsequent development. In particular, the infraorbital depression on this specimen would have persisted into adulthood. However, many of the facial features that ATD6-69 shares with modern humans can be considered to be part of a generalized pattern of facial architecture. Our results present a complex picture regarding the polarity of facial features and demonstrate that some modern human-like facial morphology is intermittently present in Middle Pleistocene humans. We suggest that some of the facial features that characterize recent modern humans may have developed multiple times in human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid23980394, year = {2013}, author = {Ovchinnikov, IV}, title = {Hominin evolution and gene flow in the Pleistocene Africa.}, journal = {Anthropologischer Anzeiger; Bericht uber die biologisch-anthropologische Literatur}, volume = {70}, number = {2}, pages = {221-227}, doi = {10.1127/0003-5548/2013/0313}, pmid = {23980394}, issn = {0003-5548}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Fossils ; *Gene Flow ; Genome, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Africa demonstrates a complex process of the hominin evolution with a series of adaptive radiations during several millions of years that led to diverse morphological forms. Recently, Hammer et al. (2011) and Harvati et al. (2011) provided integrated morphological and genetic evidence of interbreeding between modern humans and unknown archaic hominins in Africa as recently as 35,000 years ago. However, a genetic evidence of hybridization between hominin lineages during the Lower and Middle Pleistocene epochs is unknown and the direct retrieval of DNA from extinct lineages of African hominins remains elusive. The availability of both nuclear and mitochondrial genome sequences from modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans allows collecting nuclear DNA sequences of mitochondrial origin (numts) inserted into the nuclear genome of the ancestral hominin lineages and drawing conclusions about the hominin evolution in the remote past. The mtDNA and numt analysis uncovered a deep division of mtDNA lineages that existed in African hominins in the Middle Pleistocene. The first cluster included the human and Neanderthal-like mtDNA sequences while the second consisted of DNA sequences that are known today as mtAncestor-1, a nuclear fossil of the mtDNA, and the Denisova mtDNA isolated from a bone and a tooth found in southern Siberia. The two groups initially diverged 610,000-1,110,000 years ago. Approximately 220,000 years after the primary split, the Denisova - mtAncestor-1 mtDNA lineages mixed with the mtDNA pool of an ancestral population of Neanderthals and modern humans. This admixture after the profound division is demonstrated by the transposition of the Denisova-like mtDNA sequence into the nuclear genome of an ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans. This finding suggests the matrilineal genetic structure among the Middle Pleistocene hominins as well as the existence of gene flow between African hominin lineages. Through paleogenomic analyses, it is impossible to exclude the theory that population structure and gene flow in African hominins influenced the admixture pattern observed in the nuclear genomes of non-Africans.}, }
@article {pmid23959642, year = {2012}, author = {Setó-Salvia, N and Sánchez-Quinto, F and Carbonell, E and Lorenzo, C and Comas, D and Clarimón, J}, title = {Using the neanderthal and denisova genetic data to understand the common MAPT 17q21 inversion in modern humans.}, journal = {Human biology}, volume = {84}, number = {6}, pages = {633-640}, doi = {10.3378/027.084.0605}, pmid = {23959642}, issn = {1534-6617}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Chromosome Inversion ; Genome, Human ; Haplotypes ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; tau Proteins/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The polymorphic inversion on 17q21, that includes the MAPT gene, represents a unique locus in the human genome characterized by a large region with strong linkage disequilibrium. Two distinct haplotypes, H1 and H2, exist in modern humans, and H1 has been unequivocally related to several neurodegenerative disorders. Recent data indicate that recurrent inversions of this genomic region have occurred through primate evolution, with the H2 haplotype being the ancestral state. Neandertals harbored the H1 haplotype; however, until now, no data were available for the Denisova hominin. Neandertals and Denisovans are sister groups that share a common ancestor with modern humans. We analyzed the MAPT sequence and assessed the differences between modern humans, Neandertals, Denisovans, and great apes. Our analysis indicated that the Denisova hominin carried the H1 haplotype, and the Neandertal and Denisova common ancestor probably shared the same subhaplotype (H1j). We also found 68 intronic variants within the MAPT gene, 23 exclusive to Denisova hominin, 6 limited to Neandertals, and 24 exclusive to present-day humans. Our results reinforce previous data; this suggests that the 17q21 inversion arose within the modern human lineage. The data also indicate that archaic hominins that coexisted in Eurasia probably shared the same MAPT subhaplotype, and this can be found in almost 2% of chromosomes from European ancestry.}, }
@article {pmid23940333, year = {2013}, author = {Soressi, M and McPherron, SP and Lenoir, M and Dogandžić, T and Goldberg, P and Jacobs, Z and Maigrot, Y and Martisius, NL and Miller, CE and Rendu, W and Richards, M and Skinner, MM and Steele, TE and Talamo, S and Texier, JP}, title = {Neandertals made the first specialized bone tools in Europe.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {110}, number = {35}, pages = {14186-14190}, pmid = {23940333}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Bone and Bones ; Fossils ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Radiometry ; }, abstract = {Modern humans replaced Neandertals ∼40,000 y ago. Close to the time of replacement, Neandertals show behaviors similar to those of the modern humans arriving into Europe, including the use of specialized bone tools, body ornaments, and small blades. It is highly debated whether these modern behaviors developed before or as a result of contact with modern humans. Here we report the identification of a type of specialized bone tool, lissoir, previously only associated with modern humans. The microwear preserved on one of these lissoir is consistent with the use of lissoir in modern times to obtain supple, lustrous, and more impermeable hides. These tools are from a Neandertal context proceeding the replacement period and are the oldest specialized bone tools in Europe. As such, they are either a demonstration of independent invention by Neandertals or an indication that modern humans started influencing European Neandertals much earlier than previously believed. Because these finds clearly predate the oldest known age for the use of similar objects in Europe by anatomically modern humans, they could also be evidence for cultural diffusion from Neandertals to modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid23928352, year = {2013}, author = {Ruebens, K}, title = {Regional behaviour among late Neanderthal groups in Western Europe: a comparative assessment of late Middle Palaeolithic bifacial tool variability.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {65}, number = {4}, pages = {341-362}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.06.009}, pmid = {23928352}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Cultural Evolution ; Europe ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Paleontology ; Population Dynamics ; Technology ; }, abstract = {Population dynamics between and within Pleistocene groups are vital to understanding wider behavioural processes like social transmission and cultural variation. The late Middle Palaeolithic (MIS 5d-3, ca. 115,000-35,000 BP [years before present]) permits a novel, data-driven assessment of these concepts through a unique record: bifacial tools made by classic Neanderthals. Previously, studies of late Middle Palaeolithic bifacial tools were hampered by a convoluted plethora of competing terms, types and regional entities. This paper presents a large-scale intercomparison of this tool type, and bridges typo-technological and spatio-temporal data from across Western Europe (Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany). Results indicate a high level of variation among individual bifacial tools and assemblages. Each bifacial tool concept is correlated with various methods of production, resulting in large degrees of morphological variation. Despite such variation, a distinct three-fold, macro-regional pattern was identified: the Mousterian of Acheulean Tradition (MTA) in the southwest dominated by handaxes, the Keilmessergruppen (KMG) in the northeast typified by backed and leaf-shaped bifacial tools, and, finally a new unit, the Mousterian with Bifacial Tools (MBT), geographically situated between these two major entities, and characterised by a wider variety of bifacial tools. Differing local conditions, such as raw material or function, are not sufficient to explain this observed macro-regional tripartite. Instead, the MTA and KMG can be viewed as two distinct cultural traditions, where the production of a specific bifacial tool concept was passed on over generations. Conversely, the MBT is interpreted as a border zone where highly mobile groups of Neanderthals from both the east (KMG) and west (MTA) interacted. Principally, this study presents an archaeological contribution to behavioural concepts such as regionality, culture, social transmission and population dynamics. It illustrates the interpretive potential of large-scale lithic studies, and more specifically the presence of regionalised cultural behaviour amongst late Neanderthal groups in Western Europe.}, }
@article {pmid23920410, year = {2013}, author = {Ecker, M and Bocherens, H and Julien, MA and Rivals, F and Raynal, JP and Moncel, MH}, title = {Middle Pleistocene ecology and Neanderthal subsistence: insights from stable isotope analyses in Payre (Ardèche, southeastern France).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {65}, number = {4}, pages = {363-373}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.06.013}, pmid = {23920410}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology/*methods ; Carbon Isotopes/analysis ; Carnivora/physiology ; Dental Enamel/chemistry ; *Diet ; Environment ; Food Chain ; *Fossils ; France ; Mammals/*physiology ; Neanderthals/physiology ; Oxygen Isotopes/analysis ; Perissodactyla/physiology ; Ruminants/physiology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/*chemistry ; }, abstract = {The Middle Palaeolithic site of Payre in southeastern France yields abundant archaeological material associated with fossil hominid remains. With its long sequence of Middle Pleistocene deposits, Payre is a key site to study the Middle Palaeolithic chronology of this region. This study is the first to investigate carbon and oxygen isotope contents of Neanderthal tooth enamel bioapatite, together with a wide range of herbivorous and carnivorous species. The aim is to contribute to the understanding of hunting behaviour, resource partitioning, diet and habitat use of animals and Neanderthals through a palaeoecological reconstruction. Local topography had a visible influence on carbon and oxygen stable isotope values recorded in herbivore tooth enamel. This was used to investigate possible habitats of herbivores. The different herbivorous species do not show large variations of their carbon and oxygen isotope values through time, indicating niche conservatism from OIS 8-7 to OIS 6-5, i.e., independently of palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental variations. Based on these new observations, we conclude that Neanderthals employed a stable subsistence strategy over time, using a variety of local resources, with resource partitioning visible between humans and carnivores, especially wolves. A comparison of the results of stable isotopic investigation with the results of tooth wear analyses previously conducted on the same teeth allowed us to demonstrate that grazing and browsing do not bind animals to a specific habitat in a C3 environment as reflected in the isotopic values.}, }
@article {pmid23914934, year = {2013}, author = {Martinón-Torres, M and Spěváčková, P and Gracia-Téllez, A and Martínez, I and Bruner, E and Arsuaga, JL and Bermúdez de Castro, JM}, title = {Morphometric analysis of molars in a Middle Pleistocene population shows a mosaic of 'modern' and Neanderthal features.}, journal = {Journal of anatomy}, volume = {223}, number = {4}, pages = {353-363}, pmid = {23914934}, issn = {1469-7580}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Previous studies of upper first molar (M1) crown shape have shown significant differences between Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis that were already present in the European Middle Pleistocene populations, including the large dental sample from Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos (SH). Analysis of other M1 features such as the total crown base area, cusp proportions, cusp angles and occlusal polygon have confirmed the differences between both lineages, becoming a useful tool for the taxonomic assignment of isolated teeth from Late Pleistocene sites. However, until now the pattern of expression of these variables has not been known for the SH sample. This fossil sample, the largest collection from the European Middle Pleistocene, is generally interpreted as being from the direct ancestors of Neanderthals, and thus is a reference sample for assessing the origin of the Neanderthal morphologies. Surprisingly, our study reveals that SH M(1) s present a unique mosaic of H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens features. Regarding the cusp angles and the relative occlusal polygon area, SH matches the H. neanderthalensis pattern. However, regarding the total crown base area and relative cusps size, SH M(1) s are similar to H. sapiens, with a small crown area, a strong hypocone reduction and a protocone enlargement, although the protocone expansion in SH is significantly larger than in any other group studied. The SH dental sample calls into question the uniqueness of some so-called modern traits. Our study also sounds a note of caution on the use of M(1) occlusal morphology for the alpha taxonomy of isolated M(1) s.}, }
@article {pmid23906376, year = {2013}, author = {Hedrick, PW}, title = {Adaptive introgression in animals: examples and comparison to new mutation and standing variation as sources of adaptive variation.}, journal = {Molecular ecology}, volume = {22}, number = {18}, pages = {4606-4618}, doi = {10.1111/mec.12415}, pmid = {23906376}, issn = {1365-294X}, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological/*genetics ; Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; Mutation ; *Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Adaptive genetic variation has been thought to originate primarily from either new mutation or standing variation. Another potential source of adaptive variation is adaptive variants from other (donor) species that are introgressed into the (recipient) species, termed adaptive introgression. Here, the various attributes of these three potential sources of adaptive variation are compared. For example, the rate of adaptive change is generally thought to be faster from standing variation, slower from mutation and potentially intermediate from adaptive introgression. Additionally, the higher initial frequency of adaptive variation from standing variation and lower initial frequency from mutation might result in a higher probability of fixation of the adaptive variants for standing variation. Adaptive variation from introgression might have higher initial frequency than new adaptive mutations but lower than that from standing variation, again making the impact of adaptive introgression variation potentially intermediate. Adaptive introgressive variants might have multiple changes within a gene and affect multiple loci, an advantage also potentially found for adaptive standing variation but not for new adaptive mutants. The processes that might produce a common variant in two taxa, convergence, trans-species polymorphism from incomplete lineage sorting or from balancing selection and adaptive introgression, are also compared. Finally, potential examples of adaptive introgression in animals, including balancing selection for multiple alleles for major histocompatibility complex (MHC), S and csd genes, pesticide resistance in mice, black colour in wolves and white colour in coyotes, Neanderthal or Denisovan ancestry in humans, mimicry genes in Heliconius butterflies, beak traits in Darwin's finches, yellow skin in chickens and non-native ancestry in an endangered native salamander, are examined.}, }
@article {pmid23874677, year = {2013}, author = {Peresani, M and Vanhaeren, M and Quaggiotto, E and Queffelec, A and d'Errico, F}, title = {An ochered fossil marine shell from the mousterian of fumane cave, Italy.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {8}, number = {7}, pages = {e68572}, pmid = {23874677}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {*Animal Shells/anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry/ultrastructure ; Animals ; *Aquatic Organisms/chemistry/classification/ultrastructure ; Calcium Carbonate/analysis ; *Caves ; *Fossils ; Gastropoda/anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry/classification/ultrastructure ; Italy ; }, abstract = {A scanty but varied ensemble of finds challenges the idea that Neandertal material culture was essentially static and did not include symbolic items. In this study we report on a fragmentary Miocene-Pliocene fossil marine shell, Aspamarginata, discovered in a Discoid Mousterian layer of the Fumane Cave, northern Italy, dated to at least 47.6-45.0 Cal ky BP. The shell was collected by Neandertals at a fossil exposure probably located more than 100 kms from the site. Microscopic analysis of the shell surface identifies clusters of striations on the inner lip. A dark red substance, trapped inside micropits produced by bioeroders, is interpreted as pigment that was homogeneously smeared on the outer shell surface. Dispersive X-ray and Raman analysis identify the pigment as pure hematite. Of the four hypotheses we considered to explain the presence of this object at the site, two (tool, pigment container) are discarded because in contradiction with observations. Although the other two ("manuport", personal ornament) are both possible, we favor the hypothesis that the object was modified and suspended by a 'thread' for visual display as a pendant. Together with contextual and chronometric data, our results support the hypothesis that deliberate transport and coloring of an exotic object, and perhaps its use as pendant, was a component of Neandertal symbolic culture, well before the earliest appearance of the anatomically modern humans in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid23872234, year = {2013}, author = {Lowery, RK and Uribe, G and Jimenez, EB and Weiss, MA and Herrera, KJ and Regueiro, M and Herrera, RJ}, title = {Neanderthal and Denisova genetic affinities with contemporary humans: introgression versus common ancestral polymorphisms.}, journal = {Gene}, volume = {530}, number = {1}, pages = {83-94}, doi = {10.1016/j.gene.2013.06.005}, pmid = {23872234}, issn = {1879-0038}, mesh = {Africa South of the Sahara ; Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Europe ; Fossils ; Genetic Drift ; Genetics, Population ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; *Phylogeny ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Analyses of the genetic relationships among modern humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans have suggested that 1-4% of the non-Sub-Saharan African gene pool may be Neanderthal derived, while 6-8% of the Melanesian gene pool may be the product of admixture between the Denisovans and the direct ancestors of Melanesians. In the present study, we analyzed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) diversity among a worldwide collection of contemporary human populations with respect to the genetic constitution of these two archaic hominins and Pan troglodytes (chimpanzee). We partitioned SNPs into subsets, including those that are derived in both archaic lineages, those that are ancestral in both archaic lineages and those that are only derived in one archaic lineage. By doing this, we have conducted separate examinations of subsets of mutations with higher probabilities of divergent phylogenetic origins. While previous investigations have excluded SNPs from common ancestors in principal component analyses, we included common ancestral SNPs in our analyses to visualize the relative placement of the Neanderthal and Denisova among human populations. To assess the genetic similarities among the various hominin lineages, we performed genetic structure analyses to provide a comparison of genetic patterns found within contemporary human genomes that may have archaic or common ancestral roots. Our results indicate that 3.6% of the Neanderthal genome is shared with roughly 65.4% of the average European gene pool, which clinally diminishes with distance from Europe. Our results suggest that Neanderthal genetic associations with contemporary non-Sub-Saharan African populations, as well as the genetic affinities observed between Denisovans and Melanesians most likely result from the retention of ancient mutations in these populations.}, }
@article {pmid23859517, year = {2013}, author = {Chapman, T and Semal, P and Moiseev, F and Louryan, S and Rooze, M and Van Sint Jan, S}, title = {[Application of the musculo-skeletal modelling software lhpFusionBox to a paleoanthropological problem: the Spyrou Neandertal moves!].}, journal = {Medecine sciences : M/S}, volume = {29}, number = {6-7}, pages = {623-629}, doi = {10.1051/medsci/2013296015}, pmid = {23859517}, issn = {0767-0974}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Computer Simulation ; Musculoskeletal System ; *Neanderthals ; *Paleontology ; *Software ; }, abstract = {LhpFusionBox is a program originally designed for biomechanical and clinical studies relating to the musculoskeletal system of anatomically modern humans (AMH). The program has recently been adapted for paleontological purposes and used to reconstruct and biomechanically analyse a fossil hominid. There is no complete Neandertal skeleton in the fossil record. The aim of the study was to reconstruct a complete three-dimensional (3D) model of a Neandertal using the relatively complete Spy II Neandertal and to conduct biomechanical feasibility studies on the knee and hamstring moment arms of the skeleton. Different Neandertal specimens were scaled to the size of Spy II to replace incomplete or missing bones. Biomechanical feasibility studies performed on the knee seem to show that Neandertal and AMHh gait is similar and Neandertals were shown to have larger moment arms in the hamstring muscles, which would have given them a mechanical advantage. The complete Neandertal was printed in 3D and used as the base to create the artistic model of "Spyrou" housed at l'Espace de l'Homme de Spy (EHoS) museum.}, }
@article {pmid23847571, year = {2013}, author = {Dediu, D and Levinson, SC}, title = {On the antiquity of language: the reinterpretation of Neandertal linguistic capacities and its consequences.}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {4}, number = {}, pages = {397}, pmid = {23847571}, issn = {1664-1078}, abstract = {It is usually assumed that modern language is a recent phenomenon, coinciding with the emergence of modern humans themselves. Many assume as well that this is the result of a single, sudden mutation giving rise to the full "modern package." However, we argue here that recognizably modern language is likely an ancient feature of our genus pre-dating at least the common ancestor of modern humans and Neandertals about half a million years ago. To this end, we adduce a broad range of evidence from linguistics, genetics, paleontology, and archaeology clearly suggesting that Neandertals shared with us something like modern speech and language. This reassessment of the antiquity of modern language, from the usually quoted 50,000-100,000 years to half a million years, has profound consequences for our understanding of our own evolution in general and especially for the sciences of speech and language. As such, it argues against a saltationist scenario for the evolution of language, and toward a gradual process of culture-gene co-evolution extending to the present day. Another consequence is that the present-day linguistic diversity might better reflect the properties of the design space for language and not just the vagaries of history, and could also contain traces of the languages spoken by other human forms such as the Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid23818584, year = {2013}, author = {Nadel, D and Danin, A and Power, RC and Rosen, AM and Bocquentin, F and Tsatskin, A and Rosenberg, D and Yeshurun, R and Weissbrod, L and Rebollo, NR and Barzilai, O and Boaretto, E}, title = {Earliest floral grave lining from 13,700-11,700-y-old Natufian burials at Raqefet Cave, Mt. Carmel, Israel.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {110}, number = {29}, pages = {11774-11778}, pmid = {23818584}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Archaeology ; Burial/*history/*methods ; Carbon Radioisotopes/analysis ; Flowers/*chemistry ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Israel ; Radiometric Dating ; }, abstract = {Flowering plants possess mechanisms that stimulate positive emotional and social responses in humans. It is difficult to establish when people started to use flowers in public and ceremonial events because of the scarcity of relevant evidence in the archaeological record. We report on uniquely preserved 13,700-11,700-y-old grave linings made of flowers, suggesting that such use began much earlier than previously thought. The only potentially older instance is the questionable use of flowers in the Shanidar IV Neanderthal grave. The earliest cemeteries (ca. 15,000-11,500 y ago) in the Levant are known from Natufian sites in northern Israel, where dozens of burials reflect a wide range of inhumation practices. The newly discovered flower linings were found in four Natufian graves at the burial site of Raqefet Cave, Mt. Carmel, Israel. Large identified plant impressions in the graves include stems of sage and other Lamiaceae (Labiatae; mint family) or Scrophulariaceae (figwort family) species; accompanied by a plethora of phytoliths, they provide the earliest direct evidence now known for such preparation and decoration of graves. Some of the plant species attest to spring burials with a strong emphasis on colorful and aromatic flowers. Cave floor chiseling to accommodate the desired grave location and depth is also evident at the site. Thus, grave preparation was a sophisticated planned process, embedded with social and spiritual meanings reflecting a complex preagricultural society undergoing profound changes at the end of the Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid23762312, year = {2013}, author = {Shipton, C and Clarkson, C and Bernal, MA and Boivin, N and Finlayson, C and Finlayson, G and Fa, D and Pacheco, FG and Petraglia, M}, title = {Variation in lithic technological strategies among the Neanderthals of Gibraltar.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, pages = {e65185}, pmid = {23762312}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Caves ; Climate ; *Fossils ; Gibraltar ; *Neanderthals ; *Paleontology ; Population Dynamics ; }, abstract = {THE EVIDENCE FOR NEANDERTHAL LITHIC TECHNOLOGY IS REVIEWED AND SUMMARIZED FOR FOUR CAVES ON THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR: Vanguard, Beefsteak, Ibex and Gorham's. Some of the observed patterns in technology are statistically tested including raw material selection, platform preparation, and the use of formal and expedient technological schemas. The main parameters of technological variation are examined through detailed analysis of the Gibraltar cores and comparison with samples from the classic Mousterian sites of Le Moustier and Tabun C. The Gibraltar Mousterian, including the youngest assemblage from Layer IV of Gorham's Cave, spans the typical Middle Palaeolithic range of variation from radial Levallois to unidirectional and multi-platform flaking schemas, with characteristic emphasis on the former. A diachronic pattern of change in the Gorham's Cave sequence is documented, with the younger assemblages utilising more localized raw material and less formal flaking procedures. We attribute this change to a reduction in residential mobility as the climate deteriorated during Marine Isotope Stage 3 and the Neanderthal population contracted into a refugium.}, }
@article {pmid23755126, year = {2013}, author = {Monge, J and Kricun, M and Radovčić, J and Radovčić, D and Mann, A and Frayer, DW}, title = {Fibrous dysplasia in a 120,000+ year old Neandertal from Krapina, Croatia.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, pages = {e64539}, pmid = {23755126}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Croatia ; Fibrous Dysplasia of Bone/*diagnostic imaging/pathology ; Fossils ; *Neanderthals ; Ribs/diagnostic imaging/pathology ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {We describe the first definitive case of a fibrous dysplastic neoplasm in a Neandertal rib (120.71) from the site of Krapina in present-day Croatia. The tumor predates other evidence for these kinds of tumor by well over 100,000 years. Tumors of any sort are a rare occurrence in recent archaeological periods or in living primates, but especially in the human fossil record. Several studies have surveyed bone diseases in past human populations and living primates and fibrous dysplasias occur in a low incidence. Within the class of bone tumors of the rib, fibrous dysplasia is present in living humans at a higher frequency than other bone tumors. The bony features leading to our diagnosis are described in detail. In living humans effects of the neoplasm present a broad spectrum of symptoms, from asymptomatic to debilitating. Given the incomplete nature of this rib and the lack of associated skeletal elements, we resist commenting on the health effects the tumor had on the individual. Yet, the occurrence of this neoplasm shows that at least one Neandertal suffered a common bone tumor found in modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid23754394, year = {2013}, author = {Mellars, P and Gori, KC and Carr, M and Soares, PA and Richards, MB}, title = {Genetic and archaeological perspectives on the initial modern human colonization of southern Asia.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {110}, number = {26}, pages = {10699-10704}, pmid = {23754394}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Africa/ethnology ; Anthropology, Cultural/history ; Archaeology/*history ; Asia ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; History, Ancient ; Human Migration/*history ; Humans ; *Models, Genetic ; Phylogeography/history ; }, abstract = {It has been argued recently that the initial dispersal of anatomically modern humans from Africa to southern Asia occurred before the volcanic "supereruption" of the Mount Toba volcano (Sumatra) at ∼74,000 y before present (B.P.)-possibly as early as 120,000 y B.P. We show here that this "pre-Toba" dispersal model is in serious conflict with both the most recent genetic evidence from both Africa and Asia and the archaeological evidence from South Asian sites. We present an alternative model based on a combination of genetic analyses and recent archaeological evidence from South Asia and Africa. These data support a coastally oriented dispersal of modern humans from eastern Africa to southern Asia ∼60-50 thousand years ago (ka). This was associated with distinctively African microlithic and "backed-segment" technologies analogous to the African "Howiesons Poort" and related technologies, together with a range of distinctively "modern" cultural and symbolic features (highly shaped bone tools, personal ornaments, abstract artistic motifs, microblade technology, etc.), similar to those that accompanied the replacement of "archaic" Neanderthal by anatomically modern human populations in other regions of western Eurasia at a broadly similar date.}, }
@article {pmid23737145, year = {2013}, author = {Hlusko, LJ and Carlson, JP and Guatelli-Steinberg, D and Krueger, KL and Mersey, B and Ungar, PS and Defleur, A}, title = {Neanderthal teeth from Moula-Guercy, Ardèche, France.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {151}, number = {3}, pages = {477-491}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22291}, pmid = {23737145}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Enamel/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology/ultrastructure ; *Fossils ; France ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology/ultrastructure ; }, abstract = {Here we describe dental remains from a Neanderthal fossil assemblage from Moula-Guercy, France. Our report demonstrates that the Moula-Guercy hominid remains contribute important morphological, developmental, and behavioral data to understanding Neanderthal evolutionary history. We include gross comparative morphological descriptions and enamel surface microstructure and microwear data. These teeth reveal numerous characteristics that are diagnostic of Neanderthals and provide no evidence for the presence of any other hominid taxa. Enamel growth increment data from the Moula-Guercy specimens yield evidence of a Neanderthal pattern of development, although at the lower end of the range of variation. The presence of a significant number of linear enamel hypoplasias indicates that these individuals were stressed during childhood. Molar microwear data suggest that these Neanderthals did not differ significantly from modern humans in terms of the fracture properties of the food they were consuming. The incisor microwear and macro striations provide evidence that these individuals may have been using their anterior teeth as tools, similar to the practices of several modern human populations such as the Inuit, Ipiutak, and Australian Aboriginals, and reminiscent of evidence from other Neanderthals from Krapina, Croatia, as well as the 600,000 year old hominids from Sima de los Huesos, Spain. Am J Phys Anthropol 151:477-491, 2013.© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.}, }
@article {pmid23726931, year = {2013}, author = {Mellars, P and French, JC}, title = {Population changes across the Neanderthal-to-modern-human transition in western France: a reply to Dogandžić and McPherron (2013).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {65}, number = {3}, pages = {330-333}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.03.006}, pmid = {23726931}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; France ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Technology ; Tool Use Behavior ; }, }
@article {pmid23707475, year = {2013}, author = {Forni, D and Cagliani, R and Pozzoli, U and Colleoni, M and Riva, S and Biasin, M and Filippi, G and De Gioia, L and Gnudi, F and Comi, GP and Bresolin, N and Clerici, M and Sironi, M}, title = {A 175 million year history of T cell regulatory molecules reveals widespread selection, with adaptive evolution of disease alleles.}, journal = {Immunity}, volume = {38}, number = {6}, pages = {1129-1141}, doi = {10.1016/j.immuni.2013.04.008}, pmid = {23707475}, issn = {1097-4180}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological ; Alleles ; Animals ; Autoimmune Diseases/epidemiology/genetics/*immunology ; Biological Evolution ; Gene Flow ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genetics, Population ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Activation/genetics ; Neanderthals ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/*genetics ; Risk ; Selection, Genetic ; Self Tolerance/genetics ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/*immunology ; }, abstract = {T cell activation plays a central role in immune response and in the maintenance of self-tolerance. We analyzed the evolutionary history of T cell regulatory molecules. Nine genes involved in triggering T cell activation or in regulating the ensuing response evolved adaptively in mammals. Several positively selected sites overlap with positions interacting with the binding partner or with cellular components. Population genetic analysis in humans revealed a complex scenario of local (FASLG, CD40LG, HAVCR2) and worldwide (FAS, ICOSLG) adaptation and H. sapiens-to-Neandertal gene flow (gene transfer between populations). Disease variants in these genes are preferential targets of pathogen-driven selection, and a Crohn's disease risk polymorphism targeted by bacterial-driven selection modulates the expression of ICOSLG in response to a bacterial superantigen. Therefore, we used evolutionary information to generate experimentally testable hypotheses concerning the function of specific genetic variants and indicate that adaptation to infection underlies the maintenance of autoimmune risk alleles.}, }
@article {pmid23698370, year = {2013}, author = {Austin, C and Smith, TM and Bradman, A and Hinde, K and Joannes-Boyau, R and Bishop, D and Hare, DJ and Doble, P and Eskenazi, B and Arora, M}, title = {Barium distributions in teeth reveal early-life dietary transitions in primates.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {498}, number = {7453}, pages = {216-219}, pmid = {23698370}, issn = {1476-4687}, support = {P01 ES009605/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; R00 ES019597/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; 4R00ES019597-03/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Barium/*analysis ; Breast Feeding/history ; Calcium/analysis ; Child, Preschool ; *Diet/veterinary ; Female ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Infant ; Macaca/*physiology ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Reproducibility of Results ; Tooth/*chemistry ; *Weaning ; }, abstract = {Early-life dietary transitions reflect fundamental aspects of primate evolution and are important determinants of health in contemporary human populations. Weaning is critical to developmental and reproductive rates; early weaning can have detrimental health effects but enables shorter inter-birth intervals, which influences population growth. Uncovering early-life dietary history in fossils is hampered by the absence of prospectively validated biomarkers that are not modified during fossilization. Here we show that large dietary shifts in early life manifest as compositional variations in dental tissues. Teeth from human children and captive macaques, with prospectively recorded diet histories, demonstrate that barium (Ba) distributions accurately reflect dietary transitions from the introduction of mother's milk through the weaning process. We also document dietary transitions in a Middle Palaeolithic juvenile Neanderthal, which shows a pattern of exclusive breastfeeding for seven months, followed by seven months of supplementation. After this point, Ba levels in enamel returned to baseline prenatal levels, indicating an abrupt cessation of breastfeeding at 1.2 years of age. Integration of Ba spatial distributions and histological mapping of tooth formation enables novel studies of the evolution of human life history, dietary ontogeny in wild primates, and human health investigations through accurate reconstructions of breastfeeding history.}, }
@article {pmid23676735, year = {2013}, author = {Appenzeller, T}, title = {Neanderthal culture: old masters.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {497}, number = {7449}, pages = {302-304}, pmid = {23676735}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Caves ; Cognition/physiology ; France ; History, Ancient ; Human Migration/history ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Paintings/*history ; Radiometric Dating ; Spain ; }, }
@article {pmid23671635, year = {2013}, author = {Estalrrich, A and Rosas, A}, title = {Handedness in Neandertals from the El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain): evidence from instrumental striations with ontogenetic inferences.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {8}, number = {5}, pages = {e62797}, pmid = {23671635}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Functional Laterality ; Incisor/ultrastructure ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; }, abstract = {The developed cognitive capabilities for Homo sapiens seems to be the result of a specialized and lateralized brain, and as a result of this, humans display the highest degree of manual specialization or handedness among the primates. Studies regarding its emergence and distribution within the genus Homo show that handedness is present very early. The mode in which it was articulated and spread across the different species during the course of human evolution could provide information about our own cognitive capacities. Here we report the manual laterality attributed to eleven 49,000 old Neandertal individuals from El Sidrón cave (Spain), through the study of instrumental or cultural striations on the anterior dentition. Our results show a predominant pattern addressed to right-handers. These results fit within the modern human handedness distribution pattern and provide indirect evidence for behavior and brain lateralization on Neandertals. They support the early establishment of handedness in our genus. Moreover, the individual identified as Juvenile 1 (6-8 years old at death), displays the same striation pattern as the adult Neandertals from the sample, and thereby the ontogenic development of manual laterality in that Neandertal population seems to be similar to that of living modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid23666864, year = {2013}, author = {Elhaik, E and Greenspan, E and Staats, S and Krahn, T and Tyler-Smith, C and Xue, Y and Tofanelli, S and Francalacci, P and Cucca, F and Pagani, L and Jin, L and Li, H and Schurr, TG and Greenspan, B and Spencer Wells, R and , }, title = {The GenoChip: a new tool for genetic anthropology.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {5}, number = {5}, pages = {1021-1031}, pmid = {23666864}, issn = {1759-6653}, support = {/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; T32 MH014592/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; 098051/WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {*Anthropology, Cultural ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Genes, Y-Linked ; History, Ancient ; Human Genome Project ; Human Migration/history ; Humans ; *Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The Genographic Project is an international effort aimed at charting human migratory history. The project is nonprofit and nonmedical, and, through its Legacy Fund, supports locally led efforts to preserve indigenous and traditional cultures. Although the first phase of the project was focused on uniparentally inherited markers on the Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the current phase focuses on markers from across the entire genome to obtain a more complete understanding of human genetic variation. Although many commercial arrays exist for genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping, they were designed for medical genetic studies and contain medically related markers that are inappropriate for global population genetic studies. GenoChip, the Genographic Project's new genotyping array, was designed to resolve these issues and enable higher resolution research into outstanding questions in genetic anthropology. The GenoChip includes ancestry informative markers obtained for over 450 human populations, an ancient human (Saqqaq), and two archaic hominins (Neanderthal and Denisovan) and was designed to identify all known Y-chromosome and mtDNA haplogroups. The chip was carefully vetted to avoid inclusion of medically relevant markers. To demonstrate its capabilities, we compared the FST distributions of GenoChip SNPs to those of two commercial arrays. Although all arrays yielded similarly shaped (inverse J) FST distributions, the GenoChip autosomal and X-chromosomal distributions had the highest mean FST, attesting to its ability to discern subpopulations. The chip performances are illustrated in a principal component analysis for 14 worldwide populations. In summary, the GenoChip is a dedicated genotyping platform for genetic anthropology. With an unprecedented number of approximately 12,000 Y-chromosomal and approximately 3,300 mtDNA SNPs and over 130,000 autosomal and X-chromosomal SNPs without any known health, medical, or phenotypic relevance, the GenoChip is a useful tool for genetic anthropology and population genetics.}, }
@article {pmid23658776, year = {2013}, author = {Zaremba-Niedźwiedzka, K and Andersson, SG}, title = {No ancient DNA damage in Actinobacteria from the Neanderthal bone.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {8}, number = {5}, pages = {e62799}, pmid = {23658776}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Actinobacteria/classification/*genetics ; Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/classification/*genetics ; Bone and Bones/*microbiology ; Collagenases/classification/*genetics ; Fossils ; *Genes, Bacterial ; Genes, rRNA ; Neanderthals/genetics/*microbiology ; Paleontology ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The Neanderthal genome was recently sequenced using DNA extracted from a 38,000-year-old fossil. At the start of the project, the fraction of mammalian and bacterial DNA in the sample was estimated to be <6% and 9%, respectively. Treatment with restriction enzymes prior to sequencing increased the relative proportion of mammalian DNA to 15%, but the large majority of sequences remain uncharacterized.<br><br>PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our taxonomic profiling of 3.95 Gb of Neanderthal DNA isolated from the Vindija Neanderthal Vi33.16 fossil showed that 90% of about 50,000 rRNA gene sequence reads were of bacterial origin, of which Actinobacteria accounted for more than 75%. Actinobacteria also represented more than 80% of the PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene sequences from a cave sediment sample taken from the same G layer as the Neanderthal bone. However, phylogenetic analyses did not identify any sediment clones that were closely related to the bone-derived sequences. We analysed the patterns of nucleotide differences in the individual sequence reads compared to the assembled consensus sequences of the rRNA gene sequences. The typical ancient nucleotide substitution pattern with a majority of C to T changes indicative of DNA damage was observed for the Neanderthal rRNA gene sequences, but not for the Streptomyces-like rRNA gene sequences.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our analyses suggest that the Actinobacteria, and especially members of the Streptomycetales, contribute the majority of sequences in the DNA extracted from the Neanderthal fossil Vi33.16. The bacterial DNA showed no signs of damage, and we hypothesize that it was derived from bacteria that have been enriched inside the bone. The bioinformatic approach used here paves the way for future studies of microbial compositions and patterns of DNA damage in bacteria from archaeological bones. Such studies can help identify targeted measures to increase the relative amount of endogenous DNA in the sample.}, }
@article {pmid23657884, year = {2013}, author = {Contreras-Galindo, R and Kaplan, MH and He, S and Contreras-Galindo, AC and Gonzalez-Hernandez, MJ and Kappes, F and Dube, D and Chan, SM and Robinson, D and Meng, F and Dai, M and Gitlin, SD and Chinnaiyan, AM and Omenn, GS and Markovitz, DM}, title = {HIV infection reveals widespread expansion of novel centromeric human endogenous retroviruses.}, journal = {Genome research}, volume = {23}, number = {9}, pages = {1505-1513}, pmid = {23657884}, issn = {1549-5469}, support = {R01 AI062248/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; T32 AI007528/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; 1F31CA150523-01/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; 5T32AI007528-13/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; UL1RR24986/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; T32 GM145304/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; U54DA021519/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; F31 CA150523/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; 3R01CA144043-03S1/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; R01AI062248/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; P30 ES017885/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; U54 DA021519/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States ; UL1 RR024986/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; P30U54ES017885/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 CA144043/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; T32 GM007315/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Centromere/genetics/virology ; Chromosomes, Human/genetics/virology ; Endogenous Retroviruses/*genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Genome, Human ; HIV Infections/*genetics ; Hominidae/genetics/virology ; Humans ; Proviruses/*genetics ; *Virus Integration ; tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/genetics/metabolism ; }, abstract = {Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) make up 8% of the human genome. The HERV-K (HML-2) family is the most recent group of these viruses to have inserted into the genome, and we have detected the activation of HERV-K (HML-2) proviruses in the blood of patients with HIV-1 infection. We report that HIV-1 infection activates expression of a novel HERV-K (HML-2) provirus, termed K111, present in multiple copies in the centromeres of chromosomes throughout the human genome yet not annotated in the most recent human genome assembly. Infection with HIV-1 or stimulation with the HIV-1 Tat protein leads to the activation of K111 proviruses. K111 is present as a single copy in the genome of the chimpanzee, yet K111 is not found in the genomes of other primates. Remarkably, K111 proviruses appear in the genomes of the extinct Neanderthal and Denisovan, while modern humans have at least 100 K111 proviruses spread across the centromeres of 15 chromosomes. Our studies suggest that the progenitor K111 integrated before the Homo-Pan divergence and expanded in copy number during the evolution of hominins, perhaps by recombination. The expansion of K111 provides sequence evidence suggesting that recombination between the centromeres of various chromosomes took place during the evolution of humans. K111 proviruses show significant sequence variations in each individual centromere, which may serve as markers in future efforts to annotate human centromere sequences. Further, this work is an example of the potential to discover previously unknown genomic sequences through the analysis of nucleic acids found in the blood of patients.}, }
@article {pmid23615378, year = {2013}, author = {Dean, MC and Rosas, A and Estalrrich, A and García-Tabernero, A and Huguet, R and Lalueza-Fox, C and Bastir, M and de la Rasilla, M}, title = {Longstanding dental pathology in Neandertals from El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain) with a probable familial basis.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {64}, number = {6}, pages = {678-686}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.03.004}, pmid = {23615378}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Animals ; Cuspid/diagnostic imaging/*pathology ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible/diagnostic imaging/*pathology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; Spain ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Two Neandertal specimens from El Sidrón, northern Spain, show evidence of retained left mandibular deciduous canines. These individuals share the same mitochondrial (mtDNA) haplotype, indicating they are maternally related and suggesting a potential heritable basis for these dental anomalies. Radiographs and medical CT scans provide evidence of further, more extensive dental pathology in one of these specimens. An anomalous deciduous canine crown morphology that developed before birth subsequently suffered a fracture of the crown exposing the pulp sometime after eruption into functional occlusion. This led to death of the tooth, periapical granuloma formation and arrested deciduous canine root growth at an estimated age of 2.5 years. At some point the underlying permanent canine tooth became horizontally displaced and came to lie low in the trabecular bone of the mandibular corpus. A dentigerous cyst then developed around the crown. Anterior growth displacement of the mandible continued around the stationary permanent canine, leaving it posteriorly positioned in the mandibular corpus by the end of the growth period beneath the third permanent molar roots, which, in turn, suggests a largely horizontal growth vector. Subsequent longstanding repeated infections of the expanding cyst cavity are evidenced by bouts of bone deposition and resorption of the boundary walls of the cyst cavity. This resulted in the establishment of two permanent bony drainage sinuses, one through the buccal plate of the alveolar bone anteriorly, immediately beneath the infected deciduous canine root, and the other through the buccal plate anterior to the mesial root of the first permanent molar. It is probable that this complicated temporal sequence of dental pathologies had an initial heritable trigger that progressed in an unusually complex way in one of these individuals. During life, this individual may have been largely unaware of this ongoing pathology.}, }
@article {pmid23593015, year = {2013}, author = {Gokcumen, O and Zhu, Q and Mulder, LC and Iskow, RC and Austermann, C and Scharer, CD and Raj, T and Boss, JM and Sunyaev, S and Price, A and Stranger, B and Simon, V and Lee, C}, title = {Balancing selection on a regulatory region exhibiting ancient variation that predates human-neandertal divergence.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {9}, number = {4}, pages = {e1003404}, pmid = {23593015}, issn = {1553-7404}, support = {R01 AI089246/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM081533/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R03 HG006170/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Ethnicity/genetics ; *Genetic Variation ; Genetics, Population ; Genome, Human ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics/physiology ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; *Selection, Genetic ; Sequence Deletion/*genetics ; White People ; }, abstract = {Ancient population structure shaping contemporary genetic variation has been recently appreciated and has important implications regarding our understanding of the structure of modern human genomes. We identified a ∼36-kb DNA segment in the human genome that displays an ancient substructure. The variation at this locus exists primarily as two highly divergent haplogroups. One of these haplogroups (the NE1 haplogroup) aligns with the Neandertal haplotype and contains a 4.6-kb deletion polymorphism in perfect linkage disequilibrium with 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across diverse populations. The other haplogroup, which does not contain the 4.6-kb deletion, aligns with the chimpanzee haplotype and is likely ancestral. Africans have higher overall pairwise differences with the Neandertal haplotype than Eurasians do for this NE1 locus (p<10[-15]). Moreover, the nucleotide diversity at this locus is higher in Eurasians than in Africans. These results mimic signatures of recent Neandertal admixture contributing to this locus. However, an in-depth assessment of the variation in this region across multiple populations reveals that African NE1 haplotypes, albeit rare, harbor more sequence variation than NE1 haplotypes found in Europeans, indicating an ancient African origin of this haplogroup and refuting recent Neandertal admixture. Population genetic analyses of the SNPs within each of these haplogroups, along with genome-wide comparisons revealed significant FST (p = 0.00003) and positive Tajima's D (p = 0.00285) statistics, pointing to non-neutral evolution of this locus. The NE1 locus harbors no protein-coding genes, but contains transcribed sequences as well as sequences with putative regulatory function based on bioinformatic predictions and in vitro experiments. We postulate that the variation observed at this locus predates Human-Neandertal divergence and is evolving under balancing selection, especially among European populations.}, }
@article {pmid23566460, year = {2013}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Couture-Veschambre, C and Madelaine, S and Maureille, B}, title = {The vertebral column of the Regourdou 1 Neandertal.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {64}, number = {6}, pages = {582-607}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.02.006}, pmid = {23566460}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Cervical Vertebrae ; *Fossils ; France ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spine/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; Thoracic Vertebrae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The Regourdou 1 partial skeleton was found in 1957 in level IV of the eponymous site located in Montignac-sur-Vézère (Dordogne, France) and until now it has been only partially published. The ongoing revision of the faunal remains from the site has yielded additional fossils that pertain to this skeleton. Here we study the vertebral column of this individual, providing for the first time detailed descriptions for all of the fossils and reassessing the anatomical position of all of the fragments. The vertebral column of Regourdou 1 is one of the most complete in the Neandertal fossil record with at least 20 pre-sacral vertebrae (seven cervicals, nine thoracic and four lumbars), a partial sacrum and a fragmentary first coccygeal vertebra. When compared with modern humans, the vertebrae of Regourdou 1 display significant metric differences, and fit well within the range of Neandertal variability. A preliminary analysis of the most complete thoracic vertebrae of this individual indicates that Neandertals displayed significant differences from modern humans in the thoracic spine, which adds to the differences already observed in the cervical and lumbar regions. Finally, we have also observed mild signs of osteoarthrosis, albeit to a lower degree of that present in other Neandertals such as La Chapelle-aux-Saints, La Ferrassie 1 or Shanidar 3. This is consistent with the younger adult age for Regourdou 1.}, }
@article {pmid23544098, year = {2013}, author = {Condemi, S and Mounier, A and Giunti, P and Lari, M and Caramelli, D and Longo, L}, title = {Possible interbreeding in late Italian Neanderthals? New data from the Mezzena jaw (Monti Lessini, Verona, Italy).}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {8}, number = {3}, pages = {e59781}, pmid = {23544098}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Anatomic Landmarks ; Animals ; Discriminant Analysis ; *Fossils ; *Inbreeding ; Italy ; Jaw/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {In this article we examine the mandible of Riparo Mezzena a Middle Paleolithic rockshelter in the Monti Lessini (NE Italy, Verona) found in 1957 in association with Charentian Mousterian lithic assemblages. Mitochondrial DNA analysis performed on this jaw and on other cranial fragments found at the same stratigraphic level has led to the identification of the only genetically typed Neanderthal of the Italian peninsula and has confirmed through direct dating that it belongs to a late Neanderthal. Our aim here is to re-evaluate the taxonomic affinities of the Mezzena mandible in a wide comparative framework using both comparative morphology and geometric morphometrics. The comparative sample includes mid-Pleistocene fossils, Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans. This study of the Mezzena jaw shows that the chin region is similar to that of other late Neanderthals which display a much more modern morphology with an incipient mental trigone (e.g. Spy 1, La Ferrassie, Saint-Césaire). In our view, this change in morphology among late Neanderthals supports the hypothesis of anatomical change of late Neanderthals and the hypothesis of a certain degree of interbreeding with AMHs that, as the dating shows, was already present in the European territory. Our observations on the chin of the Mezzena mandible lead us to support a non abrupt phylogenetic transition for this period in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid23541382, year = {2013}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Been, E and Arsuaga, JL and Stock, JT}, title = {The Neandertal vertebral column 1: the cervical spine.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {64}, number = {6}, pages = {608-630}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.02.008}, pmid = {23541382}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Cervical Vertebrae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spine/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; }, abstract = {This paper provides a metric analysis of the Neandertal cervical spine in relation to modern human variation. All seven cervical vertebrae have been analysed. Metric data from eight Neandertal individuals are compared with a large sample of modern humans. The significance of morphometric differences is tested using both z-scores and two-tailed Wilcoxon signed rank tests. The results identify significant metric and morphological differences between Neandertals and modern humans in all seven cervical vertebrae. Neandertal vertebrae are mediolaterally wider and dorsoventrally longer than modern humans, due in part to longer and more horizontally oriented spinous processes. This suggests that Neandertal cervical morphology was more stable in both mid-sagittal and coronal planes. It is hypothesized that the differences in cranial size and shape in the Neandertal and modern human lineages from their Middle Pleistocene ancestors could account for some of the differences in the neck anatomy between these species.}, }
@article {pmid23490263, year = {2013}, author = {Harvati, K and Darlas, A and Bailey, SE and Rein, TR and El Zaatari, S and Fiorenza, L and Kullmer, O and Psathi, E}, title = {New Neanderthal remains from Mani peninsula, Southern Greece: the Kalamakia Middle Paleolithic cave site.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {64}, number = {6}, pages = {486-499}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.02.002}, pmid = {23490263}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Greece ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Wear ; }, abstract = {The Kalamakia cave, a Middle Paleolithic site on the western coast of the Mani peninsula, Greece, was excavated in 1993-2006 by an interdisciplinary team from the Ephoreia of Paleoanthropology and Speleology (Greek Ministry of Culture) and the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (Paris). The site is dated to between ca. 100,000 and >39,000 years BP (Before Present) and has yielded Mousterian lithics, a rich fauna, and human remains from several layers. The latter include 10 isolated teeth, a cranial fragment and three postcranial elements. The remains represent at least eight individuals, two of them subadults, and show both carnivore and anthropogenic modifications. They can be identified as Neanderthal on the basis of diagnostic morphology on most specimens. A diet similar to that of Neanderthals from mixed habitat is suggested by our analysis of dental wear (occlusal fingerprint analysis) and microwear (occlusal texture microwear analysis), in agreement with the faunal and palynological analyses of the site. These new fossils significantly expand the Neanderthal sample known from Greece. Together with the human specimens from Lakonis and Apidima, the Kalamakia human remains add to the growing evidence of a strong Neanderthal presence in the Mani region during the Late Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid23484636, year = {2013}, author = {Blain, HA and Gleed-Owen, CP and López-García, JM and Carrión, JS and Jennings, R and Finlayson, G and Finlayson, C and Giles-Pacheco, F}, title = {Climatic conditions for the last Neanderthals: Herpetofaunal record of Gorham’s Cave, Gibraltar.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {64}, number = {4}, pages = {289-299}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.11.003}, pmid = {23484636}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Amphibians/*physiology ; Animals ; *Archaeology ; *Biota ; Caves ; Climate ; Ecosystem ; *Fossils ; Gibraltar ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Reptiles/*physiology ; Seasons ; Temperature ; }, abstract = {Gorham’s Cave is located in the British territory of Gibraltar in the southernmost end of the Iberian Peninsula. Recent excavations, which began in 1997, have exposed an 18 m archaeological sequence that covered the last evidence of Neanderthal occupation and the first evidence of modern human occupation in the cave. By applying the Mutual Climatic Range method on the amphibian and reptile assemblages, we propose here new quantitative data on the terrestrial climatic conditions throughout the latest Pleistocene sequence of Gorham’s Cave. In comparison with current climatic data, all mean annual temperatures were about 1.6-1.8 degrees C lower in this region. Winters were colder and summers were similar to today. Mean annual precipitation was slightly lower, but according to the Aridity Index of Gaussen there were only four dry months during the latest Pleistocene as opposed to five dry months today during the summer. The climate was Mediterranean and semi-arid (according to the Aridity Index of Dantin-Revenga) or semi-humid (according to the Aridity Index of Martonne). The atmospheric temperature range was higher during the latest Pleistocene, mainly due to lower winter temperatures. Such data support recent bioclimatic models, which indicate that high rainfall levels may have been a significant factor in the late survival of Neanderthal populations in southern Iberia. The Solutrean levels of Gorham’s Cave and climate records from cores in the Alboran Sea indicate increasing aridity from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3-2. Because Neanderthals seem to have been associated with woodland habitats, we propose that lessening rainfall may have caused the degradation of large areas of forest and may have made late surviving Neanderthal populations more vulnerable outside southern refuges like the Rock of Gibraltar.}, }
@article {pmid23475662, year = {2013}, author = {Chaitidis, P and Adel, S and Anton, M and Heydeck, D and Kuhn, H and Horn, T}, title = {Lipoxygenase pathways in Homo neanderthalensis: functional comparison with Homo sapiens isoforms.}, journal = {Journal of lipid research}, volume = {54}, number = {5}, pages = {1397-1409}, pmid = {23475662}, issn = {1539-7262}, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Amino Acids/*chemistry/genetics ; Animals ; Codon, Nonsense/genetics ; Genome ; Humans ; Ligands ; Lipoxygenase/*chemistry/genetics/*metabolism ; Mice ; Mutation ; Neanderthals ; Primates/genetics ; Protein Isoforms/genetics/metabolism ; Rats ; *Structure-Activity Relationship ; }, abstract = {Lipoxygenases (LOX) have been implicated in biosynthesis of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators, and a previous report suggested compromised leukotriene signaling in H. neanderthalensis. To search for corresponding differences in leukotriene biosynthesis, we screened the Neandertal genome for LOX genes and found that, as modern humans, this archaic hominid contains six LOX genes (nALOX15, nALOX12, nALOX5, nALOX15B, nALOX12B, and nALOXE3) and one pseudogene. In the Neandertal genome, 60-75% of the amino acids of the different human LOX isoforms have been identified, and the degree of identity varies between 96 and 99%. Most functional amino acids (iron ligands, specificity determinants, calcium and ATP-binding sites, membrane-binding determinants, and phosphorylation sites) are well conserved in the Neandertal LOX isoforms, and expression of selected neandertalized human LOX mutants revealed no major functional defects. However, in nALOX12 and nALOXE3, two premature stop codons were found, leading to inactive enzyme species. These data suggest that ALOX15, ALOX5, ALOX15B, and ALOX12B should have been present as functional enzymes in H. neanderthalensis and that in contrast to lower nonhuman primates (M. mulatta) and other mammals (mice, rats), this ancient hominid expressed a 15-lipoxygenating ALOX15. Expression of ALOXE3 and ALOX12 was compromised, which might have caused problems in epidermal differentiation.}, }
@article {pmid23465337, year = {2013}, author = {Liu, W and Schepartz, LA and Xing, S and Miller-Antonio, S and Wu, X and Trinkaus, E and Martinón-Torres, M}, title = {Late Middle Pleistocene hominin teeth from Panxian Dadong, South China.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {64}, number = {5}, pages = {337-355}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.10.012}, pmid = {23465337}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; China ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; Principal Component Analysis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The hominin teeth and evidence of hominin activities recovered from 1991 to 2005 at the Panxian Dadong site in South China are dated to the late Middle Pleistocene (MIS 8-6 or ca. 130-300 ka), a period for which very little is known about the morphology of Asian populations. The present study provides the first detailed morphometric description and comparisons of four hominin teeth (I(1), C1, P(3) and P3) from this site. Our study shows that the Panxian Dadong teeth combine archaic and derived features that align them with Middle and Upper Pleistocene fossils from East and West Asia and Europe. These teeth do not display any typical Neanderthal features and they are generally more derived than other contemporaneous populations from Asia and Africa. However, the derived traits are not diagnostic enough to specifically link the Panxian Dadong teeth to Homo sapiens, a common problem when analyzing the Middle Pleistocene dental record from Africa and Asia. These findings are contextualized in the discussion of the evolutionary course of Asian Middle Pleistocene hominins, and they highlight the necessity of incorporating the Asian fossil record in the still open debate about the origin of H. sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid23460369, year = {2013}, author = {Balzeau, A and Rougier, H}, title = {New information on the modifications of the Neandertal suprainiac fossa during growth and development and on its etiology.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {151}, number = {1}, pages = {38-48}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22249}, pmid = {23460369}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {The question of whether suprainiac depressions observed on Neandertals and in other human samples are homologous is widely discussed. Recently (Balzeau and Rougier, 2010), we ascertained the autapomorphic status of the Neandertal suprainiac fossa as a depression showing specific external bone features together with a thinning of the diploic layer with no substantial remodeling nor variation in the external table thickness. A suprainiac fossa with these characteristics is systematically present on Neandertals from the earliest developmental stages on, and since the beginning of the differentiation of the Neandertal lineage. Here, we present a detailed analysis of the micro-CT dataset (resolution of 50 μm) of the occipital bone of the La Ferrassie 8 Neandertal child, whose proposed age-at-death is around 2 years, and we compare it to the adult condition as represented by La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 (resolution of 122 μm). We describe and quantify the boundaries between the different structural layers of the occipital bone, namely the external and internal tables and the diploic layer. We also describe very fine details of the diploic layer structure that had never before been observed on fossil hominins. This study illustrates for the first time that the internal particularities that make the suprainiac fossa a Neandertal autapomorphy are evident early during growth and development. Moreover, we demonstrate that the developmental pattern and causes of expression for the features observed in modern humans and Neandertals are certainly different, indicating that these features are not homologous traits from evolutionary and functional perspectives. Consequently, we confirm the autapomorphic status of the Neandertal suprainiac fossa.}, }
@article {pmid23434318, year = {2013}, author = {Quam, R and Martínez, I and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Reassessment of the La Ferrassie 3 Neandertal ossicular chain.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {64}, number = {4}, pages = {250-262}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.12.002}, pmid = {23434318}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Ear Ossicles/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Female ; *Fossils ; France ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {The ossicular chain in La Ferrassie 3 was briefly described in the monograph on the La Ferrassie Neandertal children, but to date has not been the subject of detailed study. We provide new data on these important fossils and re-examine some previous suggestions of derived Neandertal features in the middle ear ossicles based on more limited evidence. The malleus shows a curved lateral margin of the manubrium and a relatively large head. The incus shows a tall articular facet, a depressed area on the medial surface of the body, a straight anterior border of the long process and a more closed angle between the processes. The stapes shows an asymmetrical configuration of the crura, with an anteriorly skewed head, and generally small dimensions, including a smaller and relatively wider stapedial footplate. These same features can also be seen in the few other Neandertal ear ossicles known, suggesting that a consistent anatomical pattern characterizes the Neandertal ossicular chain. While the phylogenetic polarity of many of these features remains to be clarified, the asymmetrical stapes and anteriorly skewed stapedial head appear to be derived Neandertal features. In addition, while the larger malleus head and incus articular facet in La Ferrassie 3 might reflect larger body mass in Neandertals, the larger stapes footplates in Homo sapiens cannot be explained by changes in body mass. Indeed, H. sapiens seems to depart from the general mammalian pattern in combining an increase in stapes footplate size with a decrease in body mass. Although the malleus/incus lever ratio in La Ferrassie 3 is similar to that in H. sapiens, Neandertals appear to be characterized by a slightly different spatial relationship and articulation of the ossicular chain within the tympanic cavity. While only limited inferences can be drawn regarding hearing ability based on the ossicles, the few physiologically relevant dimensions in the La Ferrassie 3 ear bones are similar to H. sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid23434317, year = {2013}, author = {Dogandžić, T and McPherron, SP}, title = {Demography and the demise of Neandertals: a comment on 'Tenfold population increase in Western Europe at the Neandertal-to-modern human transition'.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {64}, number = {4}, pages = {311-313}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.01.005}, pmid = {23434317}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Population Density ; *Population Dynamics ; *Population Growth ; }, }
@article {pmid23415376, year = {2013}, author = {Dąbrowski, P and Nowaczewska, W and Stringer, CB and Compton, T and Kruszyński, R and Nadachowski, A and Stefaniak, K and Urbanowski, M}, title = {A Neanderthal lower molar from Stajnia Cave, Poland.}, journal = {Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen}, volume = {64}, number = {2}, pages = {89-103}, doi = {10.1016/j.jchb.2013.01.001}, pmid = {23415376}, issn = {1618-1301}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Mammoths/anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Paleodontology ; Poland ; Ursidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The primary aim of this study was to conduct a taxonomic assessment of the second of three isolated human teeth found in the Stajnia Cave (north of the Carpathians, Poland) in 2008. The specimen was located near a human tooth (S5000), which was identified by Urbanowski et al. (2010) as a Neanderthal permanent upper molar. Both of these teeth were excavated from the D2 layer, which belongs to the D stratigraphic complex comprising the archaeological assemblage associated with the Micoquian tradition. An Ursus spelaeus bone and Mammuthus primigenius tooth that were also excavated from the D2 layer were dated to >49,000 years BP (by AMS (14)C) and 52.9 ka BP (by U-Th), respectively. The sediment overlying stratigraphic complex D was dated to 45.9 ka BP by the OSL method. The S4300 tooth is a lower first or second permanent molar belonging to an individual other than that who once possessed the S5000 tooth. The S4300 tooth exhibits a combination of traits typical of Neanderthal lower molars, including a mid-trigonid crest, large anterior fovea, taurodontism and subvertical grooves on the interproximal face, indicating that this tooth belonged to a Neanderthal individual. The S4300 tooth from Stajnia Cave is one of the oldest human remains found in Poland.}, }
@article {pmid23413113, year = {2012}, author = {Paixão-Côrtes, VR and Viscardi, LH and Salzano, FM and Hünemeier, T and Bortolini, MC}, title = {Homo sapiens, Homo neanderthalensis and the Denisova specimen: New insights on their evolutionary histories using whole-genome comparisons.}, journal = {Genetics and molecular biology}, volume = {35}, number = {4 (suppl)}, pages = {904-911}, pmid = {23413113}, issn = {1415-4757}, abstract = {After a brief review of the most recent findings in the study of human evolution, an extensive comparison of the complete genomes of our nearest relative, the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), of extant Homo sapiens, archaic Homo neanderthalensis and the Denisova specimen were made. The focus was on non-synonymous mutations, which consequently had an impact on protein levels and these changes were classified according to degree of effect. A total of 10,447 non-synonymous substitutions were found in which the derived allele is fixed or nearly fixed in humans as compared to chimpanzee. Their most frequent location was on chromosome 21. Their presence was then searched in the two archaic genomes. Mutations in 381 genes would imply radical amino acid changes, with a fraction of these related to olfaction and other important physiological processes. Eight new alleles were identified in the Neanderthal and/or Denisova genetic pools. Four others, possibly affecting cognition, occured both in the sapiens and two other archaic genomes. The selective sweep that gave rise to Homo sapiens could, therefore, have initiated before the modern/archaic human divergence.}, }
@article {pmid23410836, year = {2013}, author = {Wall, JD and Yang, MA and Jay, F and Kim, SK and Durand, EY and Stevison, LS and Gignoux, C and Woerner, A and Hammer, MF and Slatkin, M}, title = {Higher levels of neanderthal ancestry in East Asians than in Europeans.}, journal = {Genetics}, volume = {194}, number = {1}, pages = {199-209}, pmid = {23410836}, issn = {1943-2631}, support = {R01 HG005226/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01-HG005226/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; T32 HG 00047/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; T32 HG000047/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01-GM40282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Asian People/*genetics ; Asia, Eastern ; Gene Pool ; Genetics, Population ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; *Phylogeny ; White People/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals were a group of archaic hominins that occupied most of Europe and parts of Western Asia from ∼30,000 to 300,000 years ago (KYA). They coexisted with modern humans during part of this time. Previous genetic analyses that compared a draft sequence of the Neanderthal genome with genomes of several modern humans concluded that Neanderthals made a small (1-4%) contribution to the gene pools of all non-African populations. This observation was consistent with a single episode of admixture from Neanderthals into the ancestors of all non-Africans when the two groups coexisted in the Middle East 50-80 KYA. We examined the relationship between Neanderthals and modern humans in greater detail by applying two complementary methods to the published draft Neanderthal genome and an expanded set of high-coverage modern human genome sequences. We find that, consistent with the recent finding of Meyer et al. (2012), Neanderthals contributed more DNA to modern East Asians than to modern Europeans. Furthermore we find that the Maasai of East Africa have a small but significant fraction of Neanderthal DNA. Because our analysis is of several genomic samples from each modern human population considered, we are able to document the extent of variation in Neanderthal ancestry within and among populations. Our results combined with those previously published show that a more complex model of admixture between Neanderthals and modern humans is necessary to account for the different levels of Neanderthal ancestry among human populations. In particular, at least some Neanderthal-modern human admixture must postdate the separation of the ancestors of modern European and modern East Asian populations.}, }
@article {pmid23405085, year = {2013}, author = {Rink, WJ and Mercier, N and Mihailović, D and Morley, MW and Thompson, JW and Roksandic, M}, title = {New radiometric ages for the BH-1 hominin from Balanica (Serbia): implications for understanding the role of the Balkans in Middle Pleistocene human evolution.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, pages = {e54608}, pmid = {23405085}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Balkan Peninsula ; *Biological Evolution ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy/methods ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Mandible/chemistry ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Radiometric Dating/methods ; Radiometry/methods ; Serbia ; Tooth/chemistry ; Uranium/chemistry ; White People ; }, abstract = {Newly obtained ages, based on electron spin resonance combined with uranium series isotopic analysis, and infrared/post-infrared luminescence dating, provide a minimum age that lies between 397 and 525 ka for the hominin mandible BH-1 from Mala Balanica cave, Serbia. This confirms it as the easternmost hominin specimen in Europe dated to the Middle Pleistocene. Inferences drawn from the morphology of the mandible BH-1 place it outside currently observed variation of European Homo heidelbergensis. The lack of derived Neandertal traits in BH-1 and its contemporary specimens in Southeast Europe, such as Kocabaş, Vasogliano and Ceprano, coupled with Middle Pleistocene synapomorphies, suggests different evolutionary forces acting in the east of the continent where isolation did not play such an important role during glaciations.}, }
@article {pmid23394709, year = {2013}, author = {Nowaczewska, W and Dąbrowski, P and Stringer, CB and Compton, T and Kruszyński, R and Nadachowski, A and Socha, P and Binkowski, M and Urbanowski, M}, title = {The tooth of a Neanderthal child from Stajnia Cave, Poland.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {64}, number = {3}, pages = {225-231}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.12.001}, pmid = {23394709}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Poland ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, }
@article {pmid23382220, year = {2013}, author = {Wood, RE and Barroso-Ruíz, C and Caparrós, M and Jordá Pardo, JF and Galván Santos, B and Higham, TF}, title = {Radiocarbon dating casts doubt on the late chronology of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in southern Iberia.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {110}, number = {8}, pages = {2781-2786}, pmid = {23382220}, issn = {1091-6490}, abstract = {It is commonly accepted that some of the latest dates for Neanderthal fossils and Mousterian industries are found south of the Ebro valley in Iberia at ca. 36 ka calBP (calibrated radiocarbon date ranges). In contrast, to the north of the valley the Mousterian disappears shortly before the Proto-Aurignacian appears at ca. 42 ka calBP. The latter is most likely produced by anatomically modern humans. However, two-thirds of dates from the south are radiocarbon dates, a technique that is particularly sensitive to carbon contaminants of a younger age that can be difficult to remove using routine pretreatment protocols. We have attempted to test the reliability of chronologies of 11 southern Iberian Middle and early Upper Paleolithic sites. Only two, Jarama VI and Zafarraya, were found to contain material that could be reliably dated. In both sites, Middle Paleolithic contexts were previously dated by radiocarbon to less than 42 ka calBP. Using ultrafiltration to purify faunal bone collagen before radiocarbon dating, we obtain ages at least 10 ka (14)C years older, close to or beyond the limit of the radiocarbon method for the Mousterian at Jarama VI and Neanderthal fossils at Zafarraya. Unless rigorous pretreatment protocols have been used, radiocarbon dates should be assumed to be inaccurate until proven otherwise in this region. Evidence for the late survival of Neanderthals in southern Iberia is limited to one possible site, Cueva Antón, and alternative models of human occupation of the region should be considered.}, }
@article {pmid23331387, year = {2012}, author = {Topić, B and Raščić-Konjhodžić, H and Cižek Sajko, M}, title = {Periodontal disease and dental caries from Krapina Neanderthal to contemporary man - skeletal studies.}, journal = {Acta medica academica}, volume = {41}, number = {2}, pages = {119-130}, doi = {10.5644/ama2006-124.45}, pmid = {23331387}, issn = {1840-2879}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Alveolar Bone Loss/*epidemiology/pathology ; Alveolar Process/pathology ; Animals ; Dental Caries/*epidemiology/microbiology ; Dental Plaque/microbiology ; History, 20th Century ; History, Ancient ; History, Medieval ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; *Neanderthals ; Periodontal Diseases/*epidemiology/microbiology/pathology ; Prevalence ; *Tooth ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was the quantification of alveolar bone resorption as well as the number and percentage of teeth with dental caries.<br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four samples of jaws and single teeth were studied from four time periods, i.e. from the Krapina Neanderthals (KN) who reportedly lived over 130,000 years ago, and groups of humans from the 1(st), 10(th) and 20(th) centuries. Resorption of the alveolar bone of the jaws was quantified by the tooth-cervical-height (TCH) index. Diagnosis of dental caries was made by inspection and with a dental probe. TCH-index was calculated for a total of 1097 teeth from 135 jaws. Decay was calculated for a total of 3579 teeth.<br><br>RESULTS: Resorptive changes of the alveolar bone in KN and 1(st) century man were more pronounced on the vestibular surface than interdentally (p<0.05), while no significant difference could be confirmed for 10(th) and 20(th) century man (p=0.1). The number (percentage) of decayed teeth was 0 (0%, n=281 teeth) in KN, 15 (1.7%; n=860 teeth) in 1(st) century, 24 (3.4%; n=697 teeth) in 10(th) century, and 207 (11.9%, n=1741 teeth) in 20(th) century.<br><br>CONCLUSION: On the basis of our results it may be postulated that in contemporary man in relation to KN, the accumulation of plaque pathogens in the interdental space is substantially greater than on the vestibular side. These findings have practical, educational and preventive value for oral hygiene improvement, especially of the interdental space, which should help decrease the prevalence of periodontal disease and dental caries, and improve oral as well as general health.}, }
@article {pmid23315957, year = {2013}, author = {Mendez, FL and Watkins, JC and Hammer, MF}, title = {Neandertal origin of genetic variation at the cluster of OAS immunity genes.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {30}, number = {4}, pages = {798-801}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/mst004}, pmid = {23315957}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/*genetics ; Animals ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Loci/*immunology ; Genetic Speciation ; Gorilla gorilla/genetics ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Models, Genetic ; Multigene Family ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Phylogeography ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; }, abstract = {Analyses of ancient DNA from extinct humans reveal signals of at least two independent hybridization events in the history of non-African populations. To date, there are very few examples of specific genetic variants that have been rigorously identified as introgressive. Here, we survey DNA sequence variation in the OAS gene cluster on chromosome 12 and provide strong evidence that a haplotype extending for ~185 kb introgressed from Neandertals. This haplotype is nearly restricted to Eurasians and is estimated to have diverged from the Neandertal sequence ~125 kya. Despite the potential for novel functional variation, the observed frequency of this haplotype is consistent with neutral introgression. This is the second locus in the human genome, after STAT2, carrying distinct haplotypes that appear to have introgressed separately from both Neandertals and Denisova.}, }
@article {pmid23290415, year = {2012}, author = {Jordan, B}, title = {[Neandertal and Homo sapiens: to meet, or not to meet?].}, journal = {Medecine sciences : M/S}, volume = {28}, number = {12}, pages = {1129-1132}, doi = {10.1051/medsci/20122812025}, pmid = {23290415}, issn = {0767-0974}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Cell Nucleus/genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Europe ; Genetics, Population ; Geography ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae/genetics/physiology ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic/genetics/physiology ; *Neanderthals/genetics/physiology ; Paleodontology/history/methods ; }, }
@article {pmid23290261, year = {2013}, author = {Orr, CM and Tocheri, MW and Burnett, SE and Awe, RD and Saptomo, EW and Sutikna, T and Jatmiko,  and Wasisto, S and Morwood, MJ and Jungers, WL}, title = {New wrist bones of Homo floresiensis from Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {64}, number = {2}, pages = {109-129}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.10.003}, pmid = {23290261}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biometry ; Capitate Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; Fossils ; Hamate Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Male ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {The carpals from the Homo floresiensis type specimen (LB1) lack features that compose the shared, derived complex of the radial side of the wrist in Neandertals and modern humans. This paper comprises a description and three-dimensional morphometric analysis of new carpals from at least one other individual at Liang Bua attributed to H. floresiensis: a right capitate and two hamates. The new capitate is smaller than that of LB1 but is nearly identical in morphology. As with capitates from extant apes, species of Australopithecus, and LB1, the newly described capitate displays a deeply-excavated nonarticular area along its radial aspect, a scaphoid facet that extends into a J-hook articulation on the neck, and a more radially-oriented second metacarpal facet; it also lacks an enlarged palmarly-positioned trapezoid facet. Because there is no accommodation for the derived, palmarly blocky trapezoid that characterizes Homo sapiens and Neandertals, this individual most likely had a plesiomorphically wedge-shaped trapezoid (like LB1). Morphometric analyses confirm the close similarity of the new capitate and that of LB1, and are consistent with previous findings of an overall primitive articular geometry. In general, hamate morphology is more conserved across hominins, and the H. floresiensis specimens fall at the far edge of the range of variation for H. sapiens in a number of metrics. However, the hamate of H. floresiensis is exceptionally small and exhibits a relatively long, stout hamulus lacking the oval-shaped cross-section characteristic of human and Neandertal hamuli (variably present in australopiths). Documentation of a second individual with primitive carpal anatomy from Liang Bua, along with further analysis of trapezoid scaling relative to the capitate in LB1, refutes claims that the wrist of the type specimen represents a modern human with pathology. In total, the carpal anatomy of H. floresiensis supports the hypothesis that the lineage leading to the evolution of this species originated prior to the cladogenetic event that gave rise to modern humans and Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid23274747, year = {2012}, author = {Hawks, J}, title = {Dynamics of genetic and morphological variability within Neandertals.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {90}, number = {}, pages = {81-87}, doi = {10.4436/jass.90019}, pmid = {23274747}, issn = {2037-0644}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical ; Archaeology ; Biological Evolution ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Europe ; Genetic Variation ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; Population Dynamics ; Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {Paleogenomics may suggest changes to the way anthropologists have discussed the dynamics and morphological diversity among Neandertals. Genetic comparisons show that later Neandertals had relatively low autosomal genetic variation compared to recent humans. The known mitochondrial sample from Neandertals covers a broader geographic and temporal range, and shows greater diversity. This review addresses how genetic data compare to morphological and archaeological evidence about Neandertal variation and dynamics. Traditional views emphasized the morphological differences between western and eastern Neandertal populations, and between early and later Neandertals. Genomes broadly support these groupings, without resolving the outstanding question of the affinities of specimens from southwest Asia. However, the pattern of genetic variation appears to reject a long, in situ transformation of Neandertal groups over time, suggesting instead a more rapid process of regional dispersal and partial population replacement. Archaeological indicators sample dynamics on a much finer timescale than morphological or genetic evidence, and point to dispersal and turnover among Neandertals on a regional scale. In this way, genetic evidence may provide a bridge between the timescales relevant to morphological and archaeological comparisons. New ways of looking at the morphology of Neandertals may yield a better picture of their interactions and movements.}, }
@article {pmid23266488, year = {2013}, author = {Le Cabec, A and Gunz, P and Kupczik, K and Braga, J and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Anterior tooth root morphology and size in Neanderthals: taxonomic and functional implications.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {64}, number = {3}, pages = {169-193}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.08.011}, pmid = {23266488}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Cuspid/anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercementosis ; Incisor/anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Root/*anatomy &amp; histology ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {Comparing modern humans and Neanderthals, we have previously shown that recent modern humans (RMH) and Neanderthals differ in anterior root lengths, and that this difference cannot be explained by group differences in overall mandibular size. Here, we first document the evolutionary changes of root size and shape of the anterior upper and lower dentition in a broad chronological and geographical framework. We then use the size and shape differences between RMH and Neanderthals to classify several isolated teeth from Kebara cave and Steinheim, and to interpret the anterior tooth roots of the Tabun C2 mandible. Our samples comprise permanent mandibular and maxillary incisors and canines from early Homo, Neanderthals, as well as extant and fossil modern humans (N = 359). In addition to root length, we measured cervical root diameter and area, total root volume, root pulp volume and root surface area from μCT scans. We quantified root shape variation using geometric morphometrics. Our results show that Neanderthals have not only significantly larger anterior roots than RMH overall, but also different root shapes for each tooth type. In the context of the 'teeth-as-tools' hypothesis, this could be an adaptation to better sustain high or frequent loads on the front teeth. We demonstrate that the two isolated incisors stored with the Steinheim skull are very likely recent. Tabun C2 shows an anterior dentition similar in size and shape to Neanderthals while its molar roots are non-Neanderthal. Two of the five isolated teeth from Kebara are classified as Neanderthals. Interestingly, early modern humans overlap with Neanderthals and RMH in root size and shape. Anterior roots of the Lower and Middle Pleistocene specimens are at least as large as Neanderthals, suggesting that Neanderthals retained a primitive pattern, which should prompt caution in the assessment of the earliest forms of modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid23229733, year = {2013}, author = {Naka, I and Hikami, K and Nakayama, K and Koga, M and Nishida, N and Kimura, R and Furusawa, T and Natsuhara, K and Yamauchi, T and Nakazawa, M and Ataka, Y and Ishida, T and Inaoka, T and Iwamoto, S and Matsumura, Y and Ohtsuka, R and Tsuchiya, N and Ohashi, J}, title = {A functional SNP upstream of the beta-2 adrenergic receptor gene (ADRB2) is associated with obesity in Oceanic populations.}, journal = {International journal of obesity (2005)}, volume = {37}, number = {9}, pages = {1204-1210}, pmid = {23229733}, issn = {1476-5497}, mesh = {Adult ; Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTO ; Body Composition ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Male ; Melanesia/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander/*genetics ; Obesity/epidemiology/*genetics/metabolism ; Phenotype ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Prevalence ; Proteins/genetics ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2/*genetics/metabolism ; Tonga/epidemiology ; }, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Obesity is a growing health concern in the Oceanic populations. To investigate the genetic factors associated with adult obesity in the Oceanic populations, the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the beta-2 adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) gene with obesity was examined in 694 adults living in Tonga and Solomon Islands.<br><br>RESULTS: A screening for variation in 16 Oceanic subjects detected 17 SNPs in the entire region of ADRB2, of which nine SNPs including two non-synonymous ones, rs1042713 (Arg16Gly) and rs1042714 (Gln27Glu), were further genotyped for all subjects. The rs34623097-A allele, at a SNP located upstream of ADRB2, showed the strongest association with risk for obesity in a logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, and population (P=5.6 &#xd7; 10(-4), odds ratio [OR]=2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.5-4.2). The 27Glu was also significantly associated with obesity in the single-point association analysis (P=0.013, OR=2.0, 95%CI=1.2-3.4); however, this association was no longer significant after adjustment for rs34623097 since these SNPs were in linkage disequilibrium with each other. A copy of the obesity-risk allele, rs34623097-A, led to a 1.6&#x2009;kg/m(2) increase in body mass index (BMI; defined as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) (P=0.0019). A luciferase reporter assay indicated that rs34623097-A reduced the transcriptional activity of the luciferase reporter gene by approximately 10% compared with rs34623097-G. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrated that rs34623097 modulated the binding affinity with nuclear factors. An evolutionary analysis implies that a G>A mutation at rs34623097 occurred in the Neandertal genome and then the rs34623097-A allele flowed into the ancestors of present-day humans.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that rs34623097-A, which would lead to lower expression of ADRB2, contributes to the onset of obesity in the Oceanic populations.}, }
@article {pmid23197593, year = {2013}, author = {Maricic, T and Günther, V and Georgiev, O and Gehre, S and Curlin, M and Schreiweis, C and Naumann, R and Burbano, HA and Meyer, M and Lalueza-Fox, C and de la Rasilla, M and Rosas, A and Gajovic, S and Kelso, J and Enard, W and Schaffner, W and Pääbo, S}, title = {A recent evolutionary change affects a regulatory element in the human FOXP2 gene.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {30}, number = {4}, pages = {844-852}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/mss271}, pmid = {23197593}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; Binding Sites ; Conserved Sequence ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Forkhead Transcription Factors/*genetics/metabolism ; Gene Frequency ; HeLa Cells ; Homeodomain Proteins/chemistry/metabolism ; Humans ; Introns ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Transgenic ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neanderthals/genetics ; POU Domain Factors/chemistry/metabolism ; *Regulatory Elements, Transcriptional ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Transcriptional Activation ; }, abstract = {The FOXP2 gene is required for normal development of speech and language. By isolating and sequencing FOXP2 genomic DNA fragments from a 49,000-year-old Iberian Neandertal and 50 present-day humans, we have identified substitutions in the gene shared by all or nearly all present-day humans but absent or polymorphic in Neandertals. One such substitution is localized in intron 8 and affects a binding site for the transcription factor POU3F2, which is highly conserved among vertebrates. We find that the derived allele of this site is less efficient than the ancestral allele in activating transcription from a reporter construct. The derived allele also binds less POU3F2 dimers than POU3F2 monomers compared with the ancestral allele. Because the substitution in the POU3F2 binding site is likely to alter the regulation of FOXP2 expression, and because it is localized in a region of the gene associated with a previously described signal of positive selection, it is a plausible candidate for having caused a recent selective sweep in the FOXP2 gene.}, }
@article {pmid23173096, year = {2012}, author = {Fairbanks, DJ and Fairbanks, AD and Ogden, TH and Parker, GJ and Maughan, PJ}, title = {NANOGP8: evolution of a human-specific retro-oncogene.}, journal = {G3 (Bethesda, Md.)}, volume = {2}, number = {11}, pages = {1447-1457}, pmid = {23173096}, issn = {2160-1836}, mesh = {3' Untranslated Regions ; Alleles ; Alu Elements ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Deletion ; Genome, Human ; Homeodomain Proteins/*genetics ; Humans ; Long Interspersed Nucleotide Elements ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nanog Homeobox Protein ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Oncogenes/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; *Pseudogenes ; *Retroelements ; }, abstract = {NANOGP8 is a human (Homo sapiens) retrogene, expressed predominantly in cancer cells where its protein product is tumorigenic. It arose through retrotransposition from its parent gene, NANOG, which is expressed predominantly in embryonic stem cells. Based on identification of fixed and polymorphic variants in a genetically diverse set of human NANOG and NANOGP8 sequences, we estimated the evolutionary origin of NANOGP8 at approximately 0.9 to 2.5 million years ago, more recent than previously estimated. We also discovered that NANOGP8 arose from a derived variant allele of NANOG containing a 22-nucleotide pair deletion in the 3' UTR, which has remained polymorphic in modern humans. Evidence from our experiments indicates that NANOGP8 is fixed in modern humans even though its parent allele is polymorphic. The presence of NANOGP8-specific sequences in Neanderthal reads provided definitive evidence that NANOGP8 is also present in the Neanderthal genome. Some variants between the reference sequences of NANOG and NANOGP8 utilized in cancer research to distinguish RT-PCR products are polymorphic within NANOG or NANOGP8 and thus are not universally reliable as distinguishing features. NANOGP8 was inserted in reverse orientation into the LTR region of an SVA retroelement that arose in a human-chimpanzee-gorilla common ancestor after divergence of the orangutan ancestral lineage. Transcription factor binding sites within and beyond this LTR may promote expression of NANOGP8 in cancer cells, although current evidence is inferential. The fact that NANOGP8 is a human-specific retro-oncogene may partially explain the higher genetic predisposition for cancer in humans compared with other primates.}, }
@article {pmid23112810, year = {2012}, author = {Neves, AG and Serva, M}, title = {Extremely rare interbreeding events can explain neanderthal DNA in living humans.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {7}, number = {10}, pages = {e47076}, pmid = {23112810}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Black People/genetics ; Computer Simulation ; DNA/*genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Humans ; Inbreeding ; Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Stochastic Processes ; Y Chromosome/genetics ; }, abstract = {Considering the recent experimental discovery of Green et al that present-day non-Africans have 1 to [Formula: see text] of their nuclear DNA of Neanderthal origin, we propose here a model which is able to quantify the genetic interbreeding between two subpopulations with equal fitness, living in the same geographic region. The model consists of a solvable system of deterministic ordinary differential equations containing as a stochastic ingredient a realization of the neutral Wright-Fisher process. By simulating the stochastic part of the model we are able to apply it to the interbreeding of the African ancestors of Eurasians and Middle Eastern Neanderthal subpopulations and estimate the only parameter of the model, which is the number of individuals per generation exchanged between subpopulations. Our results indicate that the amount of Neanderthal DNA in living non-Africans can be explained with maximum probability by the exchange of a single pair of individuals between the subpopulations at each 77 generations, but larger exchange frequencies are also allowed with sizeable probability. The results are compatible with a long coexistence time of 130,000 years, a total interbreeding population of order [Formula: see text] individuals, and with all living humans being descendants of Africans both for mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome.}, }
@article {pmid23112183, year = {2012}, author = {Hublin, JJ and Talamo, S and Julien, M and David, F and Connet, N and Bodu, P and Vandermeersch, B and Richards, MP}, title = {Radiocarbon dates from the Grotte du Renne and Saint-Césaire support a Neandertal origin for the Châtelperronian.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {109}, number = {46}, pages = {18743-18748}, pmid = {23112183}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Europe ; *Fossils ; *Neanderthals ; *Radiometric Dating ; }, abstract = {The transition from the Middle Paleolithic (MP) to Upper Paleolithic (UP) is marked by the replacement of late Neandertals by modern humans in Europe between 50,000 and 40,000 y ago. Châtelperronian (CP) artifact assemblages found in central France and northern Spain date to this time period. So far, it is the only such assemblage type that has yielded Neandertal remains directly associated with UP style artifacts. CP assemblages also include body ornaments, otherwise virtually unknown in the Neandertal world. However, it has been argued that instead of the CP being manufactured by Neandertals, site formation processes and layer admixture resulted in the chance association of Neanderthal remains, CP assemblages, and body ornaments. Here, we report a series of accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dates on ultrafiltered bone collagen extracted from 40 well-preserved bone fragments from the late Mousterian, CP, and Protoaurignacian layers at the Grotte du Renne site (at Arcy-sur-Cure, France). Our radiocarbon results are inconsistent with the admixture hypothesis. Further, we report a direct date on the Neandertal CP skeleton from Saint-Césaire (France). This date corroborates the assignment of CP assemblages to the latest Neandertals of western Europe. Importantly, our results establish that the production of body ornaments in the CP postdates the arrival of modern humans in neighboring regions of Europe. This new behavior could therefore have been the result of cultural diffusion from modern to Neandertal groups.}, }
@article {pmid23103051, year = {2012}, author = {Sołtysiak, A}, title = {Neandertal diet, voracious bacteria and the hunger for knowledge: reply to Tomczyk's comments.}, journal = {Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen}, volume = {63}, number = {6}, pages = {493-495}, doi = {10.1016/j.jchb.2012.10.001}, pmid = {23103051}, issn = {1618-1301}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Caries/*etiology ; Diet/*adverse effects ; Mouth/*microbiology ; *Neanderthals ; }, }
@article {pmid23084621, year = {2012}, author = {Wales, N}, title = {Modeling Neanderthal clothing using ethnographic analogues.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {63}, number = {6}, pages = {781-795}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.08.006}, pmid = {23084621}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology, Cultural ; Appetitive Behavior ; Archaeology ; *Clothing ; Culture ; Databases, Factual ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; *Neanderthals ; Shoes ; Temperature ; }, abstract = {Although direct evidence for Neanderthal clothing is essentially nonexistent, information about Paleolithic clothing could provide insights into the biological, technological, and behavioral capabilities of Neanderthals. This paper takes a new approach to understanding Neanderthal clothing through the collection and analysis of clothing data for 245 recent hunter-gatherer groups. These data are tested against environmental factors to infer what clothing humans tend to wear under different conditions. Beta regression is used to predict the proportion of the body covered by clothing according to a location's mean temperature of the coldest month, average wind speed, and annual rainfall. In addition, logistic regression equations predict clothing use on specific parts of the body. Neanderthal clothing patterns are modeled across Europe and over a range of Pleistocene environmental conditions, thereby providing a new appreciation of Paleolithic behavioral variability. After accounting for higher tolerances to cold temperatures, it is predicted that some Neanderthals would have covered up to 80% of their bodies during the winter, probably with non-tailored clothing. It is also likely that some populations covered the hands and feet. In comparison with Neanderthals, Upper Paleolithic modern humans are found to have worn more sophisticated clothing. Importantly, these predictions shed new light on the relationship between Neanderthal extinction and their simple clothing.}, }
@article {pmid23084367, year = {2012}, author = {Pinhasi, R and Nioradze, M and Tushabramishvili, N and Lordkipanidze, D and Pleurdeau, D and Moncel, MH and Adler, DS and Stringer, C and Higham, TF}, title = {New chronology for the Middle Palaeolithic of the southern Caucasus suggests early demise of Neanderthals in this region.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {63}, number = {6}, pages = {770-780}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.08.004}, pmid = {23084367}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; Bone and Bones ; *Extinction, Biological ; *Fossils ; Models, Biological ; *Neanderthals ; Paleontology ; Radiometric Dating ; Transcaucasia ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal populations of the southern and northern Caucasus became locally extinct during the Late Pleistocene. The timing of their extinction is key to our understanding of the relationship between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (AMH) in Eurasia. Recent re-dating of the end of the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) at Mezmaiskaya Cave, northern Caucasus, and Ortvale Klde, southern Caucasus, suggests that Neanderthals did not survive after 39 ka cal BP (thousands of years ago, calibrated before present). Here we extend the analysis and present a revised regional chronology for MP occupational phases in western Georgia, based on a series of model-based Bayesian analyses of radiocarbon dated bone samples obtained from the caves of Sakajia, Ortvala and Bronze Cave. This allows the establishment of probability intervals for the onset and end of each of the dated levels and for the end of the MP occupation at the three sites. Our results for Sakajia indicate that the end of the late Middle Palaeolithic (LMP) and start of the Upper Palaeolithic (UP) occurred between 40,200 and 37,140 cal BP. The end of the MP in the neighboring site of Ortvala occurred earlier at 43,540-41,420 cal BP (at 68.2% probability). The dating of MP layers from Bronze Cave confirms that it does not contain LMP phases. These results imply that Neanderthals did not survive in the southern Caucasus after 37 ka cal BP, supporting a model of Neanderthal extinction around the same period as reported for the northern Caucasus and other regions of Europe. Taken together with previous reports of the earliest UP phases in the region and the lack of archaeological evidence for an in situ transition, these results indicate that AMH arrived in the Caucasus a few millennia after the Neanderthal demise and that the two species probably did not interact.}, }
@article {pmid23082212, year = {2012}, author = {Sánchez-Quinto, F and Botigué, LR and Civit, S and Arenas, C and Avila-Arcos, MC and Bustamante, CD and Comas, D and Lalueza-Fox, C}, title = {North African populations carry the signature of admixture with Neandertals.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {7}, number = {10}, pages = {e47765}, pmid = {23082212}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Africa South of the Sahara ; Africa, Northern ; Animals ; Asia ; Europe ; *Gene Pool ; Genealogy and Heraldry ; *Genetics, Population ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Principal Component Analysis ; }, abstract = {One of the main findings derived from the analysis of the Neandertal genome was the evidence for admixture between Neandertals and non-African modern humans. An alternative scenario is that the ancestral population of non-Africans was closer to Neandertals than to Africans because of ancient population substructure. Thus, the study of North African populations is crucial for testing both hypotheses. We analyzed a total of 780,000 SNPs in 125 individuals representing seven different North African locations and searched for their ancestral/derived state in comparison to different human populations and Neandertals. We found that North African populations have a significant excess of derived alleles shared with Neandertals, when compared to sub-Saharan Africans. This excess is similar to that found in non-African humans, a fact that can be interpreted as a sign of Neandertal admixture. Furthermore, the Neandertal's genetic signal is higher in populations with a local, pre-Neolithic North African ancestry. Therefore, the detected ancient admixture is not due to recent Near Eastern or European migrations. Sub-Saharan populations are the only ones not affected by the admixture event with Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid23077004, year = {2012}, author = {Benazzi, S and Fornai, C and Buti, L and Toussaint, M and Mallegni, F and Ricci, S and Gruppioni, G and Weber, GW and Condemi, S and Ronchitelli, A}, title = {Cervical and crown outline analysis of worn Neanderthal and modern human lower second deciduous molars.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {149}, number = {4}, pages = {537-546}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22155}, pmid = {23077004}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Humans ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology/*pathology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Reproducibility of Results ; Tooth Cervix/anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; Tooth Wear/*pathology ; Tooth, Deciduous/*anatomy &amp; histology/*pathology ; }, abstract = {Despite the general increase in digital techniques for dental morphometric analyses, only a few methods are available to study worn teeth. Moreover, permanent dentitions are studied much more frequently than deciduous teeth. In this study, we address both issues by providing a taxonomic classification of Neanderthal and modern human (MH) lower second deciduous molars (dm(2) s) through the analysis of crown and cervical outlines. Crown and cervical outlines were obtained from a three-dimensional (3D) digital sample of uniformly oriented dm(2) s. Both outlines were centered on the centroid of their area and represented by 16 pseudolandmarks obtained by equiangularly spaced radial vectors out of the centroid. We removed size information from the oriented and centered outlines with a uniform scaling of the pseudolandmark configurations to unit Centroid Size. Group shape variation was evaluated separately for the dm(2) crown and cervical outlines through a shape-space principal component (PC) analysis. Finally, quadratic discriminant analysis of a subset of PCs was used to classify the specimens. Our results demonstrate that both outlines successfully separate the two groups. Neanderthals showed a buccodistal expansion and convex lingual outline shape, whilst MHs have buccodistal reduction and straight lingual outline shape. Therefore, we confirmed that the cervical outline represents an effective parameter for distinguishing between the two taxa when dealing with worn or damaged dm(2) s.}, }
@article {pmid23055938, year = {2012}, author = {Sankararaman, S and Patterson, N and Li, H and Pääbo, S and Reich, D}, title = {The date of interbreeding between Neandertals and modern humans.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {8}, number = {10}, pages = {e1002947}, pmid = {23055938}, issn = {1553-7404}, support = {R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Black People/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Flow ; Gene Frequency ; Genome ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Models, Genetic ; Mutation Rate ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Comparisons of DNA sequences between Neandertals and present-day humans have shown that Neandertals share more genetic variants with non-Africans than with Africans. This could be due to interbreeding between Neandertals and modern humans when the two groups met subsequent to the emergence of modern humans outside Africa. However, it could also be due to population structure that antedates the origin of Neandertal ancestors in Africa. We measure the extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the genomes of present-day Europeans and find that the last gene flow from Neandertals (or their relatives) into Europeans likely occurred 37,000-86,000 years before the present (BP), and most likely 47,000-65,000 years ago. This supports the recent interbreeding hypothesis and suggests that interbreeding may have occurred when modern humans carrying Upper Paleolithic technologies encountered Neandertals as they expanded out of Africa.}, }
@article {pmid23040107, year = {2012}, author = {Moncel, MH and Moigne, AM and Combier, J}, title = {Towards the Middle Palaeolithic in Western Europe: the case of Orgnac 3 (southeastern France).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {63}, number = {5}, pages = {653-666}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.08.001}, pmid = {23040107}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Cultural Evolution ; France ; Geologic Sediments ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {The sequence of Orgnac 3 in southern Europe is dated to MIS 9 and the beginning of MIS 8. The site contains records of Upper Acheulian occupations with evidence of Middle Palaeolithic technological strategies at the top of the sequence. In order to address the question of gradual versus punctuated changes in the onset of the Middle Palaeolithic, nine criteria on subsistence strategies and technological behaviour were selected throughout the whole stratigraphic sequence to describe behavioural patterns. Results indicate a mosaic of changes in hominin subsistence and technical behaviour and attest to both gradual and punctuated changes over time. For the most part, they cannot be explained by environmental factors such as site formation processes or climatic transitions. Thus, behavioural change at Orgnac 3 may be interpreted as 'multifaceted,' with a combination of gradual and punctuated shifts by hominins inhabiting the area. Orgnac 3 may be considered as a 'key-site' for understanding the basis of the Neanderthal material world and possibly the onset of clearly differentiated traditions in Neanderthal populations.}, }
@article {pmid23029321, year = {2012}, author = {Finlayson, C and Brown, K and Blasco, R and Rosell, J and Negro, JJ and Bortolotti, GR and Finlayson, G and Sánchez Marco, A and Giles Pacheco, F and Rodríguez Vidal, J and Carrión, JS and Fa, DA and Rodríguez Llanes, JM}, title = {Birds of a feather: Neanderthal exploitation of raptors and corvids.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {7}, number = {9}, pages = {e45927}, pmid = {23029321}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Behavior, Animal ; Cognition ; Feathers/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Neanderthals/*psychology ; Paleontology ; Passeriformes/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Raptors/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The hypothesis that Neanderthals exploited birds for the use of their feathers or claws as personal ornaments in symbolic behaviour is revolutionary as it assigns unprecedented cognitive abilities to these hominins. This inference, however, is based on modest faunal samples and thus may not represent a regular or systematic behaviour. Here we address this issue by looking for evidence of such behaviour across a large temporal and geographical framework. Our analyses try to answer four main questions: 1) does a Neanderthal to raptor-corvid connection exist at a large scale, thus avoiding associations that might be regarded as local in space or time?; 2) did Middle (associated with Neanderthals) and Upper Palaeolithic (associated with modern humans) sites contain a greater range of these species than Late Pleistocene paleontological sites?; 3) is there a taphonomic association between Neanderthals and corvids-raptors at Middle Palaeolithic sites on Gibraltar, specifically Gorham's, Vanguard and Ibex Caves? and; 4) was the extraction of wing feathers a local phenomenon exclusive to the Neanderthals at these sites or was it a geographically wider phenomenon?. We compiled a database of 1699 Pleistocene Palearctic sites based on fossil bird sites. We also compiled a taphonomical database from the Middle Palaeolithic assemblages of Gibraltar. We establish a clear, previously unknown and widespread, association between Neanderthals, raptors and corvids. We show that the association involved the direct intervention of Neanderthals on the bones of these birds, which we interpret as evidence of extraction of large flight feathers. The large number of bones, the variety of species processed and the different temporal periods when the behaviour is observed, indicate that this was a systematic, geographically and temporally broad, activity that the Neanderthals undertook. Our results, providing clear evidence that Neanderthal cognitive capacities were comparable to those of Modern Humans, constitute a major advance in the study of human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid22981042, year = {2012}, author = {Freidline, SE and Gunz, P and Harvati, K and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Middle Pleistocene human facial morphology in an evolutionary and developmental context.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {63}, number = {5}, pages = {723-740}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.08.002}, pmid = {22981042}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Europe ; Face/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; North America ; South Africa ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals and modern humans exhibit distinct facial architectures. The patterning of facial morphology of their predecessors, the Middle Pleistocene humans, is more mosaic showing a mix of archaic and modern morphologies. Significant changes in facial size and robusticity occurred throughout Pleistocene human evolution, resulting in temporal trends in both facial reduction and enlargement. However, the allometric patterning in facial morphology in archaic humans is not well understood. This study explores temporal trends in facial morphology in order to gain a clearer understanding of the polarity of features, and describes the allometric patterning of facial shape. The modern human sample comprises cross-sectional growth series of four morphologically distinct human populations. The fossil sample covers specimens from the Middle Pleistocene to the Upper Paleolithic. We digitized landmarks and semilandmarks on surface and computed tomography scans and analyzed the Procrustes shape coordinates. Principal component analyses were performed, and Procrustes distances were used to identify phenetic similarities between fossil hominins. In order to explore the influence of size on facial features, allometric trajectories were calculated for fossil and modern human groups, and developmental simulations were performed. We show that facial features can be used to separate Pleistocene humans into temporal clusters. The distinctly modern human pattern of facial morphology is already present around 170 ka. Species- and population-specific facial features develop before two years of age, and several of the large-scale facial differences between Neanderthals and Middle Pleistocene humans are due to scaling along a shared allometric trajectory. These features include aspects of the frontal bone, browridge morphology, nasal aperture size and facial prognathism. Infraorbital surface topography and orientation of the midface in the European Middle Pleistocene hominins is intermediate between the African Middle Pleistocene and Neanderthal condition. This could suggest that the European Middle Pleistocene hominins display incipient Neanderthal features.}, }
@article {pmid22976750, year = {2012}, author = {Gunz, P and Bulygina, E}, title = {The Mousterian child from Teshik-Tash is a Neanderthal: a geometric morphometric study of the frontal bone.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {149}, number = {3}, pages = {365-379}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22133}, pmid = {22976750}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Archaeology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Computer Graphics ; Computer Simulation ; *Fossils ; Frontal Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Principal Component Analysis ; Regression Analysis ; Uzbekistan ; }, abstract = {In the 1930s subadult hominin remains and Mousterian artifacts were discovered in the Teshik-Tash cave in South Uzbekistan. Since then, the majority of the scientific community has interpreted Teshik-Tash as a Neanderthal. However, some have considered aspects of the morphology of the Teshik-Tash skull to be more similar to fossil modern humans such as those represented at Skhūl and Qafzeh, or to subadult Upper Paleolithic modern humans. Here we present a 3D geometric morphometric analysis of the Teshik-Tash frontal bone in the context of developmental shape changes in recent modern humans, Neanderthals, and early modern humans. We assess the phenetic affinities of Teshik-Tash to other subadult fossils, and use developmental simulations to predict possible adult shapes. We find that the morphology of the frontal bone places the Teshik-Tash child close to other Neanderthal children and that the simulated adult shapes are closest to Neanderthal adults. Taken together with genetic data showing that Teshik-Tash carried mtDNA of the Neanderthal type, as well as its occipital bun, and its shovel-shaped upper incisors, these independent lines of evidence firmly place Teshik-Tash among Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid22951376, year = {2012}, author = {Niven, L and Steele, TE and Rendu, W and Mallye, JB and McPherron, SP and Soressi, M and Jaubert, J and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Neandertal mobility and large-game hunting: the exploitation of reindeer during the Quina Mousterian at Chez-Pinaud Jonzac (Charente-Maritime, France).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {63}, number = {4}, pages = {624-635}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.07.002}, pmid = {22951376}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Cultural/methods ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; France ; Male ; *Neanderthals ; *Reindeer ; }, abstract = {Neandertals were effective hunters of large ungulates throughout their geographic and temporal ranges. Equipped with this knowledge, researchers in paleoanthropology continue to seek insight on the relationships between hunting and subsistence strategies with other components of the Neandertals' niche, such as mobility, site use, and lithic technology. The Quina Mousterian deposits from the rockshelter site of Chez Pinaud Jonzac (Charente-Maritime, France; hereafter Jonzac) offer an excellent opportunity to pursue these issues. This paper focuses on the extensive and well-preserved skeletal remains of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) recovered from recent excavations of the site, representing at least 18 individuals that were hunted by Neandertals during the fall through winter. Our zooarchaeological results indicate that all ages of reindeer were hunted but adult individuals predominate. No bias is evident in the comparable frequencies of males and females. These prey were butchered on-site, with abundant evidence of meat filleting and marrow exploitation. In the excavated sample, the absence of hearths and the almost complete lack of burned bones or stones suggest that Neandertals were not using fire to assist with processing the reindeer carcasses. The zooarchaeological results presented here indicate that reindeer were hunted during a restricted window of time when they were seasonally abundant in the local area near Jonzac. Taken together with the lithic industry based on bifacial elements, the evidence is consistent with a pattern of site use by highly mobile hunter-gatherers making frequent, short-term visits. Ongoing research at Jonzac and other Quina Mousterian localities will contribute to a better understanding of Neandertal behavior during cold climate phases.}, }
@article {pmid22946817, year = {2012}, author = {Bokma, F and van den Brink, V and Stadler, T}, title = {Unexpectedly many extinct hominins.}, journal = {Evolution; international journal of organic evolution}, volume = {66}, number = {9}, pages = {2969-2974}, doi = {10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01660.x}, pmid = {22946817}, issn = {1558-5646}, mesh = {Animals ; *Extinction, Biological ; *Genetic Speciation ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Recent studies indicate that Neanderthal and Denisova hominins may have been separate species, while debate continues on the status of Homo floresiensis. The decade-long debate between "splitters," who recognize over 20 hominin species, and "lumpers," who maintain that all these fossils belong to just a few lineages, illustrates that we do not know how many extinct hominin species to expect. Here, we present probability distributions for the number of speciation events and the number of contemporary species along a branch of a phylogeny. With estimates of hominin speciation and extincton rates, we then show that the expected total number of extinct hominin species is 8, but may be as high as 27. We also show that it is highly unlikely that three very recent species disappeared due to natural, background extinction. This may indicate that human-like remains are too easily considered distinct species. Otherwise, the evidence suggesting that Neanderthal and the Denisova hominin represent distinct species implies a recent wave of extinctions, ostensibly driven by the only survivor, H. sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid22937134, year = {2012}, author = {Volpato, V and Macchiarelli, R and Guatelli-Steinberg, D and Fiore, I and Bondioli, L and Frayer, DW}, title = {Hand to mouth in a neandertal: right-handedness in Regourdou 1.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {7}, number = {8}, pages = {e43949}, pmid = {22937134}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Arm Bones ; Functional Laterality/*physiology ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Shoulder ; Tooth ; }, abstract = {We describe and analyze a Neandertal postcranial skeleton and dentition, which together show unambiguous signs of right-handedness. Asymmetries between the left and right upper arm in Regourdou 1 were identified nearly 20 years ago, then confirmed by more detailed analyses of the inner bone structure for the clavicle, humerus, radius and ulna. The total pattern of all bones in the shoulder and arm reveals that Regourdou 1 was a right-hander. Confirmatory evidence comes from the mandibular incisors, which display a distinct pattern of right oblique scratches, typical of right-handed manipulations performed at the front of the mouth. Regourdou's right handedness is consistent with the strong pattern of manual lateralization in Neandertals and further confirms a modern pattern of left brain dominance, presumably signally linguistic competence. These observations along with cultural, genetic and morphological evidence indicate language competence in Neandertals and their European precursors.}, }
@article {pmid22936568, year = {2012}, author = {Meyer, M and Kircher, M and Gansauge, MT and Li, H and Racimo, F and Mallick, S and Schraiber, JG and Jay, F and Prüfer, K and de Filippo, C and Sudmant, PH and Alkan, C and Fu, Q and Do, R and Rohland, N and Tandon, A and Siebauer, M and Green, RE and Bryc, K and Briggs, AW and Stenzel, U and Dabney, J and Shendure, J and Kitzman, J and Hammer, MF and Shunkov, MV and Derevianko, AP and Patterson, N and Andrés, AM and Eichler, EE and Slatkin, M and Reich, D and Kelso, J and Pääbo, S}, title = {A high-coverage genome sequence from an archaic Denisovan individual.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {338}, number = {6104}, pages = {222-226}, pmid = {22936568}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {R01-GM40282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; GM100233/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Fossils ; Gene Flow ; Gene Library ; *Genetic Variation ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; *Heterozygote ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {We present a DNA library preparation method that has allowed us to reconstruct a high-coverage (30×) genome sequence of a Denisovan, an extinct relative of Neandertals. The quality of this genome allows a direct estimation of Denisovan heterozygosity indicating that genetic diversity in these archaic hominins was extremely low. It also allows tentative dating of the specimen on the basis of "missing evolution" in its genome, detailed measurements of Denisovan and Neandertal admixture into present-day human populations, and the generation of a near-complete catalog of genetic changes that swept to high frequency in modern humans since their divergence from Denisovans.}, }
@article {pmid22891323, year = {2012}, author = {Langergraber, KE and Prüfer, K and Rowney, C and Boesch, C and Crockford, C and Fawcett, K and Inoue, E and Inoue-Muruyama, M and Mitani, JC and Muller, MN and Robbins, MM and Schubert, G and Stoinski, TS and Viola, B and Watts, D and Wittig, RM and Wrangham, RW and Zuberbühler, K and Pääbo, S and Vigilant, L}, title = {Generation times in wild chimpanzees and gorillas suggest earlier divergence times in great ape and human evolution.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {109}, number = {39}, pages = {15716-15721}, pmid = {22891323}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Gorilla gorilla/*physiology ; Humans ; Pan troglodytes/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Fossils and molecular data are two independent sources of information that should in principle provide consistent inferences of when evolutionary lineages diverged. Here we use an alternative approach to genetic inference of species split times in recent human and ape evolution that is independent of the fossil record. We first use genetic parentage information on a large number of wild chimpanzees and mountain gorillas to directly infer their average generation times. We then compare these generation time estimates with those of humans and apply recent estimates of the human mutation rate per generation to derive estimates of split times of great apes and humans that are independent of fossil calibration. We date the human-chimpanzee split to at least 7-8 million years and the population split between Neanderthals and modern humans to 400,000-800,000 y ago. This suggests that molecular divergence dates may not be in conflict with the attribution of 6- to 7-million-y-old fossils to the human lineage and 400,000-y-old fossils to the Neanderthal lineage.}, }
@article {pmid22883142, year = {2012}, author = {Mendez, FL and Watkins, JC and Hammer, MF}, title = {A haplotype at STAT2 Introgressed from neanderthals and serves as a candidate of positive selection in Papua New Guinea.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {91}, number = {2}, pages = {265-274}, pmid = {22883142}, issn = {1537-6605}, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological/genetics ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Components ; *Genetics, Population ; Genotype ; Haplotypes/*genetics ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation/genetics ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Papua New Guinea ; *Phylogeny ; Receptor, ErbB-3/genetics ; STAT2 Transcription Factor/*genetics ; *Selection, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {Signals of archaic admixture have been identified through comparisons of the draft Neanderthal and Denisova genomes with those of living humans. Studies of individual loci contributing to these genome-wide average signals are required for characterization of the introgression process and investigation of whether archaic variants conferred an adaptive advantage to the ancestors of contemporary human populations. However, no definitive case of adaptive introgression has yet been described. Here we provide a DNA sequence analysis of the innate immune gene STAT2 and show that a haplotype carried by many Eurasians (but not sub-Saharan Africans) has a sequence that closely matches that of the Neanderthal STAT2. This haplotype, referred to as N, was discovered through a resequencing survey of the entire coding region of STAT2 in a global sample of 90 individuals. Analyses of publicly available complete genome sequence data show that haplotype N shares a recent common ancestor with the Neanderthal sequence (~80 thousand years ago) and is found throughout Eurasia at an average frequency of ~5%. Interestingly, N is found in Melanesian populations at ~10-fold higher frequency (~54%) than in Eurasian populations. A neutrality test that controls for demography rejects the hypothesis that a variant of N rose to high frequency in Melanesia by genetic drift alone. Although we are not able to pinpoint the precise target of positive selection, we identify nonsynonymous mutations in ERBB3, ESYT1, and STAT2-all of which are part of the same 250 kb introgressive haplotype-as good candidates.}, }
@article {pmid22879480, year = {2012}, author = {Balter, M}, title = {Profile: João Zilhão. Neandertal champion defends the reputation of our closest cousins.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {337}, number = {6095}, pages = {642-643}, doi = {10.1126/science.337.6095.642}, pmid = {22879480}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology/history ; Fossils ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; Portugal ; }, }
@article {pmid22858155, year = {2012}, author = {Tomczyk, J}, title = {Comments on Soltysiak's paper: "Comment: low dental caries rate in Neandertals: the result of diet or the oral flora compositions?".}, journal = {Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen}, volume = {63}, number = {4}, pages = {311-314}, doi = {10.1016/j.jchb.2012.06.002}, pmid = {22858155}, issn = {1618-1301}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Caries/*etiology ; Diet/*adverse effects ; Mouth/*microbiology ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {A low frequency of dental caries in Neandertal population is still puzzling. Many authors stress that the lower frequency of dental caries was related to a meat diet. However, a recent publication in HOMO - Journal Comparative Human Biology presented a new interpretation of dental caries in Neandertals. In this article, Soltysiak supports the thesis that the lower frequency of caries in the Neandertal population from the Near East could not be related to the low-sugar diet, but rather to the absence of cariogenic bacteria species (S. mutans). Although this hypothesis is interesting, I suspect it to be based on several erroneous assumptions, and a misunderstanding of caries as a disease. Although he stressed that the caries lesion is related to many different factors, in his argument he considers one of two alternatives "a low-sugar diet or a lack of cariogenic bacterial species".}, }
@article {pmid22840714, year = {2012}, author = {Gómez-Robles, A and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Martinón-Torres, M and Prado-Simón, L and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {A geometric morphometric analysis of hominin upper second and third molars, with particular emphasis on European Pleistocene populations.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {63}, number = {3}, pages = {512-526}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.06.002}, pmid = {22840714}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Asia ; Europe ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar, Third/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Paleodontology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The study of dental morphology by means of geometric morphometric methods allows for a detailed and quantitative comparison of hominin species that is useful for taxonomic assignment and phylogenetic reconstruction. Upper second and third molars have been studied in a comprehensive sample of Plio- and Pleistocene hominins from African, Asian and European sites in order to complete our analysis of the upper postcanine dentition. Intraspecific variation in these two molars is high, but some interspecific trends can be identified. Both molars exhibit a strong reduction of the distal cusps in recent hominin species, namely European Homo heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens, but this reduction shows specific patterns and proportions in the three groups. Second molars tend to show four well developed cusps in earlier hominin species and their morphology is only marginally affected by allometric effects. Third molars can be incipiently reduced in earlier species and they evince a significant allometric component, identified both inter- and intraspecifically. European Middle Pleistocene fossils from Sima de los Huesos (SH) show a very strong reduction of these two molars, even more marked than the reduction observed in Neanderthals and in modern human populations. The highly derived shape of SH molars points to an early acquisition of typical Neanderthal dental traits by pre-Neanderthal populations and to a deviation of this population from mean morphologies of other European Middle Pleistocene groups.}, }
@article {pmid22826222, year = {2012}, author = {Lowe, J and Barton, N and Blockley, S and Ramsey, CB and Cullen, VL and Davies, W and Gamble, C and Grant, K and Hardiman, M and Housley, R and Lane, CS and Lee, S and Lewis, M and MacLeod, A and Menzies, M and Müller, W and Pollard, M and Price, C and Roberts, AP and Rohling, EJ and Satow, C and Smith, VC and Stringer, CB and Tomlinson, EL and White, D and Albert, P and Arienzo, I and Barker, G and Boric, D and Carandente, A and Civetta, L and Ferrier, C and Guadelli, JL and Karkanas, P and Koumouzelis, M and Müller, UC and Orsi, G and Pross, J and Rosi, M and Shalamanov-Korobar, L and Sirakov, N and Tzedakis, PC}, title = {Volcanic ash layers illuminate the resilience of Neanderthals and early modern humans to natural hazards.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {109}, number = {34}, pages = {13532-13537}, pmid = {22826222}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology/methods ; Climate ; *Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry/methods ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning/methods ; *Neanderthals ; *Volcanic Eruptions ; }, abstract = {Marked changes in human dispersal and development during the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition have been attributed to massive volcanic eruption and/or severe climatic deterioration. We test this concept using records of volcanic ash layers of the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption dated to ca. 40,000 y ago (40 ka B.P.). The distribution of the Campanian Ignimbrite has been enhanced by the discovery of cryptotephra deposits (volcanic ash layers that are not visible to the naked eye) in archaeological cave sequences. They enable us to synchronize archaeological and paleoclimatic records through the period of transition from Neanderthal to the earliest anatomically modern human populations in Europe. Our results confirm that the combined effects of a major volcanic eruption and severe climatic cooling failed to have lasting impacts on Neanderthals or early modern humans in Europe. We infer that modern humans proved a greater competitive threat to indigenous populations than natural disasters.}, }
@article {pmid22815742, year = {2012}, author = {Shaw, CN and Hofmann, CL and Petraglia, MD and Stock, JT and Gottschall, JS}, title = {Neandertal humeri may reflect adaptation to scraping tasks, but not spear thrusting.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {7}, number = {7}, pages = {e40349}, pmid = {22815742}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {*Adaptation, Physiological ; Adult ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal/*physiology ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Male ; Motor Activity/*physiology ; Muscles/physiology ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Organ Specificity ; Stress, Mechanical ; *Weapons ; }, abstract = {Unique compared with recent and prehistoric Homo sapiens, Neandertal humeri are characterised by a pronounced right-dominant bilateral strength asymmetry and an anteroposteriorly strengthened diaphyseal shape. Remodeling in response to asymmetric forces imposed during regular underhanded spear thrusting is the most influential explanatory hypothesis. The core tenet of the "Spear Thrusting Hypothesis", that underhand thrusting requires greater muscle activity on the right side of the body compared to the left, remains untested. It is unclear whether alternative subsistence behaviours, such as hide processing, might better explain this morphology. To test this, electromyography was used to measure muscle activity at the primary movers of the humerus (pectoralis major (PM), anterior (AD) and posterior deltoid (PD)) during three distinct spear-thrusting tasks and four separate scraping tasks. Contrary to predictions, maximum muscle activity (MAX) and total muscle activity (TOT) were significantly higher (all values, p<.05) at the left (non-dominant) AD, PD and PM compared to the right side of the body during spear thrusting tasks. Thus, the muscle activity required during underhanded spearing tasks does not lend itself to explaining the pronounced right dominant strength asymmetry found in Neandertal humeri. In contrast, during the performance of all three unimanual scraping tasks, right side MAX and TOT were significantly greater at the AD (all values, p<.01) and PM (all values, p<.02) compared to the left. The consistency of the results provides evidence that scraping activities, such as hide preparation, may be a key behaviour in determining the unusual pattern of Neandertal arm morphology. Overall, these results yield important insight into the Neandertal behavioural repertoire that aided survival throughout Pleistocene Eurasia.}, }
@article {pmid22806252, year = {2012}, author = {Hardy, K and Buckley, S and Collins, MJ and Estalrrich, A and Brothwell, D and Copeland, L and García-Tabernero, A and García-Vargas, S and de la Rasilla, M and Lalueza-Fox, C and Huguet, R and Bastir, M and Santamaría, D and Madella, M and Wilson, J and Cortés, AF and Rosas, A}, title = {Neanderthal medics? Evidence for food, cooking, and medicinal plants entrapped in dental calculus.}, journal = {Die Naturwissenschaften}, volume = {99}, number = {8}, pages = {617-626}, pmid = {22806252}, issn = {1432-1904}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Calculus/*chemistry/ultrastructure ; *Diet ; Female ; *Fossils ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Plants/ultrastructure ; Plants, Medicinal/ultrastructure ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals disappeared sometime between 30,000 and 24,000 years ago. Until recently, Neanderthals were understood to have been predominantly meat-eaters; however, a growing body of evidence suggests their diet also included plants. We present the results of a study, in which sequential thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) were combined with morphological analysis of plant microfossils, to identify material entrapped in dental calculus from five Neanderthal individuals from the north Spanish site of El Sidrón. Our results provide the first molecular evidence for inhalation of wood-fire smoke and bitumen or oil shale and ingestion of a range of cooked plant foods. We also offer the first evidence for the use of medicinal plants by a Neanderthal individual. The varied use of plants that we have identified suggests that the Neanderthal occupants of El Sidrón had a sophisticated knowledge of their natural surroundings which included the ability to select and use certain plants.}, }
@article {pmid22791408, year = {2012}, author = {Barrett, CK and Guatelli-Steinberg, D and Sciulli, PW}, title = {Revisiting dental fluctuating asymmetry in neandertals and modern humans.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {149}, number = {2}, pages = {193-204}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22107}, pmid = {22791408}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; *Dentition ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Paleodontology ; Stress, Physiological ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; }, abstract = {Previous studies have suggested that Neandertals experienced greater physiological stress and/or were less capable of mitigating stress than most prehistoric modern human populations. The current study compares estimates of dental fluctuating asymmetry (DFA) for prehistoric Inupiat from Point Hope Alaska, the Late Archaic, and Protohistoric periods from Ohio and West Virginia, and a modern sample from Ohio to Neandertals from Europe and Southwest Asia. DFA results from developmental perturbation during crown formation and is thus an indicator of developmental stress, which previous studies have found to be higher in Neandertals than in several modern human populations. Here, we use recent methodological improvements in the analysis of fluctuating asymmetry suggested by Palmer and Strobeck (Annu Rev Ecol Syst 17 (1986) 391-421, Developmental instability: causes and consequences (2003a) v.1-v.36, Developmental instability: causes and consequences (2003b) 279-319) and compare the fit of Neandertal DFA Index values with those of modern humans. DFA estimates for each of the modern population samples exceeded measurement error, with the Inupiat exhibiting the highest levels of DFA for most tooth positions. All significant Neandertal z-scores were positive, exceeding the estimates for each of the modern prehistoric groups. Neandertals exhibited the fewest significant differences from the Inupiat (9.2% of values are significant at P < 0.05), while for the other modern prehistoric groups more than 10% of the Neandertal z-scores are significant at P < 0.05, more than 90% of these significant scores at P < 0.01. These results suggest that the Inupiat experienced greater developmental stress than the other prehistoric population samples, and that Neandertals were under greater developmental stress than all other prehistoric modern human samples.}, }
@article {pmid22718478, year = {2012}, author = {Koenig, A and Borries, C}, title = {Hominoid dispersal patterns and human evolution.}, journal = {Evolutionary anthropology}, volume = {21}, number = {3}, pages = {108-112}, doi = {10.1002/evan.21300}, pmid = {22718478}, issn = {1520-6505}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; *Emigration and Immigration ; Female ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Biological ; Sex Characteristics ; }, abstract = {Recent advances in DNA and isotope analyses have allowed tentative reconstructions of dispersal strategies of Plio-Pleistocene hominins.(1,2) Comparing their findings to dispersal patterns of some extant apes and humans suggested groups of related males and unrelated females in Neandertals indicating patrilocality(2) and Pan-like male philopatry in australopiths.(1) Here we review the demographic, ethnographic, and genetic evidence of dispersal patterns in extant apes and humans and compare the results to the suggestions for Plio-Pleistocene hominins. We find that alternative dispersal patterns, for example among gorillas or gibbons, could explain the findings of related or natal males in a confined geographic area. Based on sexual size dimorphism, we speculate that gorillas might currently be the best model for reconstructing dispersal in robust australopiths. Given that the sexual size dimorphism in other australopiths is still hotly debated, the question of which hominoid model best matches their dispersal pattern must remain unanswered. Neandertal dispersal patterns have been compared to patrilocality of modern humans. However, the latter is related to the advent of food production. Consequently, hunter-gatherers exhibiting primarily multilocality appear to be the better comparison for Neandertals. Overall, human-like patrilocality and Pan-like male philopatry appear to be poor models for the reconstruction of dispersal patterns in Plio-Pleistocene hominins.}, }
@article {pmid22698735, year = {2012}, author = {Bi, CL and Guo, GY and Zhang, X and Tian, YH and Shen, YZ}, title = {[Progresses on Neandertal genomics].}, journal = {Yi chuan = Hereditas}, volume = {34}, number = {6}, pages = {659-665}, doi = {10.3724/sp.j.1005.2012.00659}, pmid = {22698735}, issn = {0253-9772}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; *Genome ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Neandertal is our closest known relative and also an archaic hominid reserving the richest fossils. Whether the Neandertals exchanged their DNA with modern human or not is a matter of debate on the modern human origin. The progresses on the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of Neandertals in recent years were reviewed in this paper. Recent study has revealed possible genetic contribution of Neandertals to the modern human to some extent, which arose the rethinking of modern human origin. The experiences gained in the research on Neandertals will benefit the study on archaic hominids, unravel the mystery of modern human origin, and enrich the relative theoretical systems in evolutionary biological field.}, }
@article {pmid22677281, year = {2012}, author = {Agoni, L and Golden, A and Guha, C and Lenz, J}, title = {Neandertal and Denisovan retroviruses.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {22}, number = {11}, pages = {R437-8}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2012.04.049}, pmid = {22677281}, issn = {1879-0445}, support = {EB009040/EB/NIBIB NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neanderthals/*genetics/virology ; Retroviridae/*genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid22665810, year = {2012}, author = {Wang, X and Mitra, N and Secundino, I and Banda, K and Cruz, P and Padler-Karavani, V and Verhagen, A and Reid, C and Lari, M and Rizzi, E and Balsamo, C and Corti, G and De Bellis, G and Longo, L and ,  and Beggs, W and Caramelli, D and Tishkoff, SA and Hayakawa, T and Green, ED and Mullikin, JC and Nizet, V and Bui, J and Varki, A}, title = {Specific inactivation of two immunomodulatory SIGLEC genes during human evolution.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {109}, number = {25}, pages = {9935-9940}, pmid = {22665810}, issn = {1091-6490}, support = {DP1 ES022577/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; P01 HL107150/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HD051796/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Deletion ; *Gene Silencing ; Humans ; Immune System ; Lectins/*genetics ; Primates ; Sialic Acid Binding Immunoglobulin-like Lectins ; }, abstract = {Sialic acid-recognizing Ig-like lectins (Siglecs) are signaling receptors that modulate immune responses, and are targeted for interactions by certain pathogens. We describe two primate Siglecs that were rendered nonfunctional by single genetic events during hominin evolution after our common ancestor with the chimpanzee. SIGLEC13 was deleted by an Alu-mediated recombination event, and a single base pair deletion disrupted the ORF of SIGLEC17. Siglec-13 is expressed on chimpanzee monocytes, innate immune cells that react to bacteria. The human SIGLEC17P pseudogene mRNA is still expressed at high levels in human natural killer cells, which bridge innate and adaptive immune responses. As both resulting pseudogenes are homozygous in all human populations, we resurrected the originally encoded proteins and examined their functions. Chimpanzee Siglec-13 and the resurrected human Siglec-17 recruit a signaling adapter and bind sialic acids. Expression of either Siglec in innate immune cells alters inflammatory cytokine secretion in response to Toll-like receptor-4 stimulation. Both Siglecs can also be engaged by two potentially lethal sialylated bacterial pathogens of newborns and infants, agents with a potential impact on reproductive fitness. Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes show human-like sequences at both loci, corroborating estimates that the initial pseudogenization events occurred in the common ancestral population of these hominins. Both loci also show limited polymorphic diversity, suggesting selection forces predating the origin of modern humans. Taken together, these data suggest that genetic elimination of Siglec-13 and/or Siglec-17 represents signatures of infectious and/or other inflammatory selective processes contributing to population restrictions during hominin origins.}, }
@article {pmid22658332, year = {2012}, author = {Martín-González, JA and Mateos, A and Goikoetxea, I and Leonard, WR and Rodríguez, J}, title = {Differences between Neandertal and modern human infant and child growth models.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {63}, number = {1}, pages = {140-149}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.04.005}, pmid = {22658332}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Body Height ; *Child Development ; Child, Preschool ; Europe ; Female ; Fossils ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; *Models, Biological ; Neanderthals/*growth &amp; development ; Siberia ; }, abstract = {Studying the emergence of distinctive human growth patterns is essential to understanding the evolution of our species. The large number of Neandertal fossils makes this species the best candidate for a comparative study of growth patterns in archaic and modern humans. Here, Neandertal height growth during infancy and early childhood is described using a mathematical model. Height growth velocities for individuals five years old or younger are modelled as age functions based on different estimates of height and age for a set of ten Neandertal infants and children. The estimated heights of each Neandertal individual are compared with those of two modern human populations based on longitudinal and cross-sectional data. The model highlights differences in growth velocity during infancy (from the age of five months onward). We find that statural growth in Neandertal infants is much slower than that seen in modern humans, Neandertal growth is similar to modern humans at birth, but decreases around the third or fourth month. The markedly slower growth rates of Neandertal infants may be attributable to ontogenetic constraints or to metabolic stress, and contribute to short achieved adult stature relative to modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid22658331, year = {2012}, author = {Weaver, TD}, title = {Did a discrete event 200,000-100,000 years ago produce modern humans?.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {63}, number = {1}, pages = {121-126}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.04.003}, pmid = {22658331}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Fossils ; *Genetic Speciation ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; Humans ; *Models, Genetic ; Population Dynamics ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Scenarios for modern human origins are often predicated on the assumption that modern humans arose 200,000-100,000 years ago in Africa. This assumption implies that something 'special' happened at this point in time in Africa, such as the speciation that produced Homo sapiens, a severe bottleneck in human population size, or a combination of the two. The common thread is that after the divergence of the modern human and Neandertal evolutionary lineages ∼400,000 years ago, there was another discrete event near in time to the Middle-Late Pleistocene boundary that produced modern humans. Alternatively, modern human origins could have been a lengthy process that lasted from the divergence of the modern human and Neandertal evolutionary lineages to the expansion of modern humans out of Africa, and nothing out of the ordinary happened 200,000-100,000 years ago in Africa. Three pieces of biological (fossil morphology and DNA sequences) evidence are typically cited in support of discrete event models. First, living human mitochondrial DNA haplotypes coalesce ∼200,000 years ago. Second, fossil specimens that are usually classified as 'anatomically modern' seem to appear shortly afterward in the African fossil record. Third, it is argued that these anatomically modern fossils are morphologically quite different from the fossils that preceded them. Here I use theory from population and quantitative genetics to show that lengthy process models are also consistent with current biological evidence. That this class of models is a viable option has implications for how modern human origins is conceptualized.}, }
@article {pmid22610966, year = {2012}, author = {Willman, JC and Maki, J and Bayle, P and Trinkaus, E and Zilhão, J}, title = {Middle Paleolithic human remains from the Gruta Da Oliveira (Torres Novas), Portugal.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {149}, number = {1}, pages = {39-51}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22091}, pmid = {22610966}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Portugal ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Additional Middle Paleolithic human remains from layers 17, 18, and 22 of the Gruta da Oliveira, Portugal consist of a proximal manual phalanx 2 (Oliveira 5), a partial postcanine tooth (Oliveira 6), a humeral diaphysis (Oliveira 7), a distal mandibular molar (Oliveira 8), and a mandibular premolar (P(3)) (Oliveira 9). Oliveira 5, 6, and 8 are unremarkable for Late Pleistocene humans. The Oliveira 7 right humerus is moderately robust or the individual had the stocky body proportions of other European (including Iberian) Neandertals. The Oliveira 9 P(3) has a large and symmetrical crown and lacks a distal accessory ridge and accessory lingual cusps, overlapping both Neandertal and recent human ranges of variation. It contrasts with at least recent human P(3) s in having relatively thin enamel. These join the Oliveira 1 to 4 remains in further documenting early MIS 3 Neandertal morphology in western Iberia.}, }
@article {pmid22513287, year = {2012}, author = {Yang, MA and Malaspinas, AS and Durand, EY and Slatkin, M}, title = {Ancient structure in Africa unlikely to explain Neanderthal and non-African genetic similarity.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {29}, number = {10}, pages = {2987-2995}, pmid = {22513287}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 HG000047/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Black People/genetics ; Demography ; Gene Pool ; *Genetic Variation ; Genomics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals have been shown to share more genetic variants with present-day non-Africans than Africans. Recent admixture between Neanderthals and modern humans outside of Africa was proposed as the most parsimonious explanation for this observation. However, the hypothesis of ancient population structure within Africa could not be ruled out as an alternative explanation. We use simulations to test whether the site frequency spectrum, conditioned on a derived Neanderthal and an ancestral Yoruba (African) nucleotide (the doubly conditioned site frequency spectrum [dcfs]), can distinguish between models that assume recent admixture or ancient population structure. We compare the simulations to the dcfs calculated from data taken from populations of European, Chinese, and Japanese descent in the Complete Genomics Diversity Panel. Simulations under a variety of plausible demographic parameters were used to examine the shape of the dcfs for both models. The observed shape of the dcfs cannot be explained by any set of parameter values used in the simulations of the ancient structure model. The dcfs simulations for the recent admixture model provide a good fit to the observed dcfs for non-Africans, thereby supporting the hypothesis that recent admixture with Neanderthals accounts for the greater similarity of Neanderthals to non-Africans than Africans.}, }
@article {pmid22440746, year = {2012}, author = {Arsuaga, JL and Fernández Peris, J and Gracia-Téllez, A and Quam, R and Carretero, JM and Barciela González, V and Blasco, R and Cuartero, F and Sañudo, P}, title = {Fossil human remains from Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {62}, number = {5}, pages = {629-639}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.02.002}, pmid = {22440746}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Systematic excavations carried out since 1989 at Bolomor Cave have led to the recovery of four Pleistocene human fossil remains, consisting of a fibular fragment, two isolated teeth, and a nearly complete adult parietal bone. All of these specimens date to the late Middle and early Late Pleistocene (MIS 7-5e). The fibular fragment shows thick cortical bone, an archaic feature found in non-modern (i.e. non-Homo sapiens) members of the genus Homo. Among the dental remains, the lack of a midtrigonid crest in the M(1) represents a departure from the morphology reported for the majority of Neandertal specimens, while the large dimensions and pronounced shoveling of the marginal ridges in the C(1) are similar to other European Middle and late Pleistocene fossils. The parietal bone is very thick, with dimensions that generally fall above Neandertal fossils and resemble more closely the Middle Pleistocene Atapuerca (SH) adult specimens. Based on the presence of archaic features, all the fossils from Bolomor are attributed to the Neandertal evolutionary lineage.}, }
@article {pmid22412940, year = {2012}, author = {Burbano, HA and Green, RE and Maricic, T and Lalueza-Fox, C and de la Rasilla, M and Rosas, A and Kelso, J and Pollard, KS and Lachmann, M and Pääbo, S}, title = {Analysis of human accelerated DNA regions using archaic hominin genomes.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {7}, number = {3}, pages = {e32877}, pmid = {22412940}, issn = {1932-6203}, support = {R01 GM082901/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; GM082901/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological/genetics ; Animals ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA/chemistry ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Genome ; *Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Neanderthals/genetics ; }, abstract = {Several previous comparisons of the human genome with other primate and vertebrate genomes identified genomic regions that are highly conserved in vertebrate evolution but fast-evolving on the human lineage. These human accelerated regions (HARs) may be regions of past adaptive evolution in humans. Alternatively, they may be the result of non-adaptive processes, such as biased gene conversion. We captured and sequenced DNA from a collection of previously published HARs using DNA from an Iberian Neandertal. Combining these new data with shotgun sequence from the Neandertal and Denisova draft genomes, we determine at least one archaic hominin allele for 84% of all positions within HARs. We find that 8% of HAR substitutions are not observed in the archaic hominins and are thus recent in the sense that the derived allele had not come to fixation in the common ancestor of modern humans and archaic hominins. Further, we find that recent substitutions in HARs tend to have come to fixation faster than substitutions elsewhere in the genome and that substitutions in HARs tend to cluster in time, consistent with an episodic rather than a clock-like process underlying HAR evolution. Our catalog of sequence changes in HARs will help prioritize them for functional studies of genomic elements potentially responsible for modern human adaptations.}, }
@article {pmid22411106, year = {2012}, author = {Cerqueira, CC and Paixão-Côrtes, VR and Zambra, FM and Salzano, FM and Hünemeier, T and Bortolini, MC}, title = {Predicting Homo pigmentation phenotype through genomic data: from Neanderthal to James Watson.}, journal = {American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council}, volume = {24}, number = {5}, pages = {705-709}, doi = {10.1002/ajhb.22263}, pmid = {22411106}, issn = {1520-6300}, mesh = {Animals ; *Eye Color ; Female ; Genetic Markers ; *Hair Color ; Humans ; Male ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Phenotype ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; *Skin Pigmentation ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Human pigmentation is regulated by several genes acting at different stages of melanin formation. Functional and association studies have elucidated the role of several of these genes in pigmentation phenotypes. Forensic and evolutionary studies can benefit from this knowledge.<br><br>OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the reliability of the prediction of pigmentation phenotypes using a large database of genetic markers in individuals with known phenotypes; and from this try to predict the pigmentation phenotype of prehistoric Homo specimens and of contemporary individuals whose visible phenotypes are not known.<br><br>METHODS: We compared predicted and observed phenotypic data through an analysis of 124 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 33 genic and seven intergenic regions of 30 subjects, five of them prehistoric, whose complete nuclear genomes are available in UCSC and PSU UCSC public databases.<br><br>RESULTS: For the molecular predicted versus observed phenotypes, the percentage of agreement was as follows: freckles: 91; skin: 64; hair: 44; eyes: 36; total: 59; while the molecular predicted versus probable (no visible observation available; inferences based on ethnic population characteristics) it was, respectively, 83, 60, 42, 67, and 63. The difference between two sets is statistically nonsignificant (P = 0.75).<br><br>CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first article to examine the effect of a large number of genetics markers for phenotype prediction. The approach could be useful for forensic applications, as well as for the determination of possible phenotypes of extinct prehistoric individuals.}, }
@article {pmid22382084, year = {2012}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Franciscus, RG and Couture-Veschambre, C and Maureille, B and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {The mesosternum of the Regourdou 1 Neandertal revisited.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {62}, number = {4}, pages = {511-519}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.01.004}, pmid = {22382084}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Anthropometry ; Biological Evolution ; Female ; *Fossils ; France ; Humans ; Israel ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Regression Analysis ; Sternum/*anatomy &amp; histology ; United States ; }, abstract = {Fossil hominin mesosterna, while scarce, can provide useful morphological data in addition to rib remains regarding aspects of thoracic size and shape. These data, in turn, can address hypotheses related to respiratory dynamics, climatic adaptation, and ecogeographical patterning. In this study, we re-evaluate the anatomical representation of the mesosternum of the Regourdou 1 Neandertal individual that alters key aspects of the original description of the fossil remains. We compare this specimen together with the mesosterna of the Kebara 2 Neandertal male individual and the Tabun C1 Neandertal female individual to a large extant modern sample. Our study shows that the current evidence available for Neandertals indicates longer mesosterna, reflecting larger thorax sizes among Neandertals, in comparison with extant humans. Additionally, while this study weakens previous suggestions of ecogeographically mediated differences in the size and shape of upper thorax between Neandertals from the Mediterranean Levant and those deriving from Western Europe, we cannot unambiguously disprove the notion of such clinal differences.}, }
@article {pmid22362080, year = {2012}, author = {Dalén, L and Orlando, L and Shapiro, B and Brandström-Durling, M and Quam, R and Gilbert, MT and Díez Fernández-Lomana, JC and Willerslev, E and Arsuaga, JL and Götherström, A}, title = {Partial genetic turnover in neandertals: continuity in the East and population replacement in the West.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {29}, number = {8}, pages = {1893-1897}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/mss074}, pmid = {22362080}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Animals ; Genetic Variation ; Geography ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; Nucleotides/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Population Dynamics ; }, abstract = {Remarkably little is known about the population-level processes leading up to the extinction of the neandertal. To examine this, we use mitochondrial DNA sequences from 13 neandertal individuals, including a novel sequence from northern Spain, to examine neandertal demographic history. Our analyses indicate that recent western European neandertals (<48 kyr) constitute a tightly defined group with low mitochondrial genetic variation in comparison with both eastern and older (>48 kyr) European neandertals. Using control region sequences, Bayesian demographic simulations provide higher support for a model of population fragmentation followed by separate demographic trajectories in subpopulations over a null model of a single stable population. The most parsimonious explanation for these results is that of a population turnover in western Europe during early Marine Isotope Stage 3, predating the arrival of anatomically modern humans in the region.}, }
@article {pmid22341317, year = {2012}, author = {Clement, AF and Hillson, SW and Aiello, LC}, title = {Tooth wear, Neanderthal facial morphology and the anterior dental loading hypothesis.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {62}, number = {3}, pages = {367-376}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.11.014}, pmid = {22341317}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Age Factors ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Diet ; Face/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Tooth Wear ; }, abstract = {The Anterior Dental Loading Hypothesis states that the unique Neanderthal facial and dental anatomy was an adaptive response to the regular application of heavy forces resulting from both the masticatory and cultural use of the anterior teeth. Heavy anterior tooth wear frequently observed in Neanderthal specimens is cited as a main source of evidence for heavy forces being applied to these teeth. From this, it might be predicted that the wear shown on the anterior teeth of Neanderthals would greatly exceed that of the posterior teeth and that this differential would be greater than in other hominins with different facial morphologies. In this paper, a new method of examining tooth wear patterns is used to test these predictions in a large assemblage of Late Pleistocene hominins and a group of recent hunter-gatherers from Igloolik, Canada. The results show that all Late Pleistocene hominins, including Neanderthals, had heavily worn anterior teeth relative to their posterior teeth but, contrary to expectations, this was more pronounced in the modern humans than in the Neanderthals. The Igloolik Inuit showed heavier anterior tooth wear relative to their posterior teeth than any Late Pleistocene hominins. There was, however, a characteristic Neanderthal pattern in which wear was more evenly spread between anterior teeth than in modern humans. Overall, the evidence presented here suggests that all Late Pleistocene hominins habitually applied heavy forces between their anterior teeth and that Neanderthals were not exceptional in this regard. These results therefore does not support the Anterior Dental Loading Hypothesis.}, }
@article {pmid22328492, year = {2012}, author = {Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Carretero, JM and García-González, R and Rodríguez-García, L and Martinón-Torres, M and Rosell, J and Blasco, R and Martín-Francés, L and Modesto, M and Carbonell, E}, title = {Early Pleistocene human humeri from the Gran Dolina-TD6 site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {147}, number = {4}, pages = {604-617}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.22020}, pmid = {22328492}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adult ; Age Determination by Skeleton ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Humerus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Infant ; Linear Models ; Male ; Phylogeny ; Spain ; }, abstract = {In this report, we present a morphometric comparative study of two Early Pleistocene humeri recovered from the TD6 level of the Gran Dolina cave site in Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Spain. ATD6-121 belongs to a child between 4 and 6 years old, whereas ATD6-148 corresponds to an adult. ATD6-148 exhibits the typical pattern of the genus Homo, but it also shows a large olecranon fossa and very thin medial and lateral pillars (also present in ATD6-121), sharing these features with European Middle Pleistocene hominins, Neandertals, and the Bodo Middle Pleistocene humerus. The morphology of the distal epiphysis, together with a few dental traits, suggests a phylogenetic relationship between the TD6 hominins and the Neandertal lineage. Given the older geochronological age of these hominins (ca. 900 ka), which is far from the age estimated by palaeogenetic studies for the population divergence of modern humans and Neandertals (ca. 400 ka), we suggest that this suite of derived "Neandertal" features appeared early in the evolution of the genus Homo. Thus, these features are not "Neandertal" apomorphies but traits which appeared in an ancestral and polymorphic population during the Early Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid22319171, year = {2012}, author = {Lopez-Valenzuela, M and Ramírez, O and Rosas, A and García-Vargas, S and de la Rasilla, M and Lalueza-Fox, C and Espinosa-Parrilla, Y}, title = {An ancestral miR-1304 allele present in Neanderthals regulates genes involved in enamel formation and could explain dental differences with modern humans.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {29}, number = {7}, pages = {1797-1806}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/mss023}, pmid = {22319171}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {3' Untranslated Regions ; Alleles ; Animals ; Dental Enamel/*metabolism ; Dental Enamel Proteins/genetics ; Gorilla gorilla/genetics ; Humans ; Macaca mulatta/genetics ; MicroRNAs/*genetics/metabolism ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid ; }, abstract = {Genetic changes in regulatory elements are likely to result in phenotypic effects that might explain population-specific as well as species-specific traits. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are posttranscriptional repressors involved in the control of almost every biological process. These small noncoding RNAs are present in various phylogenetic groups, and a large number of them remain highly conserved at the sequence level. MicroRNA-mediated regulation depends on perfect matching between the seven nucleotides of its seed region and the target sequence usually located at the 3' untranslated region of the regulated gene. Hence, even single changes in seed regions are predicted to be deleterious as they may affect miRNA target specificity. In accordance to this, purifying selection has strongly acted on these regions. Comparison between the genomes of present-day humans from various populations, Neanderthal, and other nonhuman primates showed an miRNA, miR-1304, that carries a polymorphism on its seed region. The ancestral allele is found in Neanderthal, nonhuman primates, at low frequency (~5%) in modern Asian populations and rarely in Africans. Using miRNA target site prediction algorithms, we found that the derived allele increases the number of putative target genes for the derived miRNA more than ten-fold, indicating an important functional evolution for miR-1304. Analysis of the predicted targets for derived miR-1304 indicates an association with behavior and nervous system development and function. Two of the predicted target genes for the ancestral miR-1304 allele are important genes for teeth formation, enamelin, and amelotin. MicroRNA overexpression experiments using a luciferase-based assay showed that the ancestral version of miR-1304 reduces the enamelin- and amelotin-associated reporter gene expression by 50%, whereas the derived miR-1304 does not have any effect. Deletion of the corresponding target sites for miR-1304 in these dental genes avoided their repression, which further supports their regulation by the ancestral miR-1304. Morphological studies described several differences in the dentition of Neanderthals and present-day humans like slower dentition timing and thicker enamel for present-day humans. The observed miR-1304-mediated regulation of enamelin and amelotin could at least partially underlie these differences between the two Homo species as well as other still-unraveled phenotypic differences among modern human populations.}, }
@article {pmid22300767, year = {2012}, author = {Liu, X and Somel, M and Tang, L and Yan, Z and Jiang, X and Guo, S and Yuan, Y and He, L and Oleksiak, A and Zhang, Y and Li, N and Hu, Y and Chen, W and Qiu, Z and Pääbo, S and Khaitovich, P}, title = {Extension of cortical synaptic development distinguishes humans from chimpanzees and macaques.}, journal = {Genome research}, volume = {22}, number = {4}, pages = {611-622}, pmid = {22300767}, issn = {1549-5469}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Cerebellum/growth &amp; development/*metabolism ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Macaca mulatta ; Middle Aged ; Neuromuscular Junction/*genetics/growth &amp; development ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis/methods ; Pan troglodytes ; Prefrontal Cortex/growth &amp; development/*metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, RNA/methods ; Species Specificity ; Synapses/genetics ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Over the course of ontogenesis, the human brain and human cognitive abilities develop in parallel, resulting in a phenotype strikingly distinct from that of other primates. Here, we used microarrays and RNA-sequencing to examine human-specific gene expression changes taking place during postnatal brain development in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum of humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques. We show that the most prominent human-specific expression change affects genes associated with synaptic functions and represents an extreme shift in the timing of synaptic development in the prefrontal cortex, but not the cerebellum. Consequently, peak expression of synaptic genes in the prefrontal cortex is shifted from <1 yr in chimpanzees and macaques to 5 yr in humans. This result was supported by protein expression profiles of synaptic density markers and by direct observation of synaptic density by electron microscopy. Mechanistically, the human-specific change in timing of synaptic development involves the MEF2A-mediated activity-dependent regulatory pathway. Evolutionarily, this change may have taken place after the split of the human and the Neanderthal lineages.}, }
@article {pmid22221766, year = {2012}, author = {Gunz, P and Neubauer, S and Golovanova, L and Doronichev, V and Maureille, B and Hublin, JJ}, title = {A uniquely modern human pattern of endocranial development. Insights from a new cranial reconstruction of the Neandertal newborn from Mezmaiskaya.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {62}, number = {2}, pages = {300-313}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.11.013}, pmid = {22221766}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; Brain/growth &amp; development ; Computer Simulation ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Infant ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; Pan troglodytes/anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Principal Component Analysis ; Russia ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {The globular braincase of modern humans is distinct from all fossil human species, including our closest extinct relatives, the Neandertals. Such adult shape differences must ultimately be rooted in different developmental patterns, but it is unclear at which point during ontogeny these group characteristics emerge. Here we compared internal shape changes of the braincase from birth to adulthood in Neandertals (N = 10), modern humans (N = 62), and chimpanzees (N = 62). Incomplete fossil specimens, including the two Neandertal newborns from Le Moustier 2 and Mezmaiskaya, were reconstructed using reference-based estimation methods. We used 3D geometric morphometrics to statistically compare shapes of virtual endocasts extracted from computed-tomographic scans. Throughout the analysis, we kept track of possible uncertainties due to the missing data values and small fossil sample sizes. We find that some aspects of endocranial development are shared by the three species. However, in the first year of life, modern humans depart from this presumably ancestral pattern of development. Newborn Neandertals and newborn modern humans have elongated braincases, and similar endocranial volumes. During a 'globularization-phase' modern human endocasts change to the globular shape that is characteristic for Homo sapiens. This phase of early development is unique to modern humans, and absent from chimpanzees and Neandertals. Our results support the notion that Neandertals and modern humans reach comparable adult brain sizes via different developmental pathways. The differences between these two human groups are most prominent directly after birth, a critical phase for cognitive development.}, }
@article {pmid22197062, year = {2012}, author = {Di Vincenzo, F and Churchill, SE and Manzi, G}, title = {The Vindija Neanderthal scapular glenoid fossa: comparative shape analysis suggests evo-devo changes among Neanderthals.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {62}, number = {2}, pages = {274-285}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.11.010}, pmid = {22197062}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; Cluster Analysis ; Discriminant Analysis ; Europe ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Scapula/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Although the shape of the scapular glenoid fossa (SGF) may be influenced by epigenetic and developmental factors, there appears to be strong genetic control over its overall form, such that variation within and between hominin taxa in SGF shape may contain information about their evolutionary histories. Here we present the results of a geometric morphometric study of the SGF of the Neanderthal Vi-209 from Vindjia Cave (Croatia), relative to samples of Plio-Pleistocene, later Pleistocene, and recent hominins. Variation in overall SGF shape follows a chronological trend from the plesiomorphic condition seen in Australopithecus to modern humans, with pre-modern species of the genus Homo exhibiting intermediate morphologies. Change in body size across this temporal series is not linearly directional, which argues against static allometry as an explanation. However, life history and developmental rates change directionally across the series, suggesting an ontogenetic effect on the observed changes in shape (ontogenetic allometry). Within this framework, the morphospace occupied by the Neanderthals exhibits a discontinuous distribution. The Vindija SGF and those of the later Near Eastern Neanderthals (Kebara and Shanidar) approach the modern condition and are somewhat segregated from both northwestern European (Neandertal and La Ferrassie) and early Mediterranean Neanderthals (Krapina and Tabun). Although more than one scenario may account for the pattern seen in the Neanderthals, the data is consistent with palaeogenetic evidence suggesting low levels of gene flow between Neanderthals and modern humans in the Near East after ca. 120-100 ka (thousands of years ago) (with subsequent introgression of modern human alleles into eastern and central Europe). Thus, in keeping with previous analyses that document some modern human features in the Vindija Neanderthals, the Vindija G(3) sample should not be seen as representative of 'classic'--that is, unadmixed, pre-contact--Neanderthal morphology.}, }
@article {pmid22196156, year = {2012}, author = {Carretero, JM and Rodríguez, L and García-González, R and Arsuaga, JL and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Lorenzo, C and Bonmatí, A and Gracia, A and Martínez, I and Quam, R}, title = {Stature estimation from complete long bones in the Middle Pleistocene humans from the Sima de los Huesos, Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {62}, number = {2}, pages = {242-255}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.11.004}, pmid = {22196156}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Arm Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Body Height ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Leg Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Systematic excavations at the site of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) have allowed us to reconstruct 27 complete long bones of the human species Homo heidelbergensis. The SH sample is used here, together with a sample of 39 complete Homo neanderthalensis long bones and 17 complete early Homo sapiens (Skhul/Qafzeh) long bones, to compare the stature of these three different human species. Stature is estimated for each bone using race- and sex-independent regression formulae, yielding an average stature for each bone within each taxon. The mean length of each long bone from SH is significantly greater (p < 0.05) than the corresponding mean values in the Neandertal sample. The stature has been calculated for male and female specimens separately, averaging both means to calculate a general mean. This general mean stature for the entire sample of long bones is 163.6 cm for the SH hominins, 160.6 cm for Neandertals and 177.4 cm for early modern humans. Despite some overlap in the ranges of variation, all mean values in the SH sample (whether considering isolated bones, the upper or lower limb, males or females or more complete individuals) are larger than those of Neandertals. Given the strong relationship between long bone length and stature, we conclude that SH hominins represent a slightly taller population or species than the Neandertals. However, compared with living European Mediterranean populations, neither the Sima de los Huesos hominins nor the Neandertals should be considered 'short' people. In fact, the average stature within the genus Homo seems to have changed little over the course of the last two million years, since the appearance of Homo ergaster in East Africa. It is only with the emergence of H. sapiens, whose earliest representatives were 'very tall', that a significant increase in stature can be documented.}, }
@article {pmid22192823, year = {2011}, author = {Lalueza-Fox, C and Gilbert, MT}, title = {Paleogenomics of archaic hominins.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {21}, number = {24}, pages = {R1002-9}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2011.11.021}, pmid = {22192823}, issn = {1879-0445}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Cell Nucleus/genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Demography ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Fossils ; Gene Flow ; Genetic Variation ; Genome, Human ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics/physiology ; Humans/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics/physiology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics/physiology ; Phylogeny ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {In order to understand the genetic basis for the evolutionary success of modern humans, it is necessary to compare their genetic makeup to that of closely related species. Unfortunately, our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees, are evolutionarily quite distant. With the advent of ancient DNA study and more recently paleogenomics - the study of the genomes of ancient organisms - it has become possible to compare human genomes to those of much more closely related groups. Our closest known relatives are the Neanderthals, which evolved and lived in Europe and Western Asia, from about 600,000 years ago until their disappearance around 30,000 years ago following the expansion of anatomically modern humans into their range. The closely related Denisovans are only known by virtue of their DNA, which has been extracted from bone fragments dating around 30,000 to 50,000 years ago found in a single Siberian cave. Analyses of Neanderthal and Denisovan nuclear and mitochondrial genomes have revealed surprising insights into these archaic humans as well as our own species. The genomes provide a preliminary catalogue of derived amino acids that are specific to all extant modern humans, thus offering insights into the functional differences between the three lineages. In addition, the genomes provide evidence of gene flow between the three lineages after anatomically modern humans left Africa, drastically changing our view of human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid22176924, year = {2012}, author = {Freidline, SE and Gunz, P and Janković, I and Harvati, K and Hublin, JJ}, title = {A comprehensive morphometric analysis of the frontal and zygomatic bone of the Zuttiyeh fossil from Israel.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {62}, number = {2}, pages = {225-241}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.11.005}, pmid = {22176924}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Discriminant Analysis ; Female ; *Fossils ; Frontal Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Israel ; Male ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Zygoma/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The Zuttiyeh hominin craniofacial fossil was discovered in Israel in 1925. Radiometric dates and the archaeological context (Acheulo-Yabrudian) bracket the associated cave layers to between 200 and 500 ka (thousands of years ago), making it one of the earliest cranial fossils discovered in the Near East thus far. Its geographic position, at the corridor between Africa and Eurasia, in combination with its probable Middle Pleistocene date make it a crucial specimen for interpreting later human evolution. Since its discovery, qualitative descriptive and traditional morphometric methods have variously suggested affinities to Homo erectus (Zhoukoudian), Homo neanderthalensis (Tabun), and early Homo sapiens (Skhul and Qafzeh). To better determine the taxonomic affinities of the Zuttiyeh fossil, this study uses 3D semilandmark geometric morphometric techniques and multivariate statistical analyses to quantify the frontal and zygomatic region and compare it with other Middle to Late Pleistocene African and Eurasian hominins. Our results show that the frontal and zygomatic morphology of Zuttiyeh is most similar to Shanidar 5, a Near East Neanderthal, Arago 21, a European Middle Pleistocene hominin, and Skhul 5, an early H. sapiens. The shape differences between archaic hominins (i.e., Homo heidelbergensis and H. neanderthalensis) in this anatomical region are very subtle. We conclude that Zuttiyeh exhibits a generalized frontal and zygomatic morphology, possibly indicative of the population that gave rise to modern humans and Neanderthals. However, given that it most likely postdates the split between these two lineages, Zuttiyeh might also be an early representative of the Neanderthal lineage. Neanderthals largely retained this generalized overall morphology, whereas recent modern humans depart from this presumably ancestral morphology.}, }
@article {pmid22118969, year = {2012}, author = {Martinón-Torres, M and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Gómez-Robles, A and Prado-Simón, L and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Morphological description and comparison of the dental remains from Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos site (Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {62}, number = {1}, pages = {7-58}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.08.007}, pmid = {22118969}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Female ; Fossils ; Male ; Models, Biological ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; Spain ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The systematic excavation of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) site in Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) has yielded the largest hominin collection worldwide for the Middle Pleistocene. The dental sample now consists of more than 500 teeth that provide exceptional opportunities to define the dental morphological pattern of a Middle Pleistocene population as well as develop hypotheses about the origins of the Neanderthals. The dental collection has now increased to over 533 specimens (525 permanent and 8 deciduous teeth), necessitating new morphological assessments. Thus, we present a detailed morphological description of the SH permanent dentition recovered up to 2007, accomplishing comparisons with European Middle Pleistocene hominins, Neanderthals, and early and contemporary Homo sapiens. We find that SH dentitions present all the morphological traits that, either in their degree of expression, frequency, or particular combination, are usually considered as typical of Homo neanderthalensis. This study ratifies the deep roots of the Neanderthal lineage in the Middle Pleistocene of Europe. In addition, SH teeth are morphologically "more Neanderthal" than other penecontemporaneous Middle Pleistocene samples such as Mauer or Arago, and even more derived than some classic Neanderthal samples. Thus, our study would not sustain the linearity of the accretion process hypothesized for the origins of the Neanderthals, and we suggest that other evolutionary models and scenarios should be explored for the Middle and Upper Pleistocene of Europe. We propose that more than one hominin lineage may have coexisted during the Middle Pleistocene in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid22115545, year = {2012}, author = {Hallin, KA and Schoeninger, MJ and Schwarcz, HP}, title = {Paleoclimate during Neandertal and anatomically modern human occupation at Amud and Qafzeh, Israel: the stable isotope data.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {62}, number = {1}, pages = {59-73}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.09.005}, pmid = {22115545}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Antelopes ; Carbon/*chemistry ; Carbon Isotopes ; Caves ; *Climate ; Dental Enamel/*chemistry ; *Ecosystem ; Fossils ; Goats ; Humans ; Israel ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; Oxygen/*chemistry ; Oxygen Isotopes ; Water ; }, abstract = {The δ(13)C(en) and δ(18)O(en) values of goat and gazelle enamel carbonate indicate that Neandertals at Amud Cave, Israel (53-70 ka) lived under different ecological conditions than did anatomically modern humans at Qafzeh Cave, Israel (approximately 92 ka). During the Last Glacial Period, Neandertals at Amud Cave lived under wetter conditions than those in the region today. Neither faunal species ate arid-adapted C(4) plants or drought-stressed C(3) plants. The variation in gazelle δ(18)O(en) values suggests multiple birth seasons, which today occur under wetter than normal conditions. The magnitude and pattern of intra-tooth variation in goat δ(18)O(en) values indicate that rain fell throughout the year unlike today. Anatomically modern humans encountered a Qafzeh Cave region that was more open and arid than Glacial Period Amud Cave, and more open than today's Upper Galilee region. Goat δ(13)C(en) values indicate feeding on varying amounts of C(4) plants throughout the year. The climate apparently ameliorated higher in the sequence; but habitats remained more open than at Amud Cave. Both gazelles and goats fed on C(3) plants in brushy habitats without any inclusion of C(4) plants. The magnitude of intra-tooth variation in goat δ(18)O(en) values, however, suggest that some rain fell throughout the year, and the relative representation of woodland dwelling species indicates the occurrence of woodlands in the region. Climate differences affecting the distribution of plants and animals appear to be the significant factor contributing to behavioral differences previously documented between Neandertals and anatomically modern humans in the region. Climate forcing probably affected the early appearances of anatomically modern humans, although not the disappearance of Neandertals from the Levant.}, }
@article {pmid22106429, year = {2012}, author = {Barney, A and Martelli, S and Serrurier, A and Steele, J}, title = {Articulatory capacity of Neanderthals, a very recent and human-like fossil hominin.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {367}, number = {1585}, pages = {88-102}, pmid = {22106429}, issn = {1471-2970}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Computer Simulation ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone/diagnostic imaging ; Language ; Larynx/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Regression Analysis ; Selection, Genetic ; Skull/diagnostic imaging ; Speech ; *Speech Acoustics ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {Scientists seek to use fossil and archaeological evidence to constrain models of the coevolution of human language and tool use. We focus on Neanderthals, for whom indirect evidence from tool use and ancient DNA appears consistent with an adaptation to complex vocal-auditory communication. We summarize existing arguments that the articulatory apparatus for speech had not yet come under intense positive selection pressure in Neanderthals, and we outline some recent evidence and analyses that challenge such arguments. We then provide new anatomical results from our own attempt to reconstruct vocal tract (VT) morphology in Neanderthals, and document our simulations of the acoustic and articulatory potential of this reconstructed Neanderthal VT. Our purpose in this paper is not to polarize debate about whether or not Neanderthals were human-like in all relevant respects, but to contribute to the development of methods that can be used to make further incremental advances in our understanding of the evolution of speech based on fossil and archaeological evidence.}, }
@article {pmid22102995, year = {2011}, author = {Higgins, RW and Ruff, CB}, title = {The effects of distal limb segment shortening on locomotor efficiency in sloped terrain: implications for Neandertal locomotor behavior.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {146}, number = {3}, pages = {336-345}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21575}, pmid = {22102995}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropometry ; Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology ; Black People ; *Environment ; Femur ; Fossils ; Gait ; Humans ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Locomotion/*physiology ; Lower Extremity/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Models, Biological ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Ruminants ; Temperature ; Tibia ; White People ; }, abstract = {Past studies of human locomotor efficiency focused on movement over flat surfaces and concluded that Neandertals were less efficient than modern humans due to a truncated limb morphology, which may have developed to aid thermoregulation in cold climates. However, it is not clear whether this potential locomotor disadvantage would also exist in nonflat terrain. This issue takes on added importance since Neandertals likely spent a significant proportion of their locomotor schedule on sloped, mountainous terrains in the Eurasian landscape. Here a model is developed that determines the relationship between lower limb segment lengths, terrain slope, excursion angle at the hip, and step length. The model is applied to Neandertal and modern human lower limb reconstructions. In addition, for a further independent test that also allows more climateterrain cross comparisons, the same model is applied to bovids living in different terrains and climates. Results indicate that: (1) Neandertals, despite exhibiting shorter lower limbs, would have been able to use similar stride frequencies per speed as longer-limbed modern humans on sloped terrain, due to their lower crural indices; and (2) shortened distal limb segments are characteristic of bovids that inhabit more rugged terrains, regardless of climate. These results suggest that the shortened distal lower limb segments of Neandertals were not a locomotor disadvantage within more rugged environments.}, }
@article {pmid22099691, year = {2011}, author = {Wills, C}, title = {Genetic and phenotypic consequences of introgression between humans and Neanderthals.}, journal = {Advances in genetics}, volume = {76}, number = {}, pages = {27-54}, doi = {10.1016/B978-0-12-386481-9.00002-X}, pmid = {22099691}, issn = {0065-2660}, mesh = {Animals ; *Consanguinity ; DNA/genetics ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phenotype ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Strong evidence for introgression of Neanderthal genes into parts of the modern human gene pool has recently emerged. The evidence indicates that some populations of modern humans have received infusions of genes from two different groups of Neanderthals. One of these Neanderthal groups lived in the Middle East and Central Europe and the other group (the Denisovans) is known to have lived in Central Asia and was probably more widespread. This review examines two questions. First, how were these introgressions detected and what does the genetic evidence tell us about their nature and extent? We will see that an unknown but possibly large fraction of the entire Neanderthal gene complement may have survived in modern humans. Even though each modern European and Asian carries only a few percent of genes that can be traced back to Neanderthals, different individuals carry different subgroups of these introgressed genes. Second, what is the likelihood that this Neanderthal genetic legacy has had phenotypic effects on modern humans? We examine evidence for and against the possibility that some of the surviving fragments of Neanderthal genomes have been preserved by natural selection, and we explore the ways in which more evidence bearing on this question will become available in the future.}, }
@article {pmid22082243, year = {2012}, author = {Schmid, P and Ravenell, KR and Sheldon, SL and Flegel, WA}, title = {DARC alleles and Duffy phenotypes in African Americans.}, journal = {Transfusion}, volume = {52}, number = {6}, pages = {1260-1267}, pmid = {22082243}, issn = {1537-2995}, support = {Z99 CL999999/ImNIH/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Black or African American/*genetics ; Alleles ; Animals ; Duffy Blood-Group System/*genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Phenotype ; Phylogeny ; Receptors, Cell Surface/*genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The DARC (Duffy blood group, chemokine receptor) gene encodes for a transmembrane glycoprotein that functions as a chemokine transporter, is a receptor for Plasmodium vivax and P. knowlesi, and expresses the Duffy blood group antigens (Fy). The Fy(a-b-) phenotype found in people of African descent is typically associated with a -67t>c mutation in the 5'-untranslated region (UTR), which prevents red blood cells being invaded by P. vivax and P. knowlesi. The aim of this study was to establish DARC allele frequencies in an African American blood donor cohort, determine a phylogenetic tree for DARC, and compare human and Neandertal DARC genes.<br><br>STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The DARC nucleotide sequence of 54 African American blood donors was determined from genomic DNA. Heterozygous substitutions were resolved by sequencing of haplotype-specific amplifications. A phylogenetic tree for DARC was established using the neighbor-joining method with Pan troglodytes as root.<br><br>RESULTS: A total of 108 haplotypes of the DARC gene could be unambiguously determined from nucleotide position -300 in the 5'&#x2003;UTR to +300 in the 3' UTR. Eleven different alleles were found, including the clinically relevant FY*A, FY*B, FY*B-67C, FY*B298A, and FY*X alleles. All phenotype predictions based on genotypes matched the serologically determined phenotypes exactly: 52% Fy(a-b-), 28% Fy(a-b+), and 20% Fy(a+b-).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The nucleotide sequencing approach using one amplicon is a practical genotyping method for DARC and allows the determination of haplotypes even in heterozygous constellations. We developed a phylogenetic tree for DARC alleles and postulated a distinct FY*B allele as ancestral for the extant DARC alleles in humans.}, }
@article {pmid22052243, year = {2012}, author = {Been, E and Gómez-Olivencia, A and Kramer, PA}, title = {Lumbar lordosis of extinct hominins.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {147}, number = {1}, pages = {64-77}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21633}, pmid = {22052243}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Anthropometry ; Biological Evolution ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Lemur ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Macaca ; Male ; Models, Biological ; Posture/*physiology ; Regression Analysis ; Saimiri ; }, abstract = {The lordotic curvature of the lumbar spine (lumbar lordosis) in humans is a critical component in the ability to achieve upright posture and bipedal gait. Only general estimates of the lordotic angle (LA) of extinct hominins are currently available, most of which are based on the wedging of the vertebral bodies. Recently, a new method for calculating the LA in skeletal material has become available. This method is based on the relationship between the lordotic curvature and the orientation of the inferior articular processes relative to vertebral bodies in the lumbar spines of living primates. Using this relationship, we developed new regression models in order to calculate the LAs in hominins. The new models are based on primate group-means and were used to calculate the LAs in the spines of eight extinct hominins. The results were also compared with the LAs of modern humans and modern nonhuman apes. The lordotic angles of australopithecines (41° ± 4), H. erectus (45°) and fossil H. sapiens (54° ± 14) are similar to those of modern humans (51° ± 11). This analysis confirms the assumption that human-like lordotic curvature was a morphological change that took place during the acquisition of erect posture and bipedalism as the habitual form of locomotion. Neandertals have smaller lordotic angles (LA = 29° ± 4) than modern humans, but higher angles than nonhuman apes (22° ± 3). This suggests possible subtle differences in Neandertal posture and locomotion from that of modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid22048314, year = {2011}, author = {Higham, T and Compton, T and Stringer, C and Jacobi, R and Shapiro, B and Trinkaus, E and Chandler, B and Gröning, F and Collins, C and Hillson, S and O'Higgins, P and FitzGerald, C and Fagan, M}, title = {The earliest evidence for anatomically modern humans in northwestern Europe.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {479}, number = {7374}, pages = {521-524}, pmid = {22048314}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; Caves ; Dentition ; Emigration and Immigration/*history ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Maxilla/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Radiometric Dating ; United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {The earliest anatomically modern humans in Europe are thought to have appeared around 43,000-42,000 calendar years before present (43-42 kyr cal BP), by association with Aurignacian sites and lithic assemblages assumed to have been made by modern humans rather than by Neanderthals. However, the actual physical evidence for modern humans is extremely rare, and direct dates reach no farther back than about 41-39 kyr cal BP, leaving a gap. Here we show, using stratigraphic, chronological and archaeological data, that a fragment of human maxilla from the Kent's Cavern site, UK, dates to the earlier period. The maxilla (KC4), which was excavated in 1927, was initially diagnosed as Upper Palaeolithic modern human. In 1989, it was directly radiocarbon dated by accelerator mass spectrometry to 36.4-34.7 kyr cal BP. Using a Bayesian analysis of new ultrafiltered bone collagen dates in an ordered stratigraphic sequence at the site, we show that this date is a considerable underestimate. Instead, KC4 dates to 44.2-41.5 kyr cal BP. This makes it older than any other equivalently dated modern human specimen and directly contemporary with the latest European Neanderthals, thus making its taxonomic attribution crucial. We also show that in 13 dental traits KC4 possesses modern human rather than Neanderthal characteristics; three other traits show Neanderthal affinities and a further seven are ambiguous. KC4 therefore represents the oldest known anatomically modern human fossil in northwestern Europe, fills a key gap between the earliest dated Aurignacian remains and the earliest human skeletal remains, and demonstrates the wide and rapid dispersal of early modern humans across Europe more than 40 kyr ago.}, }
@article {pmid22048311, year = {2011}, author = {Benazzi, S and Douka, K and Fornai, C and Bauer, CC and Kullmer, O and Svoboda, J and Pap, I and Mallegni, F and Bayle, P and Coquerelle, M and Condemi, S and Ronchitelli, A and Harvati, K and Weber, GW}, title = {Early dispersal of modern humans in Europe and implications for Neanderthal behaviour.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {479}, number = {7374}, pages = {525-528}, pmid = {22048311}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology ; Emigration and Immigration/*history ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Italy ; Molar/anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*physiology ; }, abstract = {The appearance of anatomically modern humans in Europe and the nature of the transition from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic are matters of intense debate. Most researchers accept that before the arrival of anatomically modern humans, Neanderthals had adopted several 'transitional' technocomplexes. Two of these, the Uluzzian of southern Europe and the Châtelperronian of western Europe, are key to current interpretations regarding the timing of arrival of anatomically modern humans in the region and their potential interaction with Neanderthal populations. They are also central to current debates regarding the cognitive abilities of Neanderthals and the reasons behind their extinction. However, the actual fossil evidence associated with these assemblages is scant and fragmentary, and recent work has questioned the attribution of the Châtelperronian to Neanderthals on the basis of taphonomic mixing and lithic analysis. Here we reanalyse the deciduous molars from the Grotta del Cavallo (southern Italy), associated with the Uluzzian and originally classified as Neanderthal. Using two independent morphometric methods based on microtomographic data, we show that the Cavallo specimens can be attributed to anatomically modern humans. The secure context of the teeth provides crucial evidence that the makers of the Uluzzian technocomplex were therefore not Neanderthals. In addition, new chronometric data for the Uluzzian layers of Grotta del Cavallo obtained from associated shell beads and included within a Bayesian age model show that the teeth must date to ~45,000-43,000 calendar years before present. The Cavallo human remains are therefore the oldest known European anatomically modern humans, confirming a rapid dispersal of modern humans across the continent before the Aurignacian and the disappearance of Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid22042846, year = {2011}, author = {Skoglund, P and Jakobsson, M}, title = {Archaic human ancestry in East Asia.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {108}, number = {45}, pages = {18301-18306}, pmid = {22042846}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Asia ; *Fossils ; Genetic Drift ; Genotype ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Principal Component Analysis ; }, abstract = {Recent studies of ancient genomes have suggested that gene flow from archaic hominin groups to the ancestors of modern humans occurred on two separate occasions during the modern human expansion out of Africa. At the same time, decreasing levels of human genetic diversity have been found at increasing distance from Africa as a consequence of human expansion out of Africa. We analyzed the signal of archaic ancestry in modern human populations, and we investigated how serial founder models of human expansion affect the signal of archaic ancestry using simulations. For descendants of an archaic admixture event, we show that genetic drift coupled with ascertainment bias for common alleles can cause artificial but largely predictable differences in similarity to archaic genomes. In genotype data from non-Africans, this effect results in a biased genetic similarity to Neandertals with increasing distance from Africa. However, in addition to the previously reported gene flow between Neandertals and non-Africans as well as gene flow between an archaic human population from Siberia ("Denisovans") and Oceanians, we found a significant affinity between East Asians, particularly Southeast Asians, and the Denisova genome--a pattern that is not expected under a model of solely Neandertal admixture in the ancestry of East Asians. These results suggest admixture between Denisovans or a Denisova-related population and the ancestors of East Asians, and that the history of anatomically modern and archaic humans might be more complex than previously proposed.}, }
@article {pmid22036090, year = {2012}, author = {Sherman, JA}, title = {Evolutionary origin of bipolar disorder-revised: EOBD-R.}, journal = {Medical hypotheses}, volume = {78}, number = {1}, pages = {113-122}, doi = {10.1016/j.mehy.2011.10.005}, pmid = {22036090}, issn = {1532-2777}, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological/*physiology ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Bipolar Disorder/epidemiology/*genetics/*physiopathology ; *Cold Temperature ; Female ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Male ; *Models, Biological ; Neanderthals/*genetics/physiology ; Receptors, Dopamine D4/genetics ; Seasonal Affective Disorder/physiopathology ; Sex Factors ; }, abstract = {The hypothesis of the evolutionary origin of bipolar disorder (EOBD) synthesized ideas about the biological clock and seasonal shifts in mood (Rosenthal, Wehr) with theorizing that bipolar disorder descends from a pyknic (compact, cold-adapted) group (Kretchmer). The hypothesis suggested that bipolar behaviors evolved in the northern temperate zone as highly derived adaptations to the selective pressures of severe climatic conditions during the Pleistocene. Given evidence of Neandertal contributions to the human genome, the hypothesis is extended (EOBD-R) to suggest Neandertal as the ancestral source for bipolar vulnerability genes (susceptibility alleles). The EOBD-R hypothesis explains and integrates existing observations: bipolar disorder has the epidemiology of an adaptation; it is correlated with a cold-adapted build, and its moods vary according to light and season. Since the hypothesis was first published, data consistent with it have continued to appear. Individuals with seasonal affective disorder, which is related to bipolar disorder, have been shown to manifest a biological signal of season change similar to that found in hibernating animals. The involvement of the circadian gene network in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder has been confirmed. Because selective pressures during the Pleistocene would have been greatest for women of reproductive age, they are expected to manifest winter depression more than males or younger females, which is the case. (This sex difference is also found in hibernating mammals.) Because it is hypothesized that the evolution of bipolar disorder took place in the northern temperate zone during the Pleistocene, it is not expected that individuals of African descent, lacking Neandertal genes, will manifest circular bipolar I disorder, and in fact, the incidence of bipolar disorder among black individuals is less than among whites. A definitive test of the hypothesis is proposed: It is predicted that the bipolar and Neandertal genomes will be more similar than the modern human and Neandertal genomes, and the modern human and San and Yoruba genomes will be more similar than the bipolar and San and Yoruba genomes. Failure to confirm these predictions will falsify the EOBD-R hypothesis. The EOBD-R hypothesis has important implications in the search for bipolar vulnerability genes and our understanding of ourselves and our Neandertal ancestor. At a practical level, confirmation of the EOBD-R hypothesis will boost interest and research in the prevention and management of bipolar symptoms by manipulation of ambient light.}, }
@article {pmid22022286, year = {2011}, author = {Hu, HY and Guo, S and Xi, J and Yan, Z and Fu, N and Zhang, X and Menzel, C and Liang, H and Yang, H and Zhao, M and Zeng, R and Chen, W and Pääbo, S and Khaitovich, P}, title = {MicroRNA expression and regulation in human, chimpanzee, and macaque brains.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {7}, number = {10}, pages = {e1002327}, pmid = {22022286}, issn = {1553-7404}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain/*metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cerebellum/metabolism ; Cognition ; Gene Expression ; *Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Macaca/*genetics/metabolism ; MicroRNAs/*genetics/metabolism ; Microarray Analysis ; Neurons/metabolism ; Pan troglodytes/*genetics/metabolism ; Phenotype ; Phylogeny ; Prefrontal Cortex/*metabolism ; Selection, Genetic ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Among other factors, changes in gene expression on the human evolutionary lineage have been suggested to play an important role in the establishment of human-specific phenotypes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these expression changes are largely unknown. Here, we have explored the role of microRNA (miRNA) in the regulation of gene expression divergence among adult humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques, in two brain regions: prefrontal cortex and cerebellum. Using a combination of high-throughput sequencing, miRNA microarrays, and Q-PCR, we have shown that up to 11% of the 325 expressed miRNA diverged significantly between humans and chimpanzees and up to 31% between humans and macaques. Measuring mRNA and protein expression in human and chimpanzee brains, we found a significant inverse relationship between the miRNA and the target genes expression divergence, explaining 2%-4% of mRNA and 4%-6% of protein expression differences. Notably, miRNA showing human-specific expression localize in neurons and target genes that are involved in neural functions. Enrichment in neural functions, as well as miRNA-driven regulation on the human evolutionary lineage, was further confirmed by experimental validation of predicted miRNA targets in two neuroblastoma cell lines. Finally, we identified a signature of positive selection in the upstream region of one of the five miRNA with human-specific expression, miR-34c-5p. This suggests that miR-34c-5p expression change took place after the split of the human and the Neanderthal lineages and had adaptive significance. Taken together these results indicate that changes in miRNA expression might have contributed to evolution of human cognitive functions.}, }
@article {pmid21957644, year = {2011}, author = {Harvati, K}, title = {Neanderthals: fossil evidence and DNA.}, journal = {Anthropologischer Anzeiger; Bericht uber die biologisch-anthropologische Literatur}, volume = {68}, number = {4}, pages = {379-392}, doi = {10.1127/0003-5548/2011/0176}, pmid = {21957644}, issn = {0003-5548}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Bone and Bones ; DNA/chemistry/*genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Fossils ; Genetic Drift ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; Humans ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals inhabited Western Eurasia from approximately 300 to 30 thousand years ago (ka). They are distinguished by a unique combination of anatomical traits, and are commonly associated with Middle Paleolithic lithic industries. Current consensus among paleoanthropologists is that they represented a separate Eurasian human lineage, which evolved in isolation from the rest of the Old World and which shared a common ancestor with modern humans in the Middle Pleistocene. It is thought that some aspects of the distinctive Neanderthal anatomy evolved in response to selection related to the extreme cold of the European glacial cycles. Nevertheless, genetic drift seems to be partially responsible for the evolution of these traits. The last appearance of Neanderthals in the fossil record ca. 30 ka BP dates a few millennia after the first appearance of modern humans in Europe. The retrieval of ancient mitochondrial and, more recently, nuclear DNA from Neanderthal fossil puts us in the unique position to combine fossil with genetic evidence to address questions about their evolution, paleobiology and eventual fate.}, }
@article {pmid21941674, year = {2011}, author = {Fabre, V and Condemi, S and Degioanni, A and Herrscher, E}, title = {Neanderthals versus Modern Humans: Evidence for Resource Competition from Isotopic Modelling.}, journal = {International journal of evolutionary biology}, volume = {2011}, number = {}, pages = {689315}, pmid = {21941674}, issn = {2090-052X}, abstract = {During later MOIS3, in Europe two populations were present, autochthonous Neanderthals and modern humans. Ecological competition between these two populations has often been evoked but never demonstrated. Our aim is to establish whether resource competition occurred. In this paper, in order to examine the possibility of ecological competition between these two populations, 599 isotopic data were subjected to rigorous statistical treatment and analysis through mixing models. The aim of this paper was to compare dietary strategies of Neanderthals and modern humans over time. Our conclusions suggest that Neanderthals and modern humans shared dietary habits in the particular environmental context of MOIS3 characterised in Europe by climatic deterioration. In this environmental context, the resource competition between Neanderthals and modern humans may have accelerated the disappearance of the Neanderthal population.}, }
@article {pmid21920585, year = {2011}, author = {Holton, NE and Yokley, TR and Franciscus, RG}, title = {Climatic adaptation and Neandertal facial evolution: a comment on Rae et al. (2011).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {61}, number = {5}, pages = {624-7; author reply 628-9}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.08.001}, pmid = {21920585}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Cranial Sinuses/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Humans ; }, }
@article {pmid21913172, year = {2011}, author = {Ghirotto, S and Tassi, F and Benazzo, A and Barbujani, G}, title = {No evidence of Neandertal admixture in the mitochondrial genomes of early European modern humans and contemporary Europeans.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {146}, number = {2}, pages = {242-252}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21569}, pmid = {21913172}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Fossils ; Genome, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Humans ; *Models, Genetic ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; White People/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Neandertals, the archaic human form documented in Eurasia until 29,000 years ago, share no mitochondrial haplotype with modern Europeans. Whether this means that the two groups were reproductively isolated is controversial, and indeed nuclear data have been interpreted as suggesting that they admixed. We explored the range of demographic parameters that may have generated the observed mitochondrial diversity, simulating 3.0 million genealogies under six models differing as for the relationships among contemporary Europeans, Neandertals, and Upper Palaeolithic European early modern humans (EEMH), who coexisted with Neandertals for millennia. We compared by Approximate Bayesian Computations the simulation results with mitochondrial diversity in 7 Neandertals, 3 EEMH, and 150 opportunely chosen modern Europeans. A model of genealogical continuity between EEMH and contemporary Europeans, with no Neandertal contribution, received overwhelming support from the analyses. The maximum degree of Neandertal admixture, under the model of gene flow supported by nuclear data, was estimated at 1.5%, but this model proved 20-32 times less likely than a model without any gene flow. Nuclear and mitochondrial evidence might be reconciled if smaller population sizes led to faster lineage sorting for mitochondrial DNA, and Neandertals shared a longer period of common ancestry with the non-African's than with the African's ancestors.}, }
@article {pmid21911389, year = {2011}, author = {Currat, M and Excoffier, L}, title = {Strong reproductive isolation between humans and Neanderthals inferred from observed patterns of introgression.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {108}, number = {37}, pages = {15129-15134}, pmid = {21911389}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Asian People ; China ; Computer Simulation ; *Consanguinity ; Demography ; France ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic ; Reproduction/*physiology ; White People ; }, abstract = {Recent studies have revealed that 2-3% of the genome of non-Africans might come from Neanderthals, suggesting a more complex scenario of modern human evolution than previously anticipated. In this paper, we use a model of admixture during a spatial expansion to study the hybridization of Neanderthals with modern humans during their spread out of Africa. We find that observed low levels of Neanderthal ancestry in Eurasians are compatible with a very low rate of interbreeding (<2%), potentially attributable to a very strong avoidance of interspecific matings, a low fitness of hybrids, or both. These results suggesting the presence of very effective barriers to gene flow between the two species are robust to uncertainties about the exact demography of the Paleolithic populations, and they are also found to be compatible with the observed lack of mtDNA introgression. Our model additionally suggests that similarly low levels of introgression in Europe and Asia may result from distinct admixture events having occurred beyond the Middle East, after the split of Europeans and Asians. This hypothesis could be tested because it predicts that different components of Neanderthal ancestry should be present in Europeans and in Asians.}, }
@article {pmid21904610, year = {2011}, author = {García-Garcerà, M and Gigli, E and Sanchez-Quinto, F and Ramirez, O and Calafell, F and Civit, S and Lalueza-Fox, C}, title = {Fragmentation of contaminant and endogenous DNA in ancient samples determined by shotgun sequencing; prospects for human palaeogenomics.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {6}, number = {8}, pages = {e24161}, pmid = {21904610}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/*genetics ; *Fossils ; Genomics/*methods ; Humans ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Despite the successful retrieval of genomes from past remains, the prospects for human palaeogenomics remain unclear because of the difficulty of distinguishing contaminant from endogenous DNA sequences. Previous sequence data generated on high-throughput sequencing platforms indicate that fragmentation of ancient DNA sequences is a characteristic trait primarily arising due to depurination processes that create abasic sites leading to DNA breaks. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPALS FINDINGS: To investigate whether this pattern is present in ancient remains from a temperate environment, we have 454-FLX pyrosequenced different samples dated between 5,500 and 49,000 years ago: a bone from an extinct goat (Myotragus balearicus) that was treated with a depurinating agent (bleach), an Iberian lynx bone not subjected to any treatment, a human Neolithic sample from Barcelona (Spain), and a Neandertal sample from the El Sidrón site (Asturias, Spain). The efficiency of retrieval of endogenous sequences is below 1% in all cases. We have used the non-human samples to identify human sequences (0.35 and 1.4%, respectively), that we positively know are contaminants.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We observed that bleach treatment appears to create a depurination-associated fragmentation pattern in resulting contaminant sequences that is indistinguishable from previously described endogenous sequences. Furthermore, the nucleotide composition pattern observed in 5' and 3' ends of contaminant sequences is much more complex than the flat pattern previously described in some Neandertal contaminants. Although much research on samples with known contaminant histories is needed, our results suggest that endogenous and contaminant sequences cannot be distinguished by the fragmentation pattern alone.}, }
@article {pmid21887315, year = {2011}, author = {Hardy, BL and Moncel, MH}, title = {Neanderthal use of fish, mammals, birds, starchy plants and wood 125-250,000 years ago.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {6}, number = {8}, pages = {e23768}, pmid = {21887315}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Birds ; *Feeding Behavior ; Fishes ; Food Preferences ; France ; Mammals ; *Neanderthals ; Plants ; Wood ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals are most often portrayed as big game hunters who derived the vast majority of their diet from large terrestrial herbivores while birds, fish and plants are seen as relatively unimportant or beyond the capabilities of Neanderthals. Although evidence for exploitation of other resources (small mammals, birds, fish, shellfish, and plants) has been found at certain Neanderthal sites, these are typically dismissed as unusual exceptions. The general view suggests that Neanderthal diet may broaden with time, but that this only occurs sometime after 50,000 years ago. We present evidence, in the form of lithic residue and use-wear analyses, for an example of a broad-based subsistence for Neanderthals at the site of Payre, Ardèche, France (beginning of MIS 5/end of MIS 6 to beginning of MIS 7/end of MIS 8; approximately 125-250,000 years ago). In addition to large terrestrial herbivores, Neanderthals at Payre also exploited starchy plants, birds, and fish. These results demonstrate a varied subsistence already in place with early Neanderthals and suggest that our ideas of Neanderthal subsistence are biased by our dependence on the zooarchaeological record and a deep-seated intellectual emphasis on big game hunting.}, }
@article {pmid21868630, year = {2011}, author = {Abi-Rached, L and Jobin, MJ and Kulkarni, S and McWhinnie, A and Dalva, K and Gragert, L and Babrzadeh, F and Gharizadeh, B and Luo, M and Plummer, FA and Kimani, J and Carrington, M and Middleton, D and Rajalingam, R and Beksac, M and Marsh, SG and Maiers, M and Guethlein, LA and Tavoularis, S and Little, AM and Green, RE and Norman, PJ and Parham, P}, title = {The shaping of modern human immune systems by multiregional admixture with archaic humans.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {334}, number = {6052}, pages = {89-94}, pmid = {21868630}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {R01 AI031168/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; AI031168/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; RR000165/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; P51 RR000165/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States ; HHSN261200800001C/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; /ImNIH/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ; /WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; HHSN261200800001E/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological ; Alleles ; Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Black People/genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Genes, MHC Class I ; Genetic Variation ; HLA-A Antigens/*genetics/immunology/metabolism ; HLA-B Antigens/*genetics/immunology/metabolism ; HLA-C Antigens/*genetics/immunology ; Haplotypes ; Hominidae/*genetics/*immunology ; Humans ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Killer Cells, Natural/immunology ; Ligands ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander/genetics ; Racial Groups/*genetics ; Receptors, KIR/immunology/metabolism ; Selection, Genetic ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Whole genome comparisons identified introgression from archaic to modern humans. Our analysis of highly polymorphic human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I, vital immune system components subject to strong balancing selection, shows how modern humans acquired the HLA-B*73 allele in west Asia through admixture with archaic humans called Denisovans, a likely sister group to the Neandertals. Virtual genotyping of Denisovan and Neandertal genomes identified archaic HLA haplotypes carrying functionally distinctive alleles that have introgressed into modern Eurasian and Oceanian populations. These alleles, of which several encode unique or strong ligands for natural killer cell receptors, now represent more than half the HLA alleles of modern Eurasians and also appear to have been later introduced into Africans. Thus, adaptive introgression of archaic alleles has significantly shaped modern human immune systems.}, }
@article {pmid21807602, year = {2011}, author = {Zhang, G and Pei, Z and Ball, EV and Mort, M and Kehrer-Sawatzki, H and Cooper, DN}, title = {Cross-comparison of the genome sequences from human, chimpanzee, Neanderthal and a Denisovan hominin identifies novel potentially compensated mutations.}, journal = {Human genomics}, volume = {5}, number = {5}, pages = {453-484}, pmid = {21807602}, issn = {1479-7364}, mesh = {Animals ; Databases, Genetic ; *Genome ; Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Mutation ; Neanderthals/genetics ; Pan troglodytes/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The recent publication of the draft genome sequences of the Neanderthal and a ∼50,000-year-old archaic hominin from Denisova Cave in southern Siberia has ushered in a new age in molecular archaeology. We previously cross-compared the human, chimpanzee and Neanderthal genome sequences with respect to a set of disease-causing/disease-associated missense and regulatory mutations (Human Gene Mutation Database) and succeeded in identifying genetic variants which, although apparently pathogenic in humans, may represent a 'compensated' wild-type state in at least one of the other two species. Here, in an attempt to identify further 'potentially compensated mutations' (PCMs) of interest, we have compared our dataset of disease-causing/disease-associated mutations with their corresponding nucleotide positions in the Denisovan hominin, Neanderthal and chimpanzee genomes. Of the 15 human putatively disease-causing mutations that were found to be compensated in chimpanzee, Denisovan or Neanderthal, only a solitary F5 variant (Val1736Met) was specific to the Denisovan. In humans, this missense mutation is associated with activated protein C resistance and an increased risk of thromboembolism and recurrent miscarriage. It is unclear at this juncture whether this variant was indeed a PCM in the Denisovan or whether it could instead have been associated with disease in this ancient hominin.}, }
@article {pmid21803765, year = {2011}, author = {Crisci, JL and Wong, A and Good, JM and Jensen, JD}, title = {On characterizing adaptive events unique to modern humans.}, journal = {Genome biology and evolution}, volume = {3}, number = {}, pages = {791-798}, pmid = {21803765}, issn = {1759-6653}, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological/genetics ; Amino Acid Substitution/*genetics ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Ever since the first draft of the human genome was completed in 2001, there has been increased interest in identifying genetic changes that are uniquely human, which could account for our distinct morphological and cognitive capabilities with respect to other apes. Recently, draft sequences of two extinct hominin genomes, a Neanderthal and Denisovan, have been released. These two genomes provide a much greater resolution to identify human-specific genetic differences than the chimpanzee, our closest extant relative. The Neanderthal genome paper presented a list of regions putatively targeted by positive selection around the time of the human-Neanderthal split. We here seek to characterize the evolutionary history of these candidate regions-examining evidence for selective sweeps in modern human populations as well as for accelerated adaptive evolution across apes. Results indicate that 3 of the top 20 candidate regions show evidence of selection in at least one modern human population (P < 5 × 10(5)). Additionally, four genes within the top 20 regions show accelerated amino acid substitutions across multiple apes (P < 0.01), suggesting importance across deeper evolutionary time. These results highlight the importance of evaluating evolutionary processes across both recent and ancient evolutionary timescales and intriguingly suggest a list of candidate genes that may have been uniquely important around the time of the human-Neanderthal split.}, }
@article {pmid21798948, year = {2011}, author = {Mellars, P and French, JC}, title = {Tenfold population increase in Western Europe at the Neandertal-to-modern human transition.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {333}, number = {6042}, pages = {623-627}, doi = {10.1126/science.1206930}, pmid = {21798948}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Fossils ; France ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Population Density ; *Population Dynamics ; *Population Growth ; Time ; Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {European Neandertals were replaced by modern human populations from Africa ~40,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence from the best-documented region of Europe shows that during this replacement human populations increased by one order of magnitude, suggesting that numerical supremacy alone may have been a critical factor in facilitating this replacement.}, }
@article {pmid21796732, year = {2011}, author = {Sauter, D and Vogl, M and Kirchhoff, F}, title = {Ancient origin of a deletion in human BST2/Tetherin that confers protection against viral zoonoses.}, journal = {Human mutation}, volume = {32}, number = {11}, pages = {1243-1245}, doi = {10.1002/humu.21571}, pmid = {21796732}, issn = {1098-1004}, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Antigens, CD/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; GPI-Linked Proteins/genetics ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neanderthals ; Primates ; *Sequence Deletion ; Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/genetics/transmission/virology ; Simian Immunodeficiency Virus/genetics/immunology/pathogenicity ; Zoonoses/*virology ; }, abstract = {Bone marrow stromal antigen 2 (BST2)/Tetherin is an antiviral factor that blocks the release of enveloped virions from infected cells. Recent data suggest that efficient BST2 antagonism was a prerequisite for the global spread of HIV/AIDS. Most simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs), including the direct precursors of HIV, use their Nef protein to antagonize BST2 of their respective host species. Human BST2, however, contains a five amino acid deletion in its cytoplasmic domain that confers resistance to Nef. Thus, this antiviral factor constitutes a major barrier to effective zoonotic transmissions of SIVs to humans. Here, we show that this protective deletion has already been present in Neanderthal and Denisovan BST2 and thus evolved at least 800,000 years ago. This ancient origin helps to explain why effectively spreading zoonotic transmissions of SIVs to humans have been rare, although SIVs are widespread in African nonhuman primates and humans must have been exposed to these viruses many times.}, }
@article {pmid21762953, year = {2011}, author = {De Groote, I}, title = {The Neanderthal lower arm.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {61}, number = {4}, pages = {396-410}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.05.007}, pmid = {21762953}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Discriminant Analysis ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Radius/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Ulna/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal forearms have been described as being very powerful. Different individual features in the lower arm bones have been described to distinguish Neanderthals from modern humans. In this study, the overall morphology of the radius and ulna is considered, and morphological differences among Neanderthals, Upper Paleolithic Homo sapiens and recent H. sapiens are described. Comparisons among populations were made using a combination of 3D geometric morphometrics and standard multivariate methods. Comparative material included all available complete radii and ulnae from Neanderthals, early H. sapiens and archaeological and recent human populations, representing a wide geographical and lifestyle range. There are few differences among the populations when features are considered individually. Neanderthals and early H. sapiens fell within the range of modern human variation. When the suite of measurements and shapes were analyzed, differences and similarities became apparent. The Neanderthal radius is more laterally curved, has a more medially placed radial tuberosity, a longer radial neck, a more antero-posteriorly ovoid head and a well-developed proximal interosseous crest. The Neanderthal ulna has a more anterior facing trochlear notch, a lower M. brachialis insertion, larger relative mid-shaft size and a more medio-lateral and antero-posterior sinusoidal shaft. The Neanderthal lower arm morphology reflects a strong cold-adapted short forearm. The forearms of H. sapiens are less powerful in pronation and supination. Many differences between Neanderthals and H. sapiens can be explained as a secondary consequence of the hyper-polar body proportions of the Neanderthals, but also as retentions of the primitive condition of other hominoids.}, }
@article {pmid21738702, year = {2011}, author = {Caron, F and d'Errico, F and Del Moral, P and Santos, F and Zilhão, J}, title = {The reality of Neandertal symbolic behavior at the Grotte du Renne, Arcy-sur-Cure, France.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {6}, number = {6}, pages = {e21545}, pmid = {21738702}, issn = {1932-6203}, support = {249587/ERC_/European Research Council/International ; }, mesh = {Animals ; France ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The question of whether symbolically mediated behavior is exclusive to modern humans or shared with anatomically archaic populations such as the Neandertals is hotly debated. At the Grotte du Renne, Arcy-sur-Cure, France, the Châtelperronian levels contain Neandertal remains and large numbers of personal ornaments, decorated bone tools and colorants, but it has been suggested that this association reflects intrusion of the symbolic artifacts from the overlying Protoaurignacian and/or of the Neandertal remains from the underlying Mousterian.<br><br>We tested these hypotheses against the horizontal and vertical distributions of the various categories of diagnostic finds and statistically assessed the probability that the Ch&#xe2;telperronian levels are of mixed composition. Our results reject that the associations result from large or small scale, localized or generalized post-depositional displacement, and they imply that incomplete sample decontamination is the parsimonious explanation for the stratigraphic anomalies seen in the radiocarbon dating of the sequence.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The symbolic artifacts in the Ch&#xe2;telperronian of the Grotte du Renne are indeed Neandertal material culture.}, }
@article {pmid21719068, year = {2011}, author = {El Zaatari, S and Grine, FE and Ungar, PS and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Ecogeographic variation in Neandertal dietary habits: evidence from occlusal molar microwear texture analysis.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {61}, number = {4}, pages = {411-424}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.05.004}, pmid = {21719068}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Climate ; Ecosystem ; Europe ; Feeding Behavior/*physiology ; Fossils ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Paleodontology ; *Tooth Wear ; }, abstract = {In the late Middle and early Late Pleistocene, Neandertals inhabited a wide variety of ecological zones across western Eurasia during both glacial and interglacial times. To elucidate the still poorly understood effects of climatic change on Neandertal subsistence patterns, this study employs dental microwear texture analysis to reconstruct the diets of Neandertal individuals from various sites across their wide temporal and geographic ranges. The results of this study reveal environmentally-driven differences in the diets of Neandertal groups. Significant differences in microwear signatures, correlated with paleoecological conditions, were found among Neandertal groups that lived in open, mixed, and wooded environments. In comparison to recent hunter-gatherer populations with known, yet diverse diets, the occlusal molar microwear signatures of all the Neandertal groups indicate that their diet consisted predominantly of meat. However, the results of this study suggest that plant foods did form an important part of the diet of at least some Neandertal groups (i.e., those that lived in mixed and wooded habitats). Overall, the proportion of plant foods in the Neandertal diet appears to have increased with the increase in tree cover.}, }
@article {pmid21714107, year = {2011}, author = {Peña-Melián, A and Rosas, A and García-Tabernero, A and Bastir, M and De La Rasilla, M}, title = {Paleoneurology of two new neandertal occipitals from El Sidrón (asturias, Spain) in the context of homo endocranial evolution.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {294}, number = {8}, pages = {1370-1381}, doi = {10.1002/ar.21427}, pmid = {21714107}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Cranial Sinuses/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Functional Laterality ; Humans ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Neurology ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Paleontology ; Skull Base/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Surface Properties ; }, abstract = {The endocranial surface description and comparative analyses of two new neandertal occipital fragments (labelled SD-1149 and SD-370a) from the El Sidrón site (Asturias, Spain) reveal new aspects of neandertal brain morphological asymmetries. The dural sinus drainage pattern, as observed on the sagittal-transverse system, as well as the cerebral occipito-petalias, point out a slightly differential configuration of the neandertal brain when compared to other Homo species, especially H. sapiens. The neandertal dural sinus drainage pattern is organized in a more asymmetric mode, in such a way that the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) drains either to the right or to the left transverse sinuses, but in no case in a confluent mode (i.e. simultaneous continuation of SSS with both right (RTS) and left (LTS) transverse sinuses). Besides, the superior sagittal sinus shows an accentuated deviation from of the mid-sagittal plane in its way to the RTS in 35% of neandertals. This condition, which increases the asymmetry of the system, is almost nonexistent neither in the analyzed Homo fossil species sample nor in that of anatomically modern humans. Regarding the cerebral occipito-petalias, neandertals manifest one of the lowest percentages of left petalia of the Homo sample (including modern H. sapiens). As left occipito-petalia is the predominant pattern in hominins, it seems as if neandertals would have developed a different pattern of brain hemispheres asymmetry. Finally, the relief and position of the the cerebral sulci and gyri impressions observed in the El Sidrón occipital specimens look similar to those observed in modern H. sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid21683429, year = {2011}, author = {Benazzi, S and Viola, B and Kullmer, O and Fiorenza, L and Harvati, K and Paul, T and Gruppioni, G and Weber, GW and Mallegni, F}, title = {A reassessment of the Neanderthal teeth from Taddeo cave (southern Italy).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {61}, number = {4}, pages = {377-387}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.05.001}, pmid = {21683429}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; *Fossils ; Italy ; Male ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {The Middle Paleolithic fossil human teeth from Taddeo cave in southwestern Italy were discovered in 1967, but to date only scanty and partially incorrect information has been published about them. The teeth were recovered in a reddish sandy layer from the cave's floor, which is attributed either to an early phase of Würm I (OIS 5c or 5d) or a transition phase between Würm I and Würm II (OIS 5a). In this paper, we present a revised morphological description and morphometric comparisons of the four dental remains discovered. Apart from a classic morphometric comparison, we also provide a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the internal morphology with the aid of micro-CT imaging. In addition, virtual restoration and matching of adjacent teeth were performed with 3D digital modeling and Computer-Aided Design techniques. Occlusal Fingerprint Analysis was also employed to help correctly identify each tooth. While in the previous studies, Taddeo 1 was considered either an upper right canine or a lower right canine, in the present work it has been definitely identified as lower left canine. Taddeo 2 has been reclassified as a right P(4) instead of a right P(3). Based on the occlusal and interproximal wear, we have also shown that Taddeo 2 and Taddeo 3 (right M(1)) belong to the same individual. All of the teeth show characteristic Neanderthal features in crown morphology and fissure pattern. However, although Taddeo 4 shows morphological features typical of Neanderthal M(1)s, some morphometric results (large enamel thickness, low dentine volume) recall more modern humans than Neanderthals. This result might suggest that, at least for lower first molars, the Neanderthal range of variation is large and still not clearly understood.}, }
@article {pmid21664649, year = {2011}, author = {Sandgathe, DM and Dibble, HL and Goldberg, P and McPherron, SP}, title = {The Roc de Marsal Neandertal child: a reassessment of its status as a deliberate burial.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {61}, number = {3}, pages = {243-253}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.04.003}, pmid = {21664649}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Bone and Bones ; *Burial ; Caves ; *Fossils ; France ; Neanderthals/*psychology ; Paleontology ; }, abstract = {Whether Neandertals buried their dead has considerable bearing on the debate concerning the nature of their cultural behavior. Among the claims for intentional Neandertal burial in Europe, the child from Roc de Marsal has long been one of the less contentious examples because its articulated skeleton was found in what has become widely accepted as an intentionally excavated pit. However, what is known about the context of the Roc de Marsal remains from the original descriptions, coupled with new stratigraphic, sedimentological, and archaeological data on the site from recent excavations, cast serious doubt on this interpretation.}, }
@article {pmid21646528, year = {2011}, author = {Walker, MJ and Ortega, J and Parmová, K and López, MV and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Morphology, body proportions, and postcranial hypertrophy of a female Neandertal from the Sima de las Palomas, southeastern Spain.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {108}, number = {25}, pages = {10087-10091}, pmid = {21646528}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropometry ; *Body Size ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Extremities/anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Considerations of Neandertal geographical variation have been hampered by the dearth of remains from Mediterranean Europe and the absence there of sufficiently complete associated postcrania. The 2006 and 2007 excavation of an articulated partial skeleton of a small adult female Neandertal at the Sima de las Palomas, Murcia, southeastern Spain (Sima de las Palomas 96) provides substantial and secure information on body proportions among southern European Neandertals, as well as further documenting the nature of Neandertal biology in southern Iberia. The remains exhibit a suite of cranial, mandibular, dental, and postcranial features, of both Neandertals and archaic Homo generally, that distinguish them from contemporary and subsequent early modern humans. Its lower limbs exhibit the robustness of later Pleistocene Homo generally, and its upper limbs conform to the pattern of elevated robustness of the Neandertals. Its body proportions, including relative clavicular length, distal limb segment lengths, and body mass to stature indicators, conform to the "cold-adapted" pattern of more northern Neandertals. Palomas 96 therefore documents the presence of a suite of "Neandertal" characteristics in southern Iberia and, along with its small body size, the more "Arctic" body proportions of other European Neandertals despite the warmer climate of southern Iberia during marine isotope stage 3.}, }
@article {pmid21624638, year = {2011}, author = {Benazzi, S and Fornai, C and Bayle, P and Coquerelle, M and Kullmer, O and Mallegni, F and Weber, GW}, title = {Comparison of dental measurement systems for taxonomic assignment of Neanderthal and modern human lower second deciduous molars.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {61}, number = {3}, pages = {320-326}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.04.008}, pmid = {21624638}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Europe ; Fossils ; Humans ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Odontometry/classification/*methods ; Paleodontology/classification/*methods ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth, Deciduous/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Traditional morphometric approaches for taxonomic assignment of Neanderthal and modern human dental remains are mainly characterized by caliper measurements of tooth crowns. Several studies have recently described differences in dental tissue proportions and enamel thickness between Neanderthal and modern human teeth. At least for the lower second deciduous molar (dm(2)), a three-dimensional lateral relative enamel thickness index has been proposed for separating the two taxa. This index has the advantage over other measurements of being applicable to worn teeth because it ignores the occlusal aspect of the crown. Nevertheless, a comparative evaluation of traditional crown dimensions and lateral dental tissue proportion measurements for taxonomic assignment of Neanderthal and modern human dm(2)s has not yet been performed. In this study, we compare various parameters gathered from the lateral aspects of the crown. These parameters include crown diameters, height of the lateral wall of the crown (lateral crown height = LCH), lateral enamel thickness, and dentine volume of the lateral wall, including the volume of the coronal pulp chamber (lateral dentine plus pulp volume = LDPV), in a 3D digital sample of Neanderthal and modern human dm(2)s to evaluate their utility in separating the two taxa. The LDPV and the LCH allow us to discriminate between Neanderthals and modern humans with 88.5% and 92.3% accuracy, respectively. Though our results confirm that Neanderthal dm(2)s have lower relative enamel thickness (RET) index compared with modern humans (p = 0.005), only 70% of the specimens were correctly classified on the basis of the RET index. We also emphasize that results of the lateral enamel thickness method depend on the magnitude of the interproximal wear. Accordingly, we suggest using the LCH or the LDPV to discriminate between Neanderthal and modern human dm(2)s. These parameters are more independent of interproximal wear and loss of lateral enamel.}, }
@article {pmid21602248, year = {2012}, author = {Farrimond, H}, title = {Beyond the caveman: rethinking masculinity in relation to men's help-seeking.}, journal = {Health (London, England : 1997)}, volume = {16}, number = {2}, pages = {208-225}, doi = {10.1177/1363459311403943}, pmid = {21602248}, issn = {1461-7196}, mesh = {*Gender Identity ; Humans ; Male ; *Men's Health ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/*psychology ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Sociology, Medical ; United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {Statistically, men make less use of health-care services than women. This has been interpreted as the result of the 'hegemonic' masculine code in which 'real' men are understood to be physically fit, uninterested in their health and self-reliant. However, less attention has been paid to understanding how hegemonic masculinity intersects with the wider western socio-cultural contexts of men's help-seeking, particularly the valorization of health as a form of social achievement. This article presents the results of interviews with 14 higher socio-economic status (SES) men to uncover their 'interpretive repertoires' in relation to health and illness, help-seeking and masculinity. Although many interviewees drew on the stereotype of the 'Neanderthal Man' who avoids the doctors to explain help-seeking by men 'in general', they constructed their own experiences of help-seeking in terms of being responsible, problem-solving and in control. It is argued that the framing of help-seeking in terms of 'taking action' chimes with an increasingly pro-active 'expert patient' approach within western health-care. This conceptual reconstruction of the dominant masculine code in relation to help-seeking, from 'Neanderthal Man' to 'Action Man', may lead to greater gender equality in terms of accessing health-care. However, it has the potential to exacerbate social inequalities between men from different SES groups.}, }
@article {pmid21566192, year = {2011}, author = {Slimak, L and Svendsen, JI and Mangerud, J and Plisson, H and Heggen, HP and Brugère, A and Pavlov, PY}, title = {Late Mousterian persistence near the Arctic Circle.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {332}, number = {6031}, pages = {841-845}, doi = {10.1126/science.1203866}, pmid = {21566192}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Arctic Regions ; Geography ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Russia ; Tool Use Behavior ; }, abstract = {Palaeolithic sites in Russian high latitudes have been considered as Upper Palaeolithic and thus representing an Arctic expansion of modern humans. Here we show that at Byzovaya, in the western foothills of the Polar Urals, the technological structure of the lithic assemblage makes it directly comparable with Mousterian Middle Palaeolithic industries that so far have been exclusively attributed to the Neandertal populations in Europe. Radiocarbon and optical-stimulated luminescence dates on bones and sand grains indicate that the site was occupied during a short period around 28,500 carbon-14 years before the present (about 31,000 to 34,000 calendar years ago), at the time when only Upper Palaeolithic cultures occupied lower latitudes of Eurasia. Byzovaya may thus represent a late northern refuge for Neandertals, about 1000 km north of earlier known Mousterian sites.}, }
@article {pmid21555570, year = {2011}, author = {Pinhasi, R and Higham, TF and Golovanova, LV and Doronichev, VB}, title = {Revised age of late Neanderthal occupation and the end of the Middle Paleolithic in the northern Caucasus.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {108}, number = {21}, pages = {8611-8616}, pmid = {21555570}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Asia, Western ; Bayes Theorem ; Europe, Eastern ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Paleontology/*methods ; Radiometric Dating ; }, abstract = {Advances in direct radiocarbon dating of Neanderthal and anatomically modern human (AMH) fossils and the development of archaeostratigraphic chronologies now allow refined regional models for Neanderthal-AMH coexistence. In addition, they allow us to explore the issue of late Neanderthal survival in regions of Western Eurasia located within early routes of AMH expansion such as the Caucasus. Here we report the direct radiocarbon ((14)C) dating of a late Neanderthal specimen from a Late Middle Paleolithic (LMP) layer in Mezmaiskaya Cave, northern Caucasus. Additionally, we provide a more accurate chronology for the timing of Neanderthal extinction in the region through a robust series of 16 ultrafiltered bone collagen radiocarbon dates from LMP layers and using Bayesian modeling to produce a boundary probability distribution function corresponding to the end of the LMP at Mezmaiskaya. The direct date of the fossil (39,700 ± 1,100 (14)C BP) is in good agreement with the probability distribution function, indicating at a high level of probability that Neanderthals did not survive at Mezmaiskaya Cave after 39 ka cal BP ("calendrical" age in kiloannum before present, based on IntCal09 calibration curve). This challenges previous claims for late Neanderthal survival in the northern Caucasus. We see striking and largely synchronous chronometric similarities between the Bayesian age modeling for the end of the LMP at Mezmaiskaya and chronometric data from Ortvale Klde for the end of the LMP in the southern Caucasus. Our results confirm the lack of reliably dated Neanderthal fossils younger than ∼ 40 ka cal BP in any other region of Western Eurasia, including the Caucasus.}, }
@article {pmid21541931, year = {2011}, author = {Trinkaus, E}, title = {The postcranial dimensions of the La Chapelle-aux-saints 1 Neandertal.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {145}, number = {3}, pages = {461-468}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21528}, pmid = {21541931}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; France ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Humerus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Male ; Pelvic Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Radius/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tibia/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 Neandertal has figured prominently in considerations of Neandertal body size and proportions. In this context, a reassessment of its major long bones and a reassembly of its principal pelvic elements (sacrum and right ilium) was undertaken. There are secure measurements for its humeral and radial lengths and its femoral head diameter, but the femoral and tibial lengths were almost certainly greater than previous values. The resultant humeral, femoral and tibial lengths are similar to those of other male Neandertals, its femoral head diameter is among the largest known for Middle and Late Pleistocene humans, but its radial length is relatively short. The pelvic assembly provides modest bi-iliac and inlet transverse diameters compared with the few sufficiently complete and undistorted Middle and Late Pleistocene archaic human pelves, but its dimensions are similar to those of large male early modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid21540038, year = {2011}, author = {Flores, JC}, title = {Diffusion coefficient of modern humans outcompeting Neanderthals.}, journal = {Journal of theoretical biology}, volume = {280}, number = {1}, pages = {189-190}, doi = {10.1016/j.jtbi.2011.04.008}, pmid = {21540038}, issn = {1095-8541}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Humans ; *Models, Biological ; }, abstract = {A nonlinear mathematical model is used to describe Neanderthals extinction about 35,000 years before present. Using archaeological data, radiocarbon re-calibrate speed among others, we show that the diffusion coefficient describing Modern Humans spread corresponds to 1596 km(2)/yr. The model is well established since all archaeological parameters, including Neanderthal-Modern interaction coefficient, become estimated.}, }
@article {pmid21507461, year = {2011}, author = {Roksandic, M and Mihailović, D and Mercier, N and Dimitrijević, V and Morley, MW and Rakočević, Z and Mihailović, B and Guibert, P and Babb, J}, title = {A human mandible (BH-1) from the Pleistocene deposits of Mala Balanica cave (Sićevo Gorge, Niš, Serbia).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {61}, number = {2}, pages = {186-196}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.03.003}, pmid = {21507461}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Cluster Analysis ; *Fossils ; Geography ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Radiometric Dating ; Serbia ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Neandertals and their immediate predecessors are commonly considered to be the only humans inhabiting Europe in the Middle and early Late Pleistocene. Most Middle Pleistocene western European specimens show evidence of a developing Neandertal morphology, supporting the notion that these traits evolved at the extreme West of the continent due, at least partially, to the isolation produced by glacial events. The recent discovery of a mandible, BH-1, from Mala Balanica (Serbia), with primitive character states comparable with Early Pleistocene mandibular specimens, is associated with a minimum radiometric date of 113 + 72 - 43 ka. Given the fragmented nature of the hemi-mandible and the fact that primitive character states preclude assignment to a species, the taxonomic status of the specimen is best described as an archaic Homo sp. The combination of primitive traits and a possible Late Pleistocene date suggests that a more primitive morphology, one that does not show Neandertal traits, could have persisted in the region. Different hominin morphologies could have survived and coexisted in the Balkans, the "hotspot of biodiversity." This first hominin specimen to come from a secure stratigraphic context in the Central Balkans indicates a potentially important role for the region in understanding human evolution in Europe that will only be resolved with more concentrated research efforts in the area.}, }
@article {pmid21497882, year = {2011}, author = {Britton, K and Grimes, V and Niven, L and Steele, TE and McPherron, S and Soressi, M and Kelly, TE and Jaubert, J and Hublin, JJ and Richards, MP}, title = {Strontium isotope evidence for migration in late Pleistocene Rangifer: implications for Neanderthal hunting strategies at the Middle Palaeolithic site of Jonzac, France.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {61}, number = {2}, pages = {176-185}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.03.004}, pmid = {21497882}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {*Animal Migration ; Animals ; Bison ; Dental Enamel/chemistry ; *Fossils ; France ; Hominidae ; Humans ; *Predatory Behavior ; Reindeer ; Strontium Isotopes/*analysis ; }, abstract = {In order to understand the behaviours and subsistence choices of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers, it is essential to understand the behavioural ecology of their prey. Here, we present strontium isotope data from sequentially-sampled enamel from three reindeer (Rangifer tarandus ssp.) and a single bison (Bison cf. priscus) from the late Middle Palaeolithic site of Jonzac (Chez-Pinaud), France. The results are used to investigate the ranging and migratory behaviours of these important prey species. We found that the bison had isotope values most consistent with a local range, while the three reindeer had values indicating a seasonal migration pattern. Due to the similarity of the patterning of two of the three reindeer and in conjunction with zooarchaeological results, we suggest that they may have been from the same herd, were likely killed around the same point during their seasonal round and may therefore be the product of a single hunting event or a small number of successive hunting events. The isotope analyses complement the zooarchaeological data and have allowed greater insight into the palaeoecology of these species, the palaeoenvironment, and Neanderthal site use and hunting strategies.}, }
@article {pmid21482084, year = {2012}, author = {Lalueza-Fox, C and Rosas, A and de la Rasilla, M}, title = {Palaeogenetic research at the El Sidrón Neanderthal site.}, journal = {Annals of anatomy = Anatomischer Anzeiger : official organ of the Anatomische Gesellschaft}, volume = {194}, number = {1}, pages = {133-137}, doi = {10.1016/j.aanat.2011.01.014}, pmid = {21482084}, issn = {1618-0402}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones/chemistry ; Cell Nucleus/chemistry/genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry ; Demography ; Female ; *Genetics ; Geology ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Theoretical ; Neanderthals/*genetics ; Paleodontology ; *Paleontology ; Spain ; Tooth/chemistry ; }, abstract = {El Sidrón (Asturias, north of Spain) is a subterranean karstic system, where the remains of a contemporaneous social Neanderthal group dated to about 49,000 years ago have been being excavated since their accidental discovery in 1994. Due to the particular preservation conditions of this site, all individuals identified so far have preserved DNA, and the anticontamination measures implemented during the excavation have made palaeogenetic studies possible on all individuals. The El Sidrón samples provide unique information on the kinship relationships and on the internal genetic diversity of Neanderthal groups, thus yielding for first time empirical data for the generation of demographic models of these extinct humans. Moreover, the exceptional preservation of some bone samples has allowed the retrieval of nuclear genes associated with some phenotypic traits involved in pigmentation, blood group, language or taste perception, as well as a significant fraction (0.1%) of the nuclear genome. A future project on Neanderthal genomic diversity could be based on at least some of the El Sidrón specimens.}, }
@article {pmid21481920, year = {2011}, author = {Mariotti, V and Belcastro, MG}, title = {Lower limb entheseal morphology in the Neandertal Krapina population (Croatia, 130,000 BP).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {60}, number = {6}, pages = {694-702}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.12.007}, pmid = {21481920}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Croatia ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Lower Extremity/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Muscle, Skeletal/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; *Musculoskeletal Development ; }, abstract = {Although the Neandertal locomotor system has been shown to differ from Homo sapiens, characteristics of Neandertal entheses, the skeletal attachments for muscles, tendons, ligaments and joint capsules, have never been specifically investigated. Here, we analyse lower limb entheses of the Krapina Neandertal bones (Croatia, 130,000 BP) with the aim of determining how they compare with modern humans, using a standard developed by our research group for describing modern human entheseal variability. The entheses examined are those of the gluteus maximus, iliopsoas and vastus medialis on the femur, the quadriceps tendon on the patella, and soleus on the tibia. For the entheses showing a different morphological pattern from H. sapiens, we discuss the possibility of recognising genetic versus environmental causes. Our results indicate that only the gluteus maximus enthesis (the gluteal tuberosity), falls out of the modern human range of variation. It displays morphological features that could imply histological differences from modern humans, in particular the presence of fibrocartilage. In both H. sapiens and the Krapina Neandertals, the morphological pattern of this enthesis is the same in adult and immature femurs. These results can be interpreted in light of genetic differences between the two hominins. The possibility of functional adaptations to higher levels of mechanical load during life in the Neandertals seems less likely. The particular morphology and large dimensions of the Krapina enthesis, and perhaps its fibrocartilaginous nature, could have been selected for in association with other pelvic and lower limb characteristics, even if genetic drift cannot be ruled out.}, }
@article {pmid21453001, year = {2011}, author = {Hofreiter, M}, title = {Drafting human ancestry: what does the Neanderthal genome tell us about hominid evolution? Commentary on Green et al. (2010).}, journal = {Human biology}, volume = {83}, number = {1}, pages = {1-11}, doi = {10.3378/027.083.0101}, pmid = {21453001}, issn = {1534-6617}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Gene Flow ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {Ten years after the first draft versions of the human genome were announced, technical progress in both DNA sequencing and ancient DNA analyses has allowed a research team around Ed Green and Svante Pääbo to complete this task from infinitely more difficult hominid samples: a few pieces of bone originating from our closest, albeit extinct, relatives, the Neanderthals. Pulling the Neanderthal sequences out of a sea of contaminating environmental DNA impregnating the bones and at the same time avoiding the problems of contamination with modern human DNA is in itself a remarkable accomplishment. However, the crucial question in the long run is, what can we learn from such genomic data about hominid evolution?}, }
@article {pmid21445243, year = {2011}, author = {Fiorenza, L and Benazzi, S and Tausch, J and Kullmer, O and Bromage, TG and Schrenk, F}, title = {Molar macrowear reveals Neanderthal eco-geographic dietary variation.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {6}, number = {3}, pages = {e14769}, pmid = {21445243}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {*Diet ; *Ecosystem ; *Fossils ; Humans ; *Molar ; *Paleontology ; }, abstract = {Neanderthal diets are reported to be based mainly on the consumption of large and medium sized herbivores, while the exploitation of other food types including plants has also been demonstrated. Though some studies conclude that early Homo sapiens were active hunters, the analyses of faunal assemblages, stone tool technologies and stable isotopic studies indicate that they exploited broader dietary resources than Neanderthals. Whereas previous studies assume taxon-specific dietary specializations, we suggest here that the diet of both Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens is determined by ecological conditions. We analyzed molar wear patterns using occlusal fingerprint analysis derived from optical 3D topometry. Molar macrowear accumulates during the lifespan of an individual and thus reflects diet over long periods. Neanderthal and early Homo sapiens maxillary molar macrowear indicates strong eco-geographic dietary variation independent of taxonomic affinities. Based on comparisons with modern hunter-gatherer populations with known diets, Neanderthals as well as early Homo sapiens show high dietary variability in Mediterranean evergreen habitats but a more restricted diet in upper latitude steppe/coniferous forest environments, suggesting a significant consumption of high protein meat resources.}, }
@article {pmid21411122, year = {2011}, author = {De Groote, I}, title = {Femoral curvature in Neanderthals and modern humans: a 3D geometric morphometric analysis.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {60}, number = {5}, pages = {540-548}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.09.009}, pmid = {21411122}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Anthropometry ; Child ; Femur/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; *Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Multivariate Analysis ; }, abstract = {Since their discovery, Neanderthals have been described as having a marked degree of anteroposterior curvature of the femoral shaft. Although initially believed to be pathological, subsequent discoveries of Neanderthal remains lead femoral curvature to be considered as a derived Neanderthal feature. A recent study on Neanderthals and middle and early Upper Palaeolithic modern humans found no differences in femoral curvature, but did not consider size-corrected curvature. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to use 3D morphometric landmark and semi-landmark analysis to quantify relative femoral curvature in Neanderthals, Upper Palaeolithic and recent modern humans, and to compare adult bone curvature as part of the overall femoral morphology among these populations. Comparisons among populations were made using geometric morphometrics (3D landmarks) and standard multivariate methods. Comparative material involved all available complete femora from Neanderthal and Upper Palaeolithic modern human, archaeological (Mesolithic, Neolithic, Medieval) and recent human populations representing a wide geographical and lifestyle range. There are significant differences in the anatomy of the femur between Neanderthals and modern humans. Neanderthals have more curved femora than modern humans. Early modern humans are most similar to recent modern humans in their anatomy. Femoral curvature is a good indicator of activity level and habitual loading of the lower limb, indicating higher activity levels in Neanderthals than modern humans. These differences contradict robusticity studies and the archaeological record, and would suggest that femoral morphology, and curvature in particular, in Neanderthals may not be explained by adult behavior alone and could be the result of genetic drift, natural selection or differences in behavior during ontogeny.}, }
@article {pmid21404235, year = {2011}, author = {Gröning, F and Liu, J and Fagan, MJ and O'Higgins, P}, title = {Why do humans have chins? Testing the mechanical significance of modern human symphyseal morphology with finite element analysis.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {144}, number = {4}, pages = {593-606}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21447}, pmid = {21404235}, issn = {1096-8644}, support = {BB-E007813-1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BB/E014259/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BB-E009204-1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BB-E014259-1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BB-E013805-1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; BB/E007813/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology ; Chin/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging/*physiology ; Finite Element Analysis ; Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Mastication/physiology ; Models, Biological ; Radiography ; Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed ; Weight-Bearing/physiology ; }, abstract = {The modern human mandibular symphysis differs from those of all other primates in being vertically orientated and possessing a chin, but the functional significance of this unique morphology is not well understood. Some hypotheses propose that it is an adaptation to specific loads occurring during masticatory function. This study uses finite element analysis to examine these symphyseal loads in a model of a modern human mandible. By modifying the symphyseal cross-sectional form, the mechanical significance of the presence of the chin and symphyseal orientation is tested, and modern human and Neanderthal symphyseal cross-sections are compared with regard to their ability to withstand different loads. The results show that changes in symphyseal form have profound effects on the strains. The presence of a chin leads to lower symphyseal strains overall, whereas a vertical orientation of the symphysis results in higher strains under wishboning, but not under vertical bending in the coronal plane and dorsoventral shear. Compared to Neanderthals, the modern human symphysis shows higher strains during dorsoventral shear and wishboning, but is as effective as the Neanderthal symphysis in resisting vertical bending in the coronal plane and the loads resulting from simulated incision and unilateral molar biting. In general, the results of this study corroborate prior hypotheses about the mechanical effects of the human chin and vertical symphyseal orientation and support the idea that the relative importance of wishboning and vertical bending in the coronal plane might have played a role in the evolution of modern human symphyseal morphology.}, }
@article {pmid21404234, year = {2011}, author = {Hershkovitz, I and Smith, P and Sarig, R and Quam, R and Rodríguez, L and García, R and Arsuaga, JL and Barkai, R and Gopher, A}, title = {Middle Pleistocene dental remains from Qesem Cave (Israel).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {144}, number = {4}, pages = {575-592}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21446}, pmid = {21404234}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Animals ; Child ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Israel ; Male ; Mandible ; Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {This study presents a description and comparative analysis of Middle Pleistocene permanent and deciduous teeth from the site of Qesem Cave (Israel). All of the human fossils are assigned to the Acheulo-Yabrudian Cultural Complex (AYCC) of the late Lower Paleolithic. The Middle Pleistocene age of the Qesem teeth (400-200 ka) places them chronologically earlier than the bulk of fossil hominin specimens previously known from southwest Asia. Three permanent mandibular teeth (C(1) -P(4)) were found in close proximity in the lower part of the stratigraphic sequence. The small metric dimensions of the crowns indicate a considerable degree of dental reduction although the roots are long and robust. In contrast, three isolated permanent maxillary teeth (I(2) , C(1) , and M(3)) and two isolated deciduous teeth that were found within the upper part of the sequence are much larger and show some plesiomorphous traits similar to those of the Skhul/Qafzeh specimens. Although none of the Qesem teeth shows a suite of Neanderthal characters, a few traits may suggest some affinities with members of the Neanderthal evolutionary lineage. However, the balance of the evidence suggests a closer similarity with the Skhul/Qafzeh dental material, although many of these resemblances likely represent plesiomorphous features.}, }
@article {pmid21404232, year = {2011}, author = {Nowaczewska, W}, title = {Are Homo sapiens nonsupranuchal fossa and Neanderthal suprainiac fossa convergent traits?.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {144}, number = {4}, pages = {552-563}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21437}, pmid = {21404232}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Australia ; Biological Evolution ; Cephalometry ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Europe ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; }, abstract = {The autapomorphic status of the Neanderthal suprainiac fossa was recently confirmed. This was a result of a detailed analysis of the internal bone composition in the area of the suprainiac depression on Neanderthal and Homo sapiens specimens. However, while anatomical differences between Neanderthal suprainiac fossa and the depression in the inion region of the occipital bone of fossil and recent Homo sapiens have been discussed in detail, the etiology of these structures has not been resolved. In this article, the hypothesis that the Homo sapiens non-supranuchal fossa and the Neanderthal suprainiac fossa both formed to maintain the optimal shape of the occipital plane (to minimize strain on the posterior cranial vault) is tested. First, the variation in the expression of the fossa above inion in the crania of recent Homo sapiens from European, African, and Australian samples was examined, and the degree of structural similarity between these depressions and the Neanderthal suprainiac fossa was assessed. Next, the relationship between the shape of the occipital squama in the midsagittal plane and two particular features (the degree of the occipital torus development and the occurrence of a depression in the inion region that is not the supranuchal fossa) were analyzed. Based on the results, it is suggested that the Homo sapiens non-supranuchal fossa and Neanderthal suprainiac fossa are convergent traits.}, }
@article {pmid21404228, year = {2011}, author = {Walker, MJ and Ortega, J and López, MV and Parmová, K and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Neandertal postcranial remains from the Sima de las Palomas del Cabezo Gordo, Murcia, southeastern Spain.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {144}, number = {4}, pages = {505-515}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21428}, pmid = {21404228}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Body Size ; Bones of Lower Extremity/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Bones of Upper Extremity/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Chi-Square Distribution ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The Sima de las Palomas, southeastern Spain, has yielded a series of Neandertal postcranial remains, including immature and mature isolated elements and the fragmentary partial skeleton of a young adult (Palomas 92). The remains largely conform to the general late archaic/Neandertal morphological pattern in terms of humeral diaphyseal shape, pectoralis major tuberosity size and pillar thickness, ulnar coronoid process height, manual middle phalangeal epiphyseal breadth, manual distal phalangeal tuberosity shape and breadth, femoral diaphyseal shape, and probably body proportions. Palomas 92 contrasts with the Neandertals in having variably gracile hand remains, a more sellar trapezial metacarpal 1 facet, more anteroposteriorly expanded mid-proximal femoral diaphysis, and less robust pedal proximal phalanges. The Palomas Neandertals contrast with more northern European Neandertals particularly in various reflections of overall body size.}, }
@article {pmid21402905, year = {2011}, author = {Roebroeks, W and Villa, P}, title = {On the earliest evidence for habitual use of fire in Europe.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {108}, number = {13}, pages = {5209-5214}, pmid = {21402905}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Emigration and Immigration ; Europe ; *Fires ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Technology ; }, abstract = {The timing of the human control of fire is a hotly debated issue, with claims for regular fire use by early hominins in Africa at ∼ 1.6 million y ago. These claims are not uncontested, but most archaeologists would agree that the colonization of areas outside Africa, especially of regions such as Europe where temperatures at time dropped below freezing, was indeed tied to the use of fire. Our review of the European evidence suggests that early hominins moved into northern latitudes without the habitual use of fire. It was only much later, from ∼ 300,000 to 400,000 y ago onward, that fire became a significant part of the hominin technological repertoire. It is also from the second half of the Middle Pleistocene onward that we can observe spectacular cases of Neandertal pyrotechnological knowledge in the production of hafting materials. The increase in the number of sites with good evidence of fire throughout the Late Pleistocene shows that European Neandertals had fire management not unlike that documented for Upper Paleolithic groups.}, }
@article {pmid21337711, year = {2011}, author = {Fiorenza, L and Benazzi, S and Viola, B and Kullmer, O and Schrenk, F}, title = {Relationship between cusp size and occlusal wear pattern in Neanderthal and Homo sapiens first maxillary molars.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {294}, number = {3}, pages = {453-461}, doi = {10.1002/ar.21325}, pmid = {21337711}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; *Dental Occlusion ; Diet ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Maxilla/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Odontometry ; *Tooth Attrition ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Tooth wear studies in mammals have highlighted the relationship between wear facets (attritional areas produced during occlusion by the contact between opposing teeth) and physical properties of the ingested food. However, little is known about the influence of tooth morphology on the formation of occlusal wear facets. We analyzed the occlusal wear patterns of first maxillary molars (M(1) s) in Neanderthals, early Homo sapiens, and contemporary modern humans. We applied a virtual method to analyze wear facets on the crown surface of three-dimensional digital models. Absolute and relative wear facet areas are compared with cusp area and cusp height. Although the development of wear facets partially follows the cusp pattern, the results obtained from the between-group comparisons do not reflect the cusp size differences characterizing these groups. In particular, the wear facets developed along the slopes of the most discriminate cusp between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens (hypocone) do not display any significant difference. Moreover, no correlations have been found between cusp size and wear facet areas (with the exception of the modern sample) and between cusp height and wear facet areas. Our results suggest that cusp size is only weakly related to the formation of the occlusal wear facets. Other factors, such as, diet, food processing, environmental abrasiveness, and nondietary habits are probably more important for the development and enlargement of wear facets, corroborating the hypotheses suggested from previous dental wear studies.}, }
@article {pmid21307043, year = {2011}, author = {Martinez-Maza, C and Rosas, A and García-Vargas, S and Estalrrich, A and de la Rasilla, M}, title = {Bone remodelling in Neanderthal mandibles from the El Sidrón site (Asturias, Spain).}, journal = {Biology letters}, volume = {7}, number = {4}, pages = {593-596}, pmid = {21307043}, issn = {1744-957X}, mesh = {Animals ; *Bone Remodeling ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Neanderthals/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Paleontology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Skull morphology results from the bone remodelling mechanism that underlies the specific bone growth dynamics. Histological study of the bone surface from Neanderthal mandible specimens of El Sidrón (Spain) provides information about the distribution of the remodelling fields (bone remodelling patterns or BRP) indicative of the bone growth directions. In comparison with other primate species, BRP shows that Neanderthal mandibles from the El Sidrón (Spain) sample present a specific BRP. The interpretation of this map allows inferences concerning the growth directions that explain specific morphological traits of the Neanderthal mandible, such as its quadrangular shape and the posterior location of the mental foramen.}, }
@article {pmid21302262, year = {2011}, author = {Benazzi, S and Coquerelle, M and Fiorenza, L and Bookstein, F and Katina, S and Kullmer, O}, title = {Comparison of dental measurement systems for taxonomic assignment of first molars.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {144}, number = {3}, pages = {342-354}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21409}, pmid = {21302262}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Odontometry/*methods ; Principal Component Analysis ; Tooth Cervix/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Crown/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Morphometrics of the molar crown is based traditionally on diameter measurements but is nowadays more often based on 2D image analysis of crown outlines. An alternative approach involves measurements at the level of the cervical line. We compare the information content of the two options in a three-dimensional (3D) digital sample of lower and upper first molars (M(1) and M(1)) of modern human and Neanderthal teeth. The cervical outline for each tooth was created by digitizing the cervical line and then sectioning the tooth with a best fit plane. The crown outline was projected onto this same plane. The curves were analyzed by direct extraction of diameters, diagonals, and area and also by principal component analysis either of the residuals obtained by regressing out these measurements from the radii (shape information) or directly by the radii (size and shape information). For M(1) , the crown and cervical outline radii allow us to discriminate between Neanderthals and modern humans with 90% and 95% accuracy, respectively. Fairly good discrimination between the groups (80-82.5%) was also obtained using cervical measurements. With respect to M(1) , general overlap of the two groups was obtained by both crown and cervical measurements; however, the two taxa were differentiable by crown outline residuals (90-97%). Accordingly, while crown diameters or crown radii should be used for taxonomic analysis of unworn or slightly worn M(1) s, the crown outline, after regressing out size information, could be promising for taxonomic assignment of lower M1s.}, }
@article {pmid21269660, year = {2011}, author = {Raichlen, DA and Armstrong, H and Lieberman, DE}, title = {Calcaneus length determines running economy: implications for endurance running performance in modern humans and Neandertals.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {60}, number = {3}, pages = {299-308}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.11.002}, pmid = {21269660}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Achilles Tendon/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Calcaneus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Cold Climate ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Humans ; Physical Endurance ; Running ; Walking ; }, abstract = {The endurance running (ER) hypothesis suggests that distance running played an important role in the evolution of the genus Homo. Most researchers have focused on ER performance in modern humans, or on reconstructing ER performance in Homo erectus, however, few studies have examined ER capabilities in other members of the genus Homo. Here, we examine skeletal correlates of ER performance in modern humans in order to evaluate the energetics of running in Neandertals and early Homo sapiens. Recent research suggests that running economy (the energy cost of running at a given speed) is strongly related to the length of the Achilles tendon moment arm. Shorter moment arms allow for greater storage and release of elastic strain energy, reducing energy costs. Here, we show that a skeletal correlate of Achilles tendon moment arm length, the length of the calcaneal tuber, does not correlate with walking economy, but correlates significantly with running economy and explains a high proportion of the variance (80%) in cost between individuals. Neandertals had relatively longer calcaneal tubers than modern humans, which would have increased their energy costs of running. Calcaneal tuber lengths in early H. sapiens do not significantly differ from those of extant modern humans, suggesting Neandertal ER economy was reduced relative to contemporaneous anatomically modern humans. Endurance running is generally thought to be beneficial for gaining access to meat in hot environments, where hominins could have used pursuit hunting to run prey taxa into hyperthermia. We hypothesize that ER performance may have been reduced in Neandertals because they lived in cold climates.}, }
@article {pmid21266489, year = {2011}, author = {Yotova, V and Lefebvre, JF and Moreau, C and Gbeha, E and Hovhannesyan, K and Bourgeois, S and Bédarida, S and Azevedo, L and Amorim, A and Sarkisian, T and Avogbe, PH and Chabi, N and Dicko, MH and Kou' Santa Amouzou, ES and Sanni, A and Roberts-Thomson, J and Boettcher, B and Scott, RJ and Labuda, D}, title = {An X-linked haplotype of Neandertal origin is present among all non-African populations.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {28}, number = {7}, pages = {1957-1962}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/msr024}, pmid = {21266489}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {IGI-94494//Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Canada ; MOP-67150//Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Canada ; }, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Emigration and Immigration ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Frequency ; *Genes, X-Linked ; *Genetic Variation ; Haplotypes ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Racial Groups/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Recent work on the Neandertal genome has raised the possibility of admixture between Neandertals and the expanding population of Homo sapiens who left Africa between 80 and 50 Kya (thousand years ago) to colonize the rest of the world. Here, we provide evidence of a notable presence (9% overall) of a Neandertal-derived X chromosome segment among all contemporary human populations outside Africa. Our analysis of 6,092 X-chromosomes from all inhabited continents supports earlier contentions that a mosaic of lineages of different time depths and different geographic provenance could have contributed to the genetic constitution of modern humans. It indicates a very early admixture between expanding African migrants and Neandertals prior to or very early on the route of the out-of-Africa expansion that led to the successful colonization of the planet.}, }
@article {pmid21208207, year = {2011}, author = {Gómez-Robles, A and de Castro, JM and Martinón-Torres, M and Prado-Simón, L}, title = {Crown size and cusp proportions in Homo antecessor upper first molars. A comment on Quam et al. 2009.}, journal = {Journal of anatomy}, volume = {218}, number = {2}, pages = {258-262}, pmid = {21208207}, issn = {1469-7580}, mesh = {Animals ; Cuspid/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Tooth Crown/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {A recent evaluation of upper first molar (M[1]) crown size and cusp proportions in the genus Homo (Quam et al. 2009) describes Homo antecessor as maintaining a primitive pattern of cusp proportions, similar to that identified in australopithecines and the earliest members of the genus Homo. These results contrast with those of Gómez-Robles et al. (2007), who described the crown shape in these molars as derived and similar to Neanderthals and European Homo heidelbergensis. The reassessment of these measurements following the same methodology described by Quam et al. (2009) in all the M(1) s that are currently part of the hypodigm of H. antecessor demonstrates that the fossils from TD6 not only have the same cusp proportions identified in later Homo species, but also a strongly reduced metacone and a large hypocone shared with Middle and Upper Pleistocene members of the Neanderthal lineage. The evolutionary significance of these features should be evaluated in light of the results provided by recently discovered dental, cranial, mandibular, and postcranial H. antecessor fossils.}, }
@article {pmid21187393, year = {2011}, author = {Henry, AG and Brooks, AS and Piperno, DR}, title = {Microfossils in calculus demonstrate consumption of plants and cooked foods in Neanderthal diets (Shanidar III, Iraq; Spy I and II, Belgium).}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {108}, number = {2}, pages = {486-491}, pmid = {21187393}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Belgium ; Biological Evolution ; Cooking ; *Diet ; Edible Grain ; Fabaceae ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Iraq ; Paleontology/*methods ; Poaceae ; Tooth/physiology ; }, abstract = {The nature and causes of the disappearance of Neanderthals and their apparent replacement by modern humans are subjects of considerable debate. Many researchers have proposed biologically or technologically mediated dietary differences between the two groups as one of the fundamental causes of Neanderthal disappearance. Some scenarios have focused on the apparent lack of plant foods in Neanderthal diets. Here we report direct evidence for Neanderthal consumption of a variety of plant foods, in the form of phytoliths and starch grains recovered from dental calculus of Neanderthal skeletons from Shanidar Cave, Iraq, and Spy Cave, Belgium. Some of the plants are typical of recent modern human diets, including date palms (Phoenix spp.), legumes, and grass seeds (Triticeae), whereas others are known to be edible but are not heavily used today. Many of the grass seed starches showed damage that is a distinctive marker of cooking. Our results indicate that in both warm eastern Mediterranean and cold northwestern European climates, and across their latitudinal range, Neanderthals made use of the diverse plant foods available in their local environment and transformed them into more easily digestible foodstuffs in part through cooking them, suggesting an overall sophistication in Neanderthal dietary regimes.}, }
@article {pmid21183202, year = {2011}, author = {Rae, TC and Koppe, T and Stringer, CB}, title = {The Neanderthal face is not cold adapted.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {60}, number = {2}, pages = {234-239}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.10.003}, pmid = {21183202}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological ; Animals ; Cold Temperature ; Cranial Sinuses/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Face ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Humans ; }, abstract = {Many morphological features of the Pleistocene fossil hominin Homo neanderthalensis, including the reputed large size of its paranasal sinuses, have been interpreted as adaptations to extreme cold, as some Neanderthals lived in Europe during glacial periods. This interpretation of sinus evolution rests on two assumptions: that increased craniofacial pneumatization is an adaptation to lower ambient temperatures, and that Neanderthals have relatively large sinuses. Analysis of humans, other primates, and rodents, however, suggests that the first assumption is suspect; at least the maxillary sinus undergoes a significant reduction in volume in extreme cold, in both wild and laboratory conditions. The second assumption, that Neanderthal sinuses are large, extensive, or even 'hyperpneumatized,' has held sway since the first specimen was described and has been interpreted as the causal explanation for some of the distinctive aspects of Neanderthal facial form, but has never been evaluated with respect to scaling. To test the latter assumption, previously published measurements from two-dimensional (2D) X-rays and new three-dimensional (3D) data from computed tomography (CT) of Neanderthals and temperate-climate European Homo sapiens are regressed against cranial size to determine the relative size of their sinuses. The 2D data reveal a degree of craniofacial pneumatization in Neanderthals that is both commensurate with the size of the cranium and comparable in scale with that seen in temperate climate H. sapiens. The 3D analysis of CT data from a smaller sample supports this conclusion. These results suggest that the distinctive Neanderthal face cannot be interpreted as a direct result of increased pneumatization, nor is it likely to be an adaptation to resist cold stress; an alternative explanation is thus required.}, }
@article {pmid21174653, year = {2010}, author = {Van Sint Jan, S and Chapman, T}, title = {[Was Neanderthal's gait similar to modern human's gait?].}, journal = {Revue medicale de Bruxelles}, volume = {31}, number = {5}, pages = {488-490}, pmid = {21174653}, issn = {0035-3639}, mesh = {Animals ; *Gait ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; }, }
@article {pmid21173265, year = {2011}, author = {Lalueza-Fox, C and Rosas, A and Estalrrich, A and Gigli, E and Campos, PF and García-Tabernero, A and García-Vargas, S and Sánchez-Quinto, F and Ramírez, O and Civit, S and Bastir, M and Huguet, R and Santamaría, D and Gilbert, MT and Willerslev, E and de la Rasilla, M}, title = {Genetic evidence for patrilocal mating behavior among Neandertal groups.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {108}, number = {1}, pages = {250-253}, pmid = {21173265}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Child ; Computational Biology ; DNA Primers/genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Female ; *Fossils ; *Genetic Variation ; Hominidae/*genetics/physiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sex Determination Analysis ; Sexual Behavior/*physiology ; Spain ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry ; }, abstract = {The remains of 12 Neandertal individuals have been found at the El Sidrón site (Asturias, Spain), consisting of six adults, three adolescents, two juveniles, and one infant. Archaeological, paleontological, and geological evidence indicates that these individuals represent all or part of a contemporaneous social group of Neandertals, who died at around the same time and later were buried together as a result of a collapse of an underground karst. We sequenced phylogenetically informative positions of mtDNA hypervariable regions 1 and 2 from each of the remains. Our results show that the 12 individuals stem from three different maternal lineages, accounting for seven, four, and one individual(s), respectively. Using a Y-chromosome assay to confirm the morphological determination of sex for each individual, we found that, although the three adult males carried the same mtDNA lineage, each of the three adult females carried different mtDNA lineages. These findings provide evidence to indicate that Neandertal groups not only were small and characterized by low genetic diversity but also were likely to have practiced patrilocal mating behavior.}, }
@article {pmid21151557, year = {2010}, author = {Ovchinnikov, IV and Kholina, OI}, title = {Genome digging: insight into the mitochondrial genome of Homo.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {5}, number = {12}, pages = {e14278}, pmid = {21151557}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; Chromosome Mapping ; Chromosomes/genetics ; Codon ; Computational Biology/methods ; DNA/*genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Databases, Genetic ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Likelihood Functions ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: A fraction of the Neanderthal mitochondrial genome sequence has a similarity with a 5,839-bp nuclear DNA sequence of mitochondrial origin (numt) on the human chromosome 1. This fact has never been interpreted. Although this phenomenon may be attributed to contamination and mosaic assembly of Neanderthal mtDNA from short sequencing reads, we explain the mysterious similarity by integration of this numt (mtAncestor-1) into the nuclear genome of the common ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans not long before their reproductive split.<br><br>PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Exploiting bioinformatics, we uncovered an additional numt (mtAncestor-2) with a high similarity to the Neanderthal mtDNA and indicated that both numts represent almost identical replicas of the mtDNA sequences ancestral to the mitochondrial genomes of Neanderthals and modern humans. In the proteins, encoded by mtDNA, the majority of amino acids distinguishing chimpanzees from humans and Neanderthals were acquired by the ancestral hominins. The overall rate of nonsynonymous evolution in Neanderthal mitochondrial protein-coding genes is not higher than in other lineages. The model incorporating the ancestral hominin mtDNA sequences estimates the average divergence age of the mtDNAs of Neanderthals and modern humans to be 450,000-485,000 years. The mtAncestor-1 and mtAncestor-2 sequences were incorporated into the nuclear genome approximately 620,000 years and 2,885,000 years ago, respectively.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first insight into the evolution of the mitochondrial DNA in hominins ancestral to Neanderthals and humans. We hypothesize that mtAncestor-1 and mtAncestor-2 are likely to be molecular fossils of the mtDNAs of Homo heidelbergensis and a stem Homo lineage. The d(N)/d(S) dynamics suggests that the effective population size of extinct hominins was low. However, the hominin lineage ancestral to humans, Neanderthals and H. heidelbergensis, had a larger effective population size and possessed genetic diversity comparable with those of chimpanzee and gorilla.}, }
@article {pmid21078988, year = {2010}, author = {Smith, TM and Tafforeau, P and Reid, DJ and Pouech, J and Lazzari, V and Zermeno, JP and Guatelli-Steinberg, D and Olejniczak, AJ and Hoffman, A and Radovcic, J and Makaremi, M and Toussaint, M and Stringer, C and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Dental evidence for ontogenetic differences between modern humans and Neanderthals.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {107}, number = {49}, pages = {20923-20928}, pmid = {21078988}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Age Determination by Teeth/*methods ; Animals ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Odontogenesis/*physiology ; Paleodontology/*methods ; Tooth/growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {Humans have an unusual life history, with an early weaning age, long childhood, late first reproduction, short interbirth intervals, and long lifespan. In contrast, great apes wean later, reproduce earlier, and have longer intervals between births. Despite 80 y of speculation, the origins of these developmental patterns in Homo sapiens remain unknown. Because they record daily growth during formation, teeth provide important insights, revealing that australopithecines and early Homo had more rapid ontogenies than recent humans. Dental development in later Homo species has been intensely debated, most notably the issue of whether Neanderthals and H. sapiens differ. Here we apply synchrotron virtual histology to a geographically and temporally diverse sample of Middle Paleolithic juveniles, including Neanderthals, to assess tooth formation and calculate age at death from dental microstructure. We find that most Neanderthal tooth crowns grew more rapidly than modern human teeth, resulting in significantly faster dental maturation. In contrast, Middle Paleolithic H. sapiens juveniles show greater similarity to recent humans. These findings are consistent with recent cranial and molecular evidence for subtle developmental differences between Neanderthals and H. sapiens. When compared with earlier hominin taxa, both Neanderthals and H. sapiens have extended the duration of dental development. This period of dental immaturity is particularly prolonged in modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid21078972, year = {2010}, author = {Mellars, P}, title = {Neanderthal symbolism and ornament manufacture: the bursting of a bubble?.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {107}, number = {47}, pages = {20147-20148}, pmid = {21078972}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Art ; *Cultural Evolution ; Demography ; France ; Hominidae/*psychology ; Humans ; *Symbolism ; }, }
@article {pmid21071640, year = {2010}, author = {Gibbons, A}, title = {Paleoanthropology. Neandertal brain growth shows a head start for moderns.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {330}, number = {6006}, pages = {900-901}, doi = {10.1126/science.330.6006.900-a}, pmid = {21071640}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Aging ; Animals ; Brain/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging/*growth &amp; development/physiology ; Computer Simulation ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Pan troglodytes/anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, }
@article {pmid21064102, year = {2010}, author = {Zhang, G and Pei, Z and Krawczak, M and Ball, EV and Mort, M and Kehrer-Sawatzki, H and Cooper, DN}, title = {Triangulation of the human, chimpanzee, and Neanderthal genome sequences identifies potentially compensated mutations.}, journal = {Human mutation}, volume = {31}, number = {12}, pages = {1286-1293}, doi = {10.1002/humu.21389}, pmid = {21064102}, issn = {1098-1004}, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics ; Databases, Genetic ; Disease/genetics ; Genetics, Population ; Genome/*genetics ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation/*genetics ; Pan troglodytes/*genetics ; }, abstract = {Triangulation of the human, chimpanzee, and Neanderthal genome sequences with respect to 44,348 disease-causing or disease-associated missense mutations and 1,712 putative regulatory mutations listed in the Human Gene Mutation Database was employed to identify genetic variants that are apparently pathogenic in humans but which may represent a "compensated" wild-type state in at least one of the other two species. Of 122 such "potentially compensated mutations" (PCMs) identified, 88 were deemed "ancestral" on the basis that the reported wild-type Neanderthal nucleotide was identical to that of the chimpanzee. Another 33 PCMs were deemed to be "derived" in that the Neanderthal wild-type nucleotide matched the human but not the chimpanzee wild-type. For the remaining PCM, all three wild-type states were found to differ. Whereas a derived PCM would require compensation only in the chimpanzee, ancestral PCMs are useful as a means to identify sites of possible adaptive differences between modern humans on the one hand, and Neanderthals and chimpanzees on the other. Ancestral PCMs considered to be disease-causing in humans were identified in two Neanderthal genes (DUOX2, MAMLD1). Because the underlying mutations are known to give rise to recessive conditions in human, it is possible that they may also have been of pathological significance in Neanderthals. Hum Mutat 31:1-8, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.}, }
@article {pmid20977882, year = {2010}, author = {Gralle, M and Schäfer, I and Seibel, P and Pääbo, S}, title = {A functional test of Neandertal and modern human mitochondrial targeting sequences.}, journal = {Biochemical and biophysical research communications}, volume = {402}, number = {4}, pages = {747-749}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2010.10.099}, pmid = {20977882}, issn = {1090-2104}, mesh = {Amino Acid Substitution/*genetics ; Base Sequence ; Cell Line ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genetic Speciation ; Genetic Testing ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Targeting of nuclear-encoded proteins to different organelles, such as mitochondria, is a process that can result in the redeployment of proteins to new intracellular destinations during evolution. With the sequencing of the Neandertal genome, it has become possible to identify amino acid substitutions that occurred on the modern human lineage since its separation from the Neandertal lineage. Here we analyze the function of two substitutions in mitochondrial targeting sequences that occurred and rose to high frequency recently during recent human evolution. The ancestral and modern versions of the two targeting sequences do not differ in the efficiency with which they direct a protein to the mitochondria, an observation compatible with the neutral theory of molecular evolution.}, }
@article {pmid20977063, year = {2010}, author = {ondemi, S and Voisin, JL and Belmaker, M and Moncel, MH}, title = {Revisiting the question of Neandertal regional variability: a view from the Rhône valley corridor.}, journal = {Collegium antropologicum}, volume = {34}, number = {3}, pages = {787-795}, pmid = {20977063}, issn = {0350-6134}, mesh = {Animals ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; *Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {We compared the dental assemblage of the Rhône Valley corridor (RVC) with that of European Neandertals dating to MOIS 7-4 using two linear measurements and three indices. To test if the RVC population was significantly different from Western European Neandertals, we preformed a multi-tiered approached. First, we tested for the normality of the variables using a Shapiro-Wilks test. If the variables were normal, a stepwise Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) (using Mahalanobis distances) was performed for the normally distributed variables. DFA uses correlation metrics to address weight combinations of variables and emphasizes between group variation while minimizing within group variation. Results show that there is no distinction between the RVC population and other Neandertals except for the Crown Module index of the upper canine. However, the presence of a single significant result does not provide evidence for a local RVC variant within the Neandertal population. These results are supported by evidence from archaeological analysis of this region. We propose that the high genetic control for dental size and shape may account for the reduced ability to distinguish between subpopulation groups based on dental dimensions in groups with small effective size such as the Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid20966227, year = {2010}, author = {Balter, M}, title = {Archaeology. Reanalysis of French cave could deal setback to Neandertal smarts.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {330}, number = {6003}, pages = {439}, doi = {10.1126/science.330.6003.439-a}, pmid = {20966227}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; France ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Radiometric Dating ; Symbolism ; Tool Use Behavior ; }, }
@article {pmid20959295, year = {2011}, author = {Fujita, PA and Rhead, B and Zweig, AS and Hinrichs, AS and Karolchik, D and Cline, MS and Goldman, M and Barber, GP and Clawson, H and Coelho, A and Diekhans, M and Dreszer, TR and Giardine, BM and Harte, RA and Hillman-Jackson, J and Hsu, F and Kirkup, V and Kuhn, RM and Learned, K and Li, CH and Meyer, LR and Pohl, A and Raney, BJ and Rosenbloom, KR and Smith, KE and Haussler, D and Kent, WJ}, title = {The UCSC Genome Browser database: update 2011.}, journal = {Nucleic acids research}, volume = {39}, number = {Database issue}, pages = {D876-82}, pmid = {20959295}, issn = {1362-4962}, support = {U24CA143858/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; P01HG5062/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; RC2HD064525/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; U41HG004568/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01ES017154/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; U01HG004695/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U41HG004269/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; //Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; P41HG002371/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U54HG004555/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; U01DE20057/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Databases, Genetic ; Disease/genetics ; Genes ; Genome, Human ; *Genomics ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Internet ; Molecular Sequence Annotation ; Phenotype ; RNA Editing ; Software ; }, abstract = {The University of California, Santa Cruz Genome Browser (http://genome.ucsc.edu) offers online access to a database of genomic sequence and annotation data for a wide variety of organisms. The Browser also has many tools for visualizing, comparing and analyzing both publicly available and user-generated genomic data sets, aligning sequences and uploading user data. Among the features released this year are a gene search tool and annotation track drag-reorder functionality as well as support for BAM and BigWig/BigBed file formats. New display enhancements include overlay of multiple wiggle tracks through use of transparent coloring, options for displaying transformed wiggle data, a 'mean+whiskers' windowing function for display of wiggle data at high zoom levels, and more color schemes for microarray data. New data highlights include seven new genome assemblies, a Neandertal genome data portal, phenotype and disease association data, a human RNA editing track, and a zebrafish Conservation track. We also describe updates to existing tracks.}, }
@article {pmid20956292, year = {2010}, author = {Higham, T and Jacobi, R and Julien, M and David, F and Basell, L and Wood, R and Davies, W and Ramsey, CB}, title = {Chronology of the Grotte du Renne (France) and implications for the context of ornaments and human remains within the Châtelperronian.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {107}, number = {47}, pages = {20234-20239}, pmid = {20956292}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology/*methods ; *Art ; Bayes Theorem ; Bone and Bones/chemistry ; *Cultural Evolution ; Demography ; France ; Hominidae/*psychology ; Humans ; Likelihood Functions ; Mass Spectrometry ; Models, Statistical ; *Symbolism ; Tooth/chemistry ; }, abstract = {There is extensive debate concerning the cognitive and behavioral adaptation of Neanderthals, especially in the period when the earliest anatomically modern humans dispersed into Western Europe, around 35,000-40,000 B.P. The site of the Grotte du Renne (at Arcy-sur-Cure) is of great importance because it provides the most persuasive evidence for behavioral complexity among Neanderthals. A range of ornaments and tools usually associated with modern human industries, such as the Aurignacian, were excavated from three of the Châtelperronian levels at the site, along with Neanderthal fossil remains (mainly teeth). This extremely rare occurrence has been taken to suggest that Neanderthals were the creators of these items. Whether Neanderthals independently achieved this level of behavioral complexity and whether this was culturally transmitted or mimicked via incoming modern humans has been contentious. At the heart of this discussion lies an assumption regarding the integrity of the excavated remains. One means of testing this is by radiocarbon dating; however, until recently, our ability to generate both accurate and precise results for this period has been compromised. A series of 31 accelerator mass spectrometry ultrafiltered dates on bones, antlers, artifacts, and teeth from six key archaeological levels shows an unexpected degree of variation. This suggests that some mixing of material may have occurred, which implies a more complex depositional history at the site and makes it difficult to be confident about the association of artifacts with human remains in the Châtelperronian levels.}, }
@article {pmid20934740, year = {2010}, author = {Crevecoeur, I and Bayle, P and Rougier, H and Maureille, B and Higham, T and van der Plicht, J and De Clerck, N and Semal, P}, title = {The Spy VI child: a newly discovered Neandertal infant.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {59}, number = {6}, pages = {641-656}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.07.022}, pmid = {20934740}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Age Determination by Teeth ; Alveolar Process/anatomy &amp; histology ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Belgium ; Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology/embryology ; Paleodontology ; Radiometric Dating ; Tooth Crown/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth, Deciduous/*anatomy &amp; histology/embryology ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {Spy cave (Jemeppe-sur-Sambre, Belgium) is reputed for the two adult Neandertal individuals discovered in situ in 1886. Recent reassessment of the Spy collections has allowed direct radiocarbon dating of these individuals. The sorting of all of the faunal collections has also led to the discovery of the remains of a Neandertal child, Spy VI. This individual is represented by two mandibular corpus fragments. The left fragment is the most complete and both sides preserve the mental foramen. Four deciduous teeth are associated with these mandibular remains: three incisors and one canine. The lower left canine (Spy 645a) conjoins with the corresponding alveolar socket in the left part of the mandible. Following extant standards, the developmental stage of the preserved teeth indicate an age at death of about one and a half years. In addition to performing a classical morphometric comparative study of the mandible and teeth, we have evaluated the dental tissue proportions using high-resolution microtomographic techniques. Our results show that Spy VI generally falls within the Neandertal range of variation. However, this specimen also exhibits particular traits, notably in the dental internal structural organization, which reveals that variation in the immature Neandertal variation is larger than what was variation currently represented by the available fossil record. These observations demonstrate the need for investigating the frequency and expression of immature Neandertal traits in fossil anterior teeth, as well as their temporal and geographic variation. Direct radiocarbon dating of the Spy VI specimen has been conducted in two different laboratories. The results of Spy VI confirm the age previously determined for the two adults, making the Spy Neandertal remains the youngest ever directly dated in northwest Europe.}, }
@article {pmid20862760, year = {2010}, author = {Sundermann, U and Kushnir, S and Schulz, F}, title = {The development of DNA sequencing: from the genome of a bacteriophage to that of a Neanderthal.}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)}, volume = {49}, number = {47}, pages = {8795-8797}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201003880}, pmid = {20862760}, issn = {1521-3773}, mesh = {Animals ; Bacteriophages/genetics ; Genome, Human ; Genome, Viral ; Genomics/*history ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Hominidae/genetics ; Human Genome Project ; Humans ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*history ; Sequence Analysis, RNA/history ; }, }
@article {pmid20834053, year = {2010}, author = {Frayer, DW and Fiore, I and Lalueza-Fox, C and Radovcić, J and Bondioli, L}, title = {Right handed Neandertals: Vindija and beyond.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {88}, number = {}, pages = {113-127}, pmid = {20834053}, issn = {1827-4765}, mesh = {Anthropology, Physical ; Anthropometry/methods ; Croatia ; *Fossils ; *Functional Laterality ; Humans ; Tooth Injuries ; }, abstract = {Seven Vindija (Croatia) Neandertal teeth, dated about 32,000 years ago, were analyzed to determine patterning of scratches on the anterior teeth. Oblique scratches exclusively on the labial faces of incisors and canines represent a distinctive pattern, characteristic of hand directed, non-masticatory activities. At Vindija and elsewhere these scratches reveal activities, which were performed primarily with the right hand. The late Neandertals from Vindija, combined with other studies, show that European Neandertals were predominately right-handed with a ratio 15:2 (88.2%), a frequency similar to living people. Studies of teeth from Atapuerca extend this modern ratio to more than 500,000 years ago and increase the frequency of right- handers in the European fossil record to almost 94%. Species-wide, preferential right-handedness is a defining feature of modern Homo sapiens, tied to brain laterality and language with the 9:1 ratio of right- to left- handers - a reflection of the link between left hemispheric dominance and language. Up-to-date behavioral and anatomical studies of Neandertal fossils and the recent discovery of their possession of the FOXP2 gene indicate Neandertals (and, very likely, their European ancestors) had linguistic capacities similar to living humans.}, }
@article {pmid20798139, year = {2011}, author = {Gralle, M and Pääbo, S}, title = {A comprehensive functional analysis of ancestral human signal peptides.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {28}, number = {1}, pages = {25-28}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/msq223}, pmid = {20798139}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; *Amino Acid Substitution ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Fossils ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Protein Sorting Signals/*genetics ; *Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {With the sequencing of the Neandertal genome, it has become possible to identify amino acid substitutions that occurred on the human lineage since its separation from the Neandertal lineage. Conceptually, it will therefore be possible to functionally analyze all such amino acid substitutions in the future. Here, we analyze the function of substitutions that occurred during recent human evolution in N-terminal signal peptides. We develop a high-throughput flow cytometry-based assay to analyze signal peptide efficiency as the ratio of surface to total reporter protein per live cell. Such ratios differed significantly among signal peptides derived from different human genes. However, no modern human signal peptide differed significantly from its ancestral counterpart, an observation compatible with the predictions of the neutral theory of molecular evolution.}, }
@article {pmid20731247, year = {2010}, author = {Giuffra, V and Minozzi, S and Marinozzi, S and Fornaciari, G}, title = {Antonio Ascenzi (1915-2000), a pathologist devoted to anthropology and paleopathology.}, journal = {Pathologica}, volume = {102}, number = {1}, pages = {1-5}, pmid = {20731247}, issn = {0031-2983}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology ; Biological Evolution ; *Bone and Bones/abnormalities/pathology/physiology ; Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mummies ; *Paleopathology ; *Pathology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Antonio Ascenzi is well known within the scientific community for his original contributions to morbid anatomy and in particular for his studies on the fields of bone biology, bone biomechanics, haematology and congenital heart disease. Additionally, Ascenzi was also interested in human evolution and applied his deep knowledge of pathology to ancient human remains, conducting research in paleoanthropology on fossilized Neanderthal specimens found in Italy. The name of Ascenzi is linked with the discovery and study of the most ancient Italian bone fossils, namely the Ceprano skull, an early specimen of Homo erectus. Furthermore, his pioneering researches on the Uan Muhuggiag and Grottarossa mummies and his rigorous studies on several aspects and problems concerning the pathologies of past human populations made him a pioneer in the fields of Italian mummiology and paleopathology. The thread that linked his diversified research interests outside and within human anthropology was a profound passion for the search and discovery of scientific truth.}, }
@article {pmid20717978, year = {2010}, author = {Hünemeier, T and Ruiz-Linares, A and Silveira, A and Paixão-Côrtes, VR and Salzano, FM and Bortolini, MC}, title = {Brief communication: Population data support the adaptive nature of HACNS1 sapiens/neandertal-chimpanzee differences in a limb expression domain.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {143}, number = {3}, pages = {478-481}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21378}, pmid = {20717978}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; *Enhancer Elements, Genetic ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genetics, Population ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Racial Groups/genetics ; Sequence Alignment ; }, abstract = {The 546-base pair enhancer of limb expression HACNS1, which is highly constrained in all terrestrial vertebrates, has accumulated 16 human-specific changes after the human-chimpanzee split. There has been discussion whether this process was driven by positive selection or biased gene conversion, without considering population data. We studied 83 South Amerindian, 11 Eskimo, 35 Europeans, 37 Bantu, and non-Bantu Sub-Saharan speakers, and 28 Brazilian mestizo samples and found no variation in this DNA region. Similar lack of variability in this region was found in four Africans, five Europeans or Euro-derived, two Asians, one Paleo-Eskimo, and one Neandertal sequence, whose whole genomes are publicly available. No difference was found. This result favors the interpretation of past positive and present conservative selection, as would expected in a region which influences Homo-specific traits as important as opposable thumbs, manual dexterity, and bipedal walking. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.}, }
@article {pmid20708775, year = {2010}, author = {Harvati, K and Hublin, JJ and Gunz, P}, title = {Evolution of middle-late Pleistocene human cranio-facial form: a 3-D approach.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {59}, number = {5}, pages = {445-464}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.06.005}, pmid = {20708775}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Europe ; Face/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Humans ; *Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Phylogeny ; Principal Component Analysis ; Reproducibility of Results ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The classification and phylogenetic relationships of the middle Pleistocene human fossil record remains one of the most intractable problems in paleoanthropology. Several authors have noted broad resemblances between European and African fossils from this period, suggesting a single taxon ancestral to both modern humans and Neanderthals. Others point out 'incipient' Neanderthal features in the morphology of the European sample and have argued for their inclusion in the Neanderthal lineage exclusively, following a model of accretionary evolution of Neanderthals. We approach these questions using geometric morphometric methods which allow the intuitive visualization and quantification of features previously described qualitatively. We apply these techniques to evaluate proposed cranio-facial 'incipient' facial, vault, and basicranial traits in a middle-late Pleistocene European hominin sample when compared to a sample of the same time depth from Africa. Some of the features examined followed the predictions of the accretion model and relate the middle Pleistocene European material to the later Neanderthals. However, although our analysis showed a clear separation between Neanderthals and early/recent modern humans and morphological proximity between European specimens from OIS 7 to 3, it also shows that the European hominins from the first half of the middle Pleistocene still shared most of their cranio-facial architecture with their African contemporaries.}, }
@article {pmid20684369, year = {2010}, author = {Shermer, M}, title = {Our neandertal brethren.}, journal = {Scientific American}, volume = {303}, number = {2}, pages = {34}, doi = {10.1038/scientificamerican0810-34}, pmid = {20684369}, issn = {0036-8733}, mesh = {Animals ; Breeding ; Emigration and Immigration ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Reproduction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Species Specificity ; }, }
@article {pmid20623604, year = {2011}, author = {Estalrrich, A and Rosas, A and García-Vargas, S and García-Tabernero, A and Santamaría, D and de la Rasilla, M}, title = {Brief communication: Subvertical grooves on interproximal wear facets from the El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain) Neandertal dental sample.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {144}, number = {1}, pages = {154-161}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21359}, pmid = {20623604}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Child ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Paleodontology ; Spain ; Tooth Abrasion/*pathology ; Tooth Erosion/*pathology ; }, abstract = {The distribution of subvertical grooves on interproximal wear dental facets from the El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain) Neandertals is described and analyzed. Out of 93 teeth, 64.5% present subvertical grooves, including a high frequency (50%) on the anterior dentition. Contrary to some studies, subvertical grooves from adjacent facets perfectly overlap each other and do not interdigitate, probably forming small channels. Both the facet and the groove surface share the same polished appearance, suggesting a common origin. Statistical analyses reveal that the number of grooves is neither dependent on the degree of occlusal wear, nor on the position on the tooth or the individual's age. However, facet width is an important factor determining the number of subvertical grooves. The etiology of subvertical grooves formation on Neandertal teeth remains unclear.}, }
@article {pmid20620905, year = {2010}, author = {Hodgson, JA and Bergey, CM and Disotell, TR}, title = {Neandertal genome: the ins and outs of African genetic diversity.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {20}, number = {12}, pages = {R517-9}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2010.05.018}, pmid = {20620905}, issn = {1879-0445}, mesh = {Animals ; *Genetic Variation ; *Genome ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; }, abstract = {Analysis of the Neandertal genome indicates gene flow between Neandertals and modern humans of Eurasia but not Africa. This surprising result is difficult to reconcile with current models of human origins and might have to do with insufficient African sampling.}, }
@article {pmid20600209, year = {2010}, author = {Cyran, KA and Kimmel, M}, title = {Alternatives to the Wright-Fisher model: the robustness of mitochondrial Eve dating.}, journal = {Theoretical population biology}, volume = {78}, number = {3}, pages = {165-172}, doi = {10.1016/j.tpb.2010.06.001}, pmid = {20600209}, issn = {1096-0325}, mesh = {Animals ; Chronology as Topic ; Computer Simulation ; Confidence Intervals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; *Extinction, Biological ; Genetic Variation ; Genetics, Population ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Mitochondria/genetics ; *Models, Genetic ; Models, Statistical ; Mutation ; Poisson Distribution ; *Population Density ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Methods of calculating the distributions of the time to coalescence depend on the underlying model of population demography. In particular, the models assuming deterministic evolution of population size may not be applicable to populations evolving stochastically. Therefore the study of coalescence models involving stochastic demography is important for applications. One interesting approach which includes stochasticity is the O'Connell limit theory of genealogy in branching processes. Our paper explores how many generations are needed for the limiting distributions of O'Connell to become adequate approximations of exact distributions. We perform extensive simulations of slightly supercritical branching processes and compare the results to the O'Connell limits. Coalescent computations under the Wright-Fisher model are compared with limiting O'Connell results and with full genealogy-based predictions. These results are used to estimate the age of the so-called mitochondrial Eve, i.e., the root of the mitochondrial polymorphisms of the modern humans based on the DNA from humans and Neanderthal fossils.}, }
@article {pmid20583654, year = {2010}, author = {Wong, K}, title = {Our inner Neandertal.}, journal = {Scientific American}, volume = {303}, number = {1}, pages = {18-20}, doi = {10.1038/scientificamerican0710-18}, pmid = {20583654}, issn = {0036-8733}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones/chemistry ; Croatia ; DNA/analysis ; DNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, }
@article {pmid20570316, year = {2010}, author = {Daura, J and Sanz, M and Pike, AW and Subirà, ME and Fornós, JJ and Fullola, JM and Julià, R and Zilhão, J}, title = {Stratigraphic context and direct dating of the Neandertal mandible from Cova del Gegant (Sitges, Barcelona).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {59}, number = {1}, pages = {109-122}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.04.009}, pmid = {20570316}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Geologic Sediments/*chemistry ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Spain ; Thorium/analysis ; Uranium/analysis ; X-Ray Diffraction ; }, abstract = {Stratigraphic study of the Cova del Gegant's sedimentary fill revealed different cycles of accumulation of typical interior cave and delta facies. A precise chronology for these deposits, the faunal remains and stone tools contained therein was obtained by radiocarbon, U-Th and OSL. Our results indicate that the Upper Pleistocene archaeological sequence dates between 49.3 +/- 1.8 ka BP, the U-Th age of the overlying flowstone, and 60.0 +/- 3.9 ka BP, the OSL age of the basal deposits. We have also directly dated the site's Neandertal mandible to 52.3 +/- 2.3 ka by U-Th.}, }
@article {pmid20541789, year = {2011}, author = {Frumkin, A and Bar-Yosef, O and Schwarcz, HP}, title = {Possible paleohydrologic and paleoclimatic effects on hominin migration and occupation of the Levantine Middle Paleolithic.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {60}, number = {4}, pages = {437-451}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.03.010}, pmid = {20541789}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Biological Evolution ; *Climate Change ; Desert Climate ; *Emigration and Immigration ; *Fossils ; Geologic Sediments ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Middle East ; Paleontology ; *Water Cycle ; }, abstract = {This paper explores the impact of major glacial/interglacial paleohydrologic variations in the Middle-Paleolithic Levant on hominin migration and occupation. The climatic reconstruction is based primarily on the most straight-forward paleohydrologic records recently published. These terrestrial proxies convey direct paleoenvironmental signals of effective precipitation and aquifer recharge. The two main proxies are temporal changes of terminal lake levels in the Dead Sea basin and periods of deposition or non-deposition of speleothems. Other records, such as stable isotopes, if interpreted correctly, correspond well with these two direct proxies. All the records consistently indicate that the last two glacial periods in the central Levant were generally wet and cool, while the last two interglacials were dry and warm, so more water was available for the ecosystem and thus hominins during glacial periods than during interglacials. Some proxies indicate that the higher precipitation/evaporation ratio during glacial periods involved higher precipitation rather than only reduced evaporation. Beyond the general mean glacial/interglacial climate suggested here, variations occurred at all temporal scales throughout glacial or interglacial periods. In the Sahara-Negev arid barrier, moister conditions occurred during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6a-5e, when Anatomically Modern Humans apparently migrated out of Africa. We suggest that this migration, as well as the later Neanderthal expansion from Southeast Europe or the Anatolian plateau into the Levant during early MIS 4, could be facilitated by the observed major climatic variations.}, }
@article {pmid20510437, year = {2010}, author = {Endicott, P and Ho, SY and Stringer, C}, title = {Using genetic evidence to evaluate four palaeoanthropological hypotheses for the timing of Neanderthal and modern human origins.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {59}, number = {1}, pages = {87-95}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.04.005}, pmid = {20510437}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Bayes Theorem ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Fossils ; *Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Models, Genetic ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Alignment ; }, abstract = {A better understanding of the evolutionary relationship between modern humans and Neanderthals is essential for improving the resolution of hominin phylogenetic hypotheses. Currently, four distinct chronologies for the timing of population divergence are available, ranging from the late Middle Pleistocene to the late Early Pleistocene, each based on different interpretations of hominin taxonomy. Genetic data can present an independent estimate of the evolutionary timescale involved, making it possible to distinguish between these competing models of hominin evolution. We analysed five dated Neanderthal mitochondrial genomes, together with those of 54 modern humans, and inferred a genetic chronology using multiple age calibrations. Our mean date estimates are consistent with a process of genetic divergence within an ancestral population, commencing approximately 410-440 ka. These results suggest that a reappraisal of key elements in the Pleistocene hominin fossil record may now be required.}, }
@article {pmid20498832, year = {2010}, author = {Lari, M and Rizzi, E and Milani, L and Corti, G and Balsamo, C and Vai, S and Catalano, G and Pilli, E and Longo, L and Condemi, S and Giunti, P and Hänni, C and De Bellis, G and Orlando, L and Barbujani, G and Caramelli, D}, title = {The microcephalin ancestral allele in a Neanderthal individual.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {5}, number = {5}, pages = {e10648}, pmid = {20498832}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {*Alleles ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; *Fossils ; Genetic Loci/genetics ; Humans ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/*genetics ; *Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The high frequency (around 0.70 worldwide) and the relatively young age (between 14,000 and 62,000 years) of a derived group of haplotypes, haplogroup D, at the microcephalin (MCPH1) locus led to the proposal that haplogroup D originated in a human lineage that separated from modern humans >1 million years ago, evolved under strong positive selection, and passed into the human gene pool by an episode of admixture circa 37,000 years ago. The geographic distribution of haplogroup D, with marked differences between Africa and Eurasia, suggested that the archaic human form admixing with anatomically modern humans might have been Neanderthal.<br><br>Here we report the first PCR amplification and high-throughput sequencing of nuclear DNA at the microcephalin (MCPH1) locus from Neanderthal individual from Mezzena Rockshelter (Monti Lessini, Italy). We show that a well-preserved Neanderthal fossil dated at approximately 50,000 years B.P., was homozygous for the ancestral, non-D, allele. The high yield of Neanderthal mtDNA sequences of the studied specimen, the pattern of nucleotide misincorporation among sequences consistent with post-mortem DNA damage and an accurate control of the MCPH1 alleles in all personnel that manipulated the sample, make it extremely unlikely that this result might reflect modern DNA contamination.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The MCPH1 genotype of the Monti Lessini (MLS) Neanderthal does not prove that there was no interbreeding between anatomically archaic and modern humans in Europe, but certainly shows that speculations on a possible Neanderthal origin of what is now the most common MCPH1 haplogroup are not supported by empirical evidence from ancient DNA.}, }
@article {pmid20448179, year = {2010}, author = {Burbano, HA and Hodges, E and Green, RE and Briggs, AW and Krause, J and Meyer, M and Good, JM and Maricic, T and Johnson, PL and Xuan, Z and Rooks, M and Bhattacharjee, A and Brizuela, L and Albert, FW and de la Rasilla, M and Fortea, J and Rosas, A and Lachmann, M and Hannon, GJ and Pääbo, S}, title = {Targeted investigation of the Neandertal genome by array-based sequence capture.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {328}, number = {5979}, pages = {723-725}, pmid = {20448179}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {P01 CA013106/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; P01 CA013106-38/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; P01 CA013106-39/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; }, mesh = {Amino Acid Substitution ; Animals ; Fossils ; Genes ; *Genome ; *Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis/*methods ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Proteins/chemistry/genetics ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {It is now possible to perform whole-genome shotgun sequencing as well as capture of specific genomic regions for extinct organisms. However, targeted resequencing of large parts of nuclear genomes has yet to be demonstrated for ancient DNA. Here we show that hybridization capture on microarrays can successfully recover more than a megabase of target regions from Neandertal DNA even in the presence of approximately 99.8% microbial DNA. Using this approach, we have sequenced approximately 14,000 protein-coding positions inferred to have changed on the human lineage since the last common ancestor shared with chimpanzees. By generating the sequence of one Neandertal and 50 present-day humans at these positions, we have identified 88 amino acid substitutions that have become fixed in humans since our divergence from the Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid20448178, year = {2010}, author = {Green, RE and Krause, J and Briggs, AW and Maricic, T and Stenzel, U and Kircher, M and Patterson, N and Li, H and Zhai, W and Fritz, MH and Hansen, NF and Durand, EY and Malaspinas, AS and Jensen, JD and Marques-Bonet, T and Alkan, C and Prüfer, K and Meyer, M and Burbano, HA and Good, JM and Schultz, R and Aximu-Petri, A and Butthof, A and Höber, B and Höffner, B and Siegemund, M and Weihmann, A and Nusbaum, C and Lander, ES and Russ, C and Novod, N and Affourtit, J and Egholm, M and Verna, C and Rudan, P and Brajkovic, D and Kucan, &#x17d; and Gušic, I and Doronichev, VB and Golovanova, LV and Lalueza-Fox, C and de la Rasilla, M and Fortea, J and Rosas, A and Schmitz, RW and Johnson, PLF and Eichler, EE and Falush, D and Birney, E and Mullikin, JC and Slatkin, M and Nielsen, R and Kelso, J and Lachmann, M and Reich, D and Pääbo, S}, title = {A draft sequence of the Neandertal genome.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {328}, number = {5979}, pages = {710-722}, pmid = {20448178}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; /HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/United States ; /ImNIH/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ; GM40282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Asian People/genetics ; Base Sequence ; Black People/genetics ; Bone and Bones ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Extinction, Biological ; Female ; *Fossils ; Gene Dosage ; Gene Flow ; Genetic Variation ; *Genome ; *Genome, Human ; Haplotypes ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Selection, Genetic ; Sequence Alignment ; *Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Time ; White People/genetics ; }, abstract = {Neandertals, the closest evolutionary relatives of present-day humans, lived in large parts of Europe and western Asia before disappearing 30,000 years ago. We present a draft sequence of the Neandertal genome composed of more than 4 billion nucleotides from three individuals. Comparisons of the Neandertal genome to the genomes of five present-day humans from different parts of the world identify a number of genomic regions that may have been affected by positive selection in ancestral modern humans, including genes involved in metabolism and in cognitive and skeletal development. We show that Neandertals shared more genetic variants with present-day humans in Eurasia than with present-day humans in sub-Saharan Africa, suggesting that gene flow from Neandertals into the ancestors of non-Africans occurred before the divergence of Eurasian groups from each other.}, }
@article {pmid20439435, year = {2010}, author = {Noonan, JP}, title = {Neanderthal genomics and the evolution of modern humans.}, journal = {Genome research}, volume = {20}, number = {5}, pages = {547-553}, pmid = {20439435}, issn = {1549-5469}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; DNA/analysis/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Forkhead Transcription Factors/genetics ; *Fossils ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; *Genomics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Mice ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Primates/genetics ; Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Humans possess unique physical and cognitive characteristics relative to other primates. Comparative analyses of the human and chimpanzee genomes are beginning to reveal sequence changes on the human lineage that may have contributed to the evolution of human traits. However, these studies cannot identify the genetic differences that distinguish modern humans from archaic human species. Here, I will discuss efforts to obtain genomic sequence from Neanderthal, the closest known relative of modern humans. Recent studies in this nascent field have focused on developing methods to recover nuclear DNA from Neanderthal remains. The success of these early studies has inspired a Neanderthal genome project, which promises to produce a reference Neanderthal genome sequence in the near future. Technical issues, such as the level of Neanderthal sequence coverage that can realistically be obtained from a single specimen and the presence of modern human contaminating sequences, reduce the detection of authentic human-Neanderthal sequence differences but may be remedied by methodological improvements. More critical for the utility of a Neanderthal genome sequence is the evolutionary relationship of humans and Neanderthals. Current evidence suggests that the modern human and Neanderthal lineages diverged before the emergence of contemporary humans. A fraction of biologically relevant human-chimpanzee sequence differences are thus likely to have arisen and become fixed exclusively on the modern human lineage. A reconstructed Neanderthal genome sequence could be integrated into human-primate genome comparisons to help reveal the evolutionary genetic events that produced modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid20414896, year = {2010}, author = {Shapiro, B and Hofreiter, M}, title = {Analysis of ancient human genomes: using next generation sequencing, 20-fold coverage of the genome of a 4,000-year-old human from Greenland has been obtained.}, journal = {BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology}, volume = {32}, number = {5}, pages = {388-391}, doi = {10.1002/bies.201000026}, pmid = {20414896}, issn = {1521-1878}, mesh = {Archaeology ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Fossils ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; Greenland ; Humans ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {High-capacity sequencing technologies have dramatically reduced both the cost and time required to generate complete human genome sequences. Besides expanding our knowledge about existing diversity, the nature of these technologies makes it possible to extend knowledge in yet another dimension: time. Recently, the complete genome sequence of a 4,000-year-old human from the Saqqaq culture of Greenland was determined to 20-fold coverage. These data make it possible to investigate the population affinities of this enigmatic culture and, by identifying several phenotypic traits of this individual, provide a limited glimpse into how these people may have looked. While undoubtedly a milestone in ancient DNA research, the cost to generate an ancient genome, even from such an exceptionally preserved specimen, remains out of reach for most. Nonetheless, recently developed DNA capture methods, already applied to Neanderthal and fossil human mitochondrial DNA, may soon make large-scale genome-wide analysis of ancient human diversity a reality, providing a fresh look at human population history.}, }
@article {pmid20340096, year = {2010}, author = {Been, E and Barash, A and Marom, A and Aizenberg, I and Kramer, PA}, title = {A new model for calculating the lumbar lordosis angle in early hominids and in the spine of the neanderthal from Kebara.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {293}, number = {7}, pages = {1140-1145}, doi = {10.1002/ar.21145}, pmid = {20340096}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {Animals ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*diagnostic imaging ; Lumbosacral Region ; Models, Anatomic ; Posture ; Radiography ; }, abstract = {The debate over the posture of early hominids is longstanding, perhaps because the absence of a reliable method for reconstructing the lumbar lordosis angle (LA) in early hominid spines has made it difficult to determine whether their posture resembled or differed from that of modern humans. We have developed a new model for predicting the lordotic curvature of the lumbar spine of early hominids based on the relationship between the lordotic curvature and the orientation of the articular processes in the lumbar spines of living primates (modern humans and nonhuman primates). The orientation of the inferior articular processes explains 89% of the variation in lordotic curvature among living primates and, thus, should be a reliable predictor of the lumbar LA in disarticulated hominid spines. Based on this model, we calculated a LA of 25-26 degree angle for the Kebara 2 Neanderthal. The calculated value for Kebara 2 is below the normal range of lordosis for modern humans (30-79 degree angle).}, }
@article {pmid20336068, year = {2010}, author = {Krause, J and Fu, Q and Good, JM and Viola, B and Shunkov, MV and Derevianko, AP and Pääbo, S}, title = {The complete mitochondrial DNA genome of an unknown hominin from southern Siberia.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {464}, number = {7290}, pages = {894-897}, pmid = {20336068}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Africa/ethnology ; Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Emigration and Immigration ; Extinction, Biological ; Finger Phalanges ; Genome, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Hominidae/*classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; *Phylogeny ; Sequence Alignment ; Siberia ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {With the exception of Neanderthals, from which DNA sequences of numerous individuals have now been determined, the number and genetic relationships of other hominin lineages are largely unknown. Here we report a complete mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequence retrieved from a bone excavated in 2008 in Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains in southern Siberia. It represents a hitherto unknown type of hominin mtDNA that shares a common ancestor with anatomically modern human and Neanderthal mtDNAs about 1.0 million years ago. This indicates that it derives from a hominin migration out of Africa distinct from that of the ancestors of Neanderthals and of modern humans. The stratigraphy of the cave where the bone was found suggests that the Denisova hominin lived close in time and space with Neanderthals as well as with modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid20235317, year = {2010}, author = {Wang, Q and Wright, BW and Smith, A and Chalk, J and Byron, CD}, title = {Mechanical impact of incisor loading on the primate midfacial skeleton and its relevance to human evolution.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {293}, number = {4}, pages = {607-617}, doi = {10.1002/ar.21123}, pmid = {20235317}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Facial Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Finite Element Analysis ; Fossils ; Humans ; Incisor/*physiology ; Macaca fascicularis/anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Models, Anatomic ; Primates/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Software ; Stress, Mechanical ; }, abstract = {The midfacial skeleton in the human lineage demonstrates a wide spectrum of variation that may be the consequence of different environmental and mechanical selective pressures. However, different facial configurations may develop under comparable selective regimes. For example, the Neanderthal high and projected face and the Inuit broad and flat face are hypothesized to be the consequence of (1) life in a cold climate, and (2) excessive paramasticatory stresses focused on the anterior dentition. In this study, the second of these two hypotheses is tested using finite element analyses of a monkey skull. Results indicate that incisor loading induces heavy stress in the anterior midface of macaques. Additional analyses using incremental increases in the anteroinferior tilt of the skull to simulate different magnitudes of facial projection revealed that comparable muscular force generates less stress in a less-projected face. However, the findings of our final analyses, which attempted to combine biting with the incisors and pulling with the hands, differed from the analyses that mimicked only incisor loading (without any sort of anterior pulling component). These findings suggest that shortening the face may be the most effective way to compensate for anterior dental loading but not necessarily offset the forces incurred when using the anterior dentition as a vice for various paramasticatory behaviors. Although Neanderthals may have frequently loaded their anterior dentition, countervailing selection pressures, such as the inclusion of tough foods in the diet that demanded molar grinding, may have selected for a longer face with a lower load- to lever-arm ratio.}, }
@article {pmid20229503, year = {2010}, author = {Bondioli, L and Bayle, P and Dean, C and Mazurier, A and Puymerail, L and Ruff, C and Stock, JT and Volpato, V and Zanolli, C and Macchiarelli, R}, title = {Technical note: Morphometric maps of long bone shafts and dental roots for imaging topographic thickness variation.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {142}, number = {2}, pages = {328-334}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21271}, pmid = {20229503}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adult ; Child, Preschool ; Dentin/anatomy &amp; histology ; Femur/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/*methods ; Male ; Organ Size ; Paleodontology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods ; Tooth Root/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Qualitative and quantitative characterization through functional imaging of mineralized tissues is of potential value in the study of the odontoskeletal remains. This technique, widely developed in the medical field, allows the bi-dimensional, planar representation of some local morphometric properties, i.e., topographic thickness variation, of a three-dimensional object, such as a long bone shaft. Nonetheless, the use of morphometric maps is still limited in (paleo)anthropology, and their feasibility has not been adequately tested on fossil specimens. Using high-resolution microtomographic images, here we apply bi-dimensional virtual "unrolling" and synthetic thickness mapping techniques to compare cortical bone topographic variation across the shaft in a modern and a fossil human adult femur (the Magdalenian from Chancelade). We also test, for the first time, the possibility to virtually unroll and assess for dentine thickness variation in modern and fossil (the Neanderthal child from Roc de Marsal) human deciduous tooth roots. The analyses demonstrate the feasibility of using two-dimensional morphometric maps for the synthetic functional imaging and comparative biomechanical interpretation of cortical bone thickness variation in extant and fossil specimens and show the interest of using this technique also for the subtle characterization of root architecture and dentine topography. More specifically, our preliminary results support the use of virtual cartography as a tool for assessing to what extent internal root morphology is capable of responding to loading and directional stresses and strains in a predictable way.}, }
@article {pmid20172660, year = {2010}, author = {Wolff, H and Greenwood, AD}, title = {Did viral disease of humans wipe out the Neandertals?.}, journal = {Medical hypotheses}, volume = {75}, number = {1}, pages = {99-105}, pmid = {20172660}, issn = {1532-2777}, mesh = {Animals ; Extinction, Biological ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Virus Diseases/*mortality ; }, abstract = {Neandertals were an anatomically distinct hominoid species inhabiting a vast geographical area ranging from Portugal to western Siberia and from northern Europe to the Middle East. The species became extinct 28,000 years ago, coinciding with the arrival of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) in Europe 40,000 years ago. There has been considerable debate surrounding the main causes of the extinction of Neandertals. After at least 200,000 years of successful adaption to the climate, flora and fauna of Eurasia, it is not clear why they suddenly failed to survive. For many years, climate change or competition with anatomically modern human (AMH) have been the leading hypotheses. Recently these hypotheses have somewhat fallen out of favour due to the recognition that Neandertals were a highly developed species with complex social structure, culture and technical skills. Were AMHs lucky and survived some catastrophe that eradicated the Neandertals? It seems unlikely that this is the case considering the close timing of the arrival of AMHs and the disappearance of Neandertals. Perhaps the arrival of AMHs also brought additional new non-human microscopic inhabitants to the regions where Neandertals lived and these new inhabitants contributed to the disappearance of the species. We introduce a medical hypothesis that complements other recent explanations for the extinction of Neandertals. After the ancestors of Neandertals left Africa, their immune system adapted gradually to the pathogens in their new Eurasian environment. In contrast, AMHs continued to co-evolve with east African pathogens. More than 200,000 years later, AMHs carried pathogens that would have been alien to pre-historic Europe. First contact between long separated populations can be devastating. Recent European and American history provides evidence for similar events, where introduction of viral, protozoan or bacterial pathogens to immunologically naïve populations lead to mass mortality and local population extinction. We propose that a virus, possibly from the family Herpesviridae, contributed to Neandertal extinction.}, }
@article {pmid20161786, year = {2010}, author = {Daniau, AL and d'Errico, F and Sánchez Goñi, MF}, title = {Testing the hypothesis of fire use for ecosystem management by neanderthal and upper palaeolithic modern human populations.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {5}, number = {2}, pages = {e9157}, pmid = {20161786}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Archaeology ; Asia, Southeastern ; Australia ; *Biological Evolution ; Biomass ; Charcoal/analysis ; Climate ; Conservation of Natural Resources/*methods ; *Ecosystem ; Europe ; *Fires ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that a greater control and more extensive use of fire was one of the behavioral innovations that emerged in Africa among early Modern Humans, favouring their spread throughout the world and determining their eventual evolutionary success. We would expect, if extensive fire use for ecosystem management were a component of the modern human technical and cognitive package, as suggested for Australia, to find major disturbances in the natural biomass burning variability associated with the colonisation of Europe by Modern Humans.<br><br>Analyses of microcharcoal preserved in two deep-sea cores located off Iberia and France were used to reconstruct changes in biomass burning between 70 and 10 kyr cal BP. Results indicate that fire regime follows the Dansgaard-Oeschger climatic variability and its impacts on fuel load. No major disturbance in natural fire regime variability is observed at the time of the arrival of Modern Humans in Europe or during the remainder of the Upper Palaeolithic (40-10 kyr cal BP).<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Results indicate that either Neanderthals and Modern humans did not influence fire regime or that, if they did, their respective influence was comparable at a regional scale, and not as pronounced as that observed in the biomass burning history of Southeast Asia.}, }
@article {pmid20111705, year = {2010}, author = {Zilhão, J and Davis, SJ and Duarte, C and Soares, AM and Steier, P and Wild, E}, title = {Pego do Diabo (Loures, Portugal): dating the emergence of anatomical modernity in westernmost Eurasia.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, pages = {e8880}, pmid = {20111705}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {*Anatomy ; Animals ; *Anthropology ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Portugal ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Neandertals and the Middle Paleolithic persisted in the Iberian Peninsula south of the Ebro drainage system for several millennia beyond their assimilation/replacement elsewhere in Europe. As only modern humans are associated with the later stages of the Aurignacian, the duration of this persistence pattern can be assessed via the dating of diagnostic occurrences of such stages.<br><br>Using AMS radiocarbon and advanced pretreatment techniques, we dated a set of stratigraphically associated faunal samples from an Aurignacian III-IV context excavated at the Portuguese cave site of Pego do Diabo. Our results establish a secure terminus ante quem of ca. 34,500 calendar years ago for the assimilation/replacement process in westernmost Eurasia. Combined with the chronology of the regional Late Mousterian and with less precise dating evidence for the Aurignacian II, they place the denouement of that process in the 37th millennium before present.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings have implications for the understanding of the emergence of anatomical modernity in the Old World as a whole, support explanations of the archaic features of the Lagar Velho child's anatomy that invoke evolutionarily significant Neandertal/modern admixture at the time of contact, and counter suggestions that Neandertals could have survived in southwest Iberia until as late as the Last Glacial Maximum.}, }
@article {pmid20107973, year = {2010}, author = {Urbanowski, M and Socha, P and Dabrowski, P and Nowaczewska, W and Sadakierska-Chudy, A and Dobosz, T and Stefaniak, K and Nadachowski, A}, title = {The first Neanderthal tooth found North of the Carpathian Mountains.}, journal = {Die Naturwissenschaften}, volume = {97}, number = {4}, pages = {411-415}, pmid = {20107973}, issn = {1432-1904}, mesh = {DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Dental Occlusion ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Maxilla/anatomy &amp; histology ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology ; Poland ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/ultrastructure ; }, abstract = {An upper second permanent molar from a human was found alongside numerous tools of the Micoquian tradition and was excavated in Stajnia Cave, which is located over 100 km North of the Carpathian Mountains in southern Poland. The age of these finds has been established within a time-span of late Saalian to early Weichselian, most likely to OIS 5c or 5a, according to the palaeontological, geological, archaeological and absolute dating of the layer from which they were obtained. An examination of the morphology of the human molar indicates that this tooth exhibits many traits frequently occurring in Neanderthal upper molars. Although the occurrence of derived Neanderthal traits in the Stajnia molar cannot be firmly established because of degradation of its cusps, the presence of the above-mentioned features allows the assertion that this tooth belonged to a Neanderthal. The age of the Stajnia tooth and the archaeological context of this find also indicate that this molar is of Neanderthal origin.}, }
@article {pmid20097404, year = {2010}, author = {Martínez-Moreno, J and Mora, R and de la Torre, I}, title = {The Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition in Cova Gran (Catalunya, Spain) and the extinction of Neanderthals in the Iberian Peninsula.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {58}, number = {3}, pages = {211-226}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.09.002}, pmid = {20097404}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Extinction, Biological ; *Fossils ; Geologic Sediments ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Radiometric Dating ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The excavations carried out in Cova Gran de Santa Linya (Southeastern PrePyrenees, Catalunya, Spain) have unearthed a new archaeological sequence attributable to the Middle Palaeoloithic/Upper Palaeolithic (MP/UP) transition. This article presents data on the stratigraphy, archaeology, and (14)C AMS dates of three Early Upper Palaeolithic and four Late Middle Palaeolithic levels excavated in Cova Gran. All these archaeological levels fall within the 34-32 ka time span, the temporal frame in which major events of Neanderthal extinction took place. The earliest Early Upper Palaeolithic (497D) and the latest Middle Palaeolithic (S1B) levels in Cova Gran are separated by a sterile gap and permit pinpointing the time period in which the Mousterian disappeared from Northeastern Spain. Technological differences between the Early Upper Palaeolithic and Late Middle Palaeolithic industries in Cova Gran support a cultural rupture between the two periods. A series of 12 (14)C AMS dates prompts reflections on the validity of reconstructions based on radiocarbon data. Thus, results from excavations in Cova Gran lead us to discuss the scenarios relating the MP/UP transition in the Iberian Peninsula, a region considered a refuge of late Neanderthal populations.}, }
@article {pmid20091808, year = {2010}, author = {Been, E and Peleg, S and Marom, A and Barash, A}, title = {Morphology and function of the lumbar spine of the Kebara 2 Neandertal.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {142}, number = {4}, pages = {549-557}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21256}, pmid = {20091808}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical ; *Anthropometry ; Female ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Male ; }, abstract = {The morphology of the lumbar spine is crucial for upright posture and bipedal walking in hominids. The excellent preservation of the lumbar spine of Kebara 2 provides us a rare opportunity to observe a complete spine and explore its functionally relevant morphology. The lumbar spine of Kebara 2 is analyzed and compared with the lumbar spines of modern humans and late Pleistocene hominids. Although no size differences between the vertebral bodies and pedicles of Kebara 2 and modern humans are found, significant differences in the size and orientation of the transverse processes (L(1)-L(4)), and the laminae (L(5), S(1)) are demonstrated. The similarity in the size of the vertebral bodies and pedicles of Kebara 2 and modern humans suggests similarity in axial load transmission along the lumbar spine. The laterally projected (L(2)-L(4)) and the cranially oriented (L(1), L(3)) transverse processes of Kebara 2 show an advantage for lateral flexion of the lumbar spine compared with modern humans. The characteristic morphology of the lumbar spine of Kebara 2 might be related to the wide span of its pelvic bones.}, }
@article {pmid20080653, year = {2010}, author = {Zilhão, J and Angelucci, DE and Badal-García, E and d'Errico, F and Daniel, F and Dayet, L and Douka, K and Higham, TF and Martínez-Sánchez, MJ and Montes-Bernárdez, R and Murcia-Mascarós, S and Pérez-Sirvent, C and Roldán-García, C and Vanhaeren, M and Villaverde, V and Wood, R and Zapata, J}, title = {Symbolic use of marine shells and mineral pigments by Iberian Neandertals.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {107}, number = {3}, pages = {1023-1028}, pmid = {20080653}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology ; *Coloring Agents ; *Minerals ; *Mollusca ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Two sites of the Neandertal-associated Middle Paleolithic of Iberia, dated to as early as approximately 50,000 years ago, yielded perforated and pigment-stained marine shells. At Cueva de los Aviones, three umbo-perforated valves of Acanthocardia and Glycymeris were found alongside lumps of yellow and red colorants, and residues preserved inside a Spondylus shell consist of a red lepidocrocite base mixed with ground, dark red-to-black fragments of hematite and pyrite. A perforated Pecten shell, painted on its external, white side with an orange mix of goethite and hematite, was abandoned after breakage at Cueva Antón, 60 km inland. Comparable early modern human-associated material from Africa and the Near East is widely accepted as evidence for body ornamentation, implying behavioral modernity. The Iberian finds show that European Neandertals were no different from coeval Africans in this regard, countering genetic/cognitive explanations for the emergence of symbolism and strengthening demographic/social ones.}, }
@article {pmid20080622, year = {2010}, author = {Bayle, P and Macchiarelli, R and Trinkaus, E and Duarte, C and Mazurier, A and Zilhão, J}, title = {Dental maturational sequence and dental tissue proportions in the early Upper Paleolithic child from Abrigo do Lagar Velho, Portugal.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {107}, number = {4}, pages = {1338-1342}, pmid = {20080622}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Anthropology, Physical ; Bayes Theorem ; *Biological Evolution ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Portugal ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {Neandertals differ from recent and terminal Pleistocene human populations in their patterns of dental development, endostructural (internal structure) organization, and relative tissue proportions. Although significant changes in craniofacial and postcranial morphology have been found between the Middle Paleolithic and earlier Upper Paleolithic modern humans of western Eurasia and the terminal Pleistocene and Holocene inhabitants of the same region, most studies of dental maturation and structural morphology have compared Neandertals only to later Holocene humans. To assess whether earlier modern humans contrasted with later modern populations and possibly approached the Neandertal pattern, we used high-resolution microtomography to analyze the remarkably complete mixed dentition of the early Upper Paleolithic (Gravettian) child from Abrigo do Lagar Velho, Portugal, and compared it to a Neandertal sample, the late Upper Paleolithic (Magdalenian) child of La Madeleine, and a worldwide extant human sample. Some aspects of the dental maturational pattern and tooth endostructural organization of Lagar Velho 1 are absent from extant populations and the Magdalenian specimen and are currently documented only among Neandertals. Therefore, a simple Neandertal versus modern human dichotomy is inadequate to accommodate the morphostructural and developmental variation represented by Middle Paleolithic and earlier Upper Paleolithic populations. These data reinforce the complex nature of Neandertal-modern human similarities and differences, and document ongoing human evolution after the global establishment of modern human morphology.}, }
@article {pmid20075218, year = {2010}, author = {Balter, M}, title = {Archaeology. Neandertal jewelry shows their symbolic smarts.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {327}, number = {5963}, pages = {255-256}, doi = {10.1126/science.327.5963.255}, pmid = {20075218}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Jewelry ; Social Behavior ; Spain ; *Symbolism ; }, }
@article {pmid20045327, year = {2010}, author = {Krause, J and Briggs, AW and Kircher, M and Maricic, T and Zwyns, N and Derevianko, A and Pääbo, S}, title = {A complete mtDNA genome of an early modern human from Kostenki, Russia.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {20}, number = {3}, pages = {231-236}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2009.11.068}, pmid = {20045327}, issn = {1879-0445}, mesh = {DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics/*history/isolation &amp; purification ; Evolution, Molecular ; Fossils ; *Genome, Human ; *Genome, Mitochondrial ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Russia ; }, abstract = {The recovery of DNA sequences from early modern humans (EMHs) could shed light on their interactions with archaic groups such as Neandertals and their relationships to current human populations. However, such experiments are highly problematic because present-day human DNA frequently contaminates bones [1, 2]. For example, in a recent study of mitochondrial (mt) DNA from Neolithic European skeletons, sequence variants were only taken as authentic if they were absent or rare in the present population, whereas others had to be discounted as possible contamination [3, 4]. This limits analysis to EMH individuals carrying rare sequences and thus yields a biased view of the ancient gene pool. Other approaches of identifying contaminating DNA, such as genotyping all individuals who have come into contact with a sample, restrict analyses to specimens where this is possible [5, 6] and do not exclude all possible sources of contamination. By studying mtDNA in Neandertal remains, where contamination and endogenous DNA can be distinguished by sequence, we show that fragmentation patterns and nucleotide misincorporations can be used to gauge authenticity of ancient DNA sequences. We use these features to determine a complete mtDNA sequence from a approximately 30,000-year-old EMH from the Kostenki 14 site in Russia.}, }
@article {pmid21682056, year = {2010}, author = {Salopek, I}, title = {Krapina Neanderthal Museum as a well of medical information.}, journal = {Acta medico-historica adriatica : AMHA}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, pages = {197-202}, pmid = {21682056}, issn = {1334-4366}, mesh = {*Anthropology, Physical ; Croatia ; *Museums ; }, abstract = {The new Krapina Neanderthal museum consists of two sections: a section reconstructing the life of the Krapina Neanderthal and a section bringing the latest knowledge about the evolution of life on Earth. It is a well of scientific information, a teaching tool, and the world's largest find of Neanderthal fossil remains. This article briefly reports a tour visit of members of the Croatian Scientific Society for the History of Health Culture to the Museum, describes the facets of the exhibition, and gives the most important facts about the life of the Krapina Neanderthal.}, }
@article {pmid20041137, year = {2009}, author = {Loogväli, EL and Kivisild, T and Margus, T and Villems, R}, title = {Explaining the imperfection of the molecular clock of hominid mitochondria.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {4}, number = {12}, pages = {e8260}, pmid = {20041137}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Amino Acid Substitution/genetics ; Animals ; Calibration ; DNA, Intergenic/genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; Mutation/genetics ; Open Reading Frames/genetics ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; RNA/genetics ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {The molecular clock of mitochondrial DNA has been extensively used to date various genetic events. However, its substitution rate among humans appears to be higher than rates inferred from human-chimpanzee comparisons, limiting the potential of interspecies clock calibrations for intraspecific dating. It is not well understood how and why the substitution rate accelerates. We have analyzed a phylogenetic tree of 3057 publicly available human mitochondrial DNA coding region sequences for changes in the ratios of mutations belonging to different functional classes. The proportion of non-synonymous and RNA genes substitutions has reduced over hundreds of thousands of years. The highest mutation ratios corresponding to fast acceleration in the apparent substitution rate of the coding sequence have occurred after the end of the Last Ice Age. We recalibrate the molecular clock of human mtDNA as 7990 years per synonymous mutation over the mitochondrial genome. However, the distribution of substitutions at synonymous sites in human data significantly departs from a model assuming a single rate parameter and implies at least 3 different subclasses of sites. Neutral model with 3 synonymous substitution rates can explain most, if not all, of the apparent molecular clock difference between the intra- and interspecies levels. Our findings imply the sluggishness of purifying selection in removing the slightly deleterious mutations from the human as well as the Neandertal and chimpanzee populations. However, for humans, the weakness of purifying selection has been further exacerbated by the population expansions associated with the out-of Africa migration and the end of the Last Ice Age.}, }
@article {pmid20028723, year = {2010}, author = {Briggs, AW and Stenzel, U and Meyer, M and Krause, J and Kircher, M and Pääbo, S}, title = {Removal of deaminated cytosines and detection of in vivo methylation in ancient DNA.}, journal = {Nucleic acids research}, volume = {38}, number = {6}, pages = {e87}, pmid = {20028723}, issn = {1362-4962}, mesh = {Animals ; CpG Islands ; Cytosine/chemistry ; *DNA Methylation ; DNA Repair ; Deamination ; Deoxyribonuclease (Pyrimidine Dimer) ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Mammoths/genetics ; Oligonucleotides/chemistry ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; Uracil-DNA Glycosidase ; }, abstract = {DNA sequences determined from ancient organisms have high error rates, primarily due to uracil bases created by cytosine deamination. We use synthetic oligonucleotides, as well as DNA extracted from mammoth and Neandertal remains, to show that treatment with uracil-DNA-glycosylase and endonuclease VIII removes uracil residues from ancient DNA and repairs most of the resulting abasic sites, leaving undamaged parts of the DNA fragments intact. Neandertal DNA sequences determined with this protocol have greatly increased accuracy. In addition, our results demonstrate that Neandertal DNA retains in vivo patterns of CpG methylation, potentially allowing future studies of gene inactivation and imprinting in ancient organisms.}, }
@article {pmid20014182, year = {2010}, author = {Walker, MJ and Lombardi, AV and Zapata, J and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Neandertal mandibles from the Sima de las Palomas del Cabezo Gordo, Murcia, southeastern Spain.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {142}, number = {2}, pages = {261-272}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21223}, pmid = {20014182}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology/methods ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The Middle Paleolithic levels of the Sima de las Palomas have yielded eight partial mandibles (Palomas 1, 6, 7, 23, 49, 59, 80, and 88). Palomas 7, 49, 80, and 88 are immature, and Palomas 49, 59, 80, and 88 are among the latest Neandertals (approximately 40,000 cal BP). Palomas 1 is geologically older (approximately 50,000-60,000 cal BP), and the other three were found ex situ. The mandibles exhibit a suite of characteristics that align them with the Neandertals among later Pleistocene humans, including symphyseal morphology, symphyseal orientation, corpus robusticity, distal mental foramen position, retromolar space presence, wide immature dental arcade, and high-coronoid process with an asymmetrical mandibular notch. However, Palomas 6 lacks a retromolar space, Palomas 59 has a narrow lateral corpus, and Palomas 80 has a mesial mental foramen and open mandibular foramen. The Palomas mandibles therefore help to document that the late Middle Paleolithic of southern Iberia was the product of Neandertals. They also reinforce the presence of variability in both metric and discrete aspects of Neandertal mandibular morphology, both within and across samples, some of which may be temporal and/or geographic in nature.}, }
@article {pmid19965402, year = {2009}, author = {Balter, M}, title = {Archaeology. Better homes and hearths, Neandertal-style.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {326}, number = {5956}, pages = {1056-1057}, doi = {10.1126/science.326.5956.1056}, pmid = {19965402}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Paleontology ; Tool Use Behavior ; }, }
@article {pmid19910020, year = {2010}, author = {Toussaint, M and Olejniczak, AJ and El Zaatari, S and Cattelain, P and Flas, D and Letourneux, C and Pirson, S}, title = {The Neandertal lower right deciduous second molar from Trou de l'Abîme at Couvin, Belgium.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {58}, number = {1}, pages = {56-67}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.09.006}, pmid = {19910020}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Cultural ; Anthropology, Physical ; Belgium ; Dental Enamel/*ultrastructure ; *Fossils ; Fractals ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {A human lower right deciduous second molar was discovered in 1984 at the entrance of Trou de l'Abîme at Couvin (Belgium). In subsequent years the interpretation of this fossil remained difficult for various reasons: (1) the lack of taxonomically diagnostic elements which would support its attribution to either Homo (sapiens) neanderthalensis or H. s. sapiens; (2) the absence of any reliable chronostratigraphic interpretation of the sedimentary sequence of the site; (3) the contradiction between archaeological interpretations, which attributed the lithic industry to a transitional facies between the Middle and Early Upper Palaeolithic, and the radiocarbon date of 46,820+/-3,290BP obtained from animal bone remains associated with the tooth and the flint tools. Thanks to recent progress regarding these three aspects, the tooth from Trou de l'Abîme may now be studied in detail. Analyses of the morphology and enamel thickness of the fossil yielded diagnostic characters consistent with an attribution to Neandertals. Re-examination of the lithic industry of Couvin shows that it corresponds to the late Middle Palaeolithic rather than a transitional facies. Furthermore, a new analysis of the site stratigraphy indicates that the unit situated above the archaeological layer in which the tooth was found is probably a palaeosol of brown soil type. Comparison with the regional cave sequences as well as with the reference sequence from the Belgian loess belt tends to show that the most recent palaeosol of this type is dated between 42,000 and 40,000BP. This is consistent with both a recently obtained AMS result at 44,500BP and the published conventional date.}, }
@article {pmid19896701, year = {2010}, author = {Balzeau, A and Rougier, H}, title = {Is the suprainiac fossa a Neandertal autapomorphy? A complementary external and internal investigation.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {58}, number = {1}, pages = {1-22}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.05.016}, pmid = {19896701}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical/methods ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {The occipital bone of Neandertals contains an association of morphological features that is considered characteristic of this fossil human population. One of the possible autapomorphic traits of Neandertals is the presence of a suprainiac fossa, a horizontal oval-shaped depression located on the occipital plane. The question of whether suprainiac depressions observed on Neandertals and in other human samples are homologous has been widely discussed. The present study provides a detailed anatomical description of the fossa and of the underlying internal bone composition for Neandertals of various geographical and chronological origins, and of different developmental stages. The suprainiac fossa is systematically present on Neandertals from the earliest developmental stages as well as at the beginning of the differentiation of the Neandertal lineage. A similar pattern for the structural composition of the bone is found among all analyzed Neandertals (i.e., the suprainiac fossa corresponds to a thinning of the diploic layer with no substantial remodeling nor variation in the external table thickness in this area). On the contrary, the occipital depressions present on a sample of anatomically modern humans from Europe and Africa correspond to a resorptive area of the external cranial surface only. These depressions also differ in shape, disposition, and aspect on the external cranial surface from those fossae on Neandertals. We demonstrate that the depressions described in anatomically modern humans, as well as other hominin species, are not homologous to the suprainiac fossa of Neandertals. Consequently, we confirm the autapomorphic status of the Neandertal suprainiac fossa.}, }
@article {pmid19853278, year = {2009}, author = {Hublin, JJ and Weston, D and Gunz, P and Richards, M and Roebroeks, W and Glimmerveen, J and Anthonis, L}, title = {Out of the North Sea: the Zeeland ridges Neandertal.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {57}, number = {6}, pages = {777-785}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.09.001}, pmid = {19853278}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Age Determination by Skeleton ; Animals ; Biometry ; Carbon Isotopes/analysis ; *Fossils ; Frontal Bone/*pathology ; Geologic Sediments ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Nitrogen Isotopes/analysis ; North Sea ; Sex Determination Analysis ; }, abstract = {In 2001, a portion of human frontal bone was discovered in sediments extracted from the bottom of the North Sea, 15km off the coast of the Netherlands. The extraction zone is located in the so-called Zeeland Ridges area located at 51 degrees 40' northern latitude and 3 degrees 20' eastern longitude. The specimen was dredged up from sediments containing Late Pleistocene faunal remains and Middle Palaeolithic artefacts, including well-finished small handaxes and Levallois flakes. The details of the supraorbital morphology, as well as the quantitative assessment of the shape of the external surface of the squama using traditional and 3D geometric morphometrics, unambiguously assign the Zeeland Ridges frontal bone to Homo neanderthalensis. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis indicate that the Zeeland Ridges hominin, like other Neandertals, was highly carnivorous and does not show evidence for the consumption of aquatic foods. A lesion on the outer table and diploic layer of the bone in the area of the supratoral sulcus can be interpreted as the result of an intradiploic epidermoid cyst, a type of neoplasm diagnosed for the first time in Neandertal remains. So far, the Zeeland Ridges Neandertal is the first Pleistocene fossil hominin found under seawater and the first recorded in the Netherlands.}, }
@article {pmid19836056, year = {2010}, author = {Bastir, M and Rosas, A and Tabernero, AG and Peña-Melián, A and Estalrrich, A and de la Rasilla, M and Fortea, J}, title = {Comparative morphology and morphometric assessment of the Neandertal occipital remains from the El Sidrón site (Asturias, Spain: years 2000-2008).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {58}, number = {1}, pages = {68-78}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.08.006}, pmid = {19836056}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {This paper analyses the occipital remains recovered from the El Sidrón (Asturias, Spain) Neandertal site between the years of 2000-2008. The sample is represented by three specimens, SD-1219, SD-1149, and SD-370a. Descriptive morphology, linear measurements, 3D geometric morphometrics, and virtual anthropological methods were employed to address the morphological, morphometric, and phylogenetic affinities of these fossils. The fossils display Neandertal autapomorphies (e.g., bilaterally protruding transverse occipital torus, suprainiac fossa). SD-1219 also preserves a strongly projecting juxtamastoid eminence and shows occipital bunning. In linear distances, the El Sidrón occipitals are similar to each other and close to the Neandertal mean. The centroid size of SD-1219 is slightly larger than the Neandertal average. All of the evidence taken together points to the hypothesis that SD-1219 belongs to a smaller Neandertal male. Linear measurements and the vault thickness of SD-1149 also suggest a robust male individual. The gracility of SD-370a points towards an immature individual. Virtual anthropological methods were used to reconstruct a 3D model of the SD-1219 occipital for geometric morphometrics, which reveals that SD-1219 shows relatively broad and low occipital plane proportions. Within the European Pleistocene lineage sample, this fossil falls geometrically closer to primitive rather than to derived morphologies because of its increased width, and a lower, anterior position of inion relative to the biasterionic axis. These results may imply that cranial sphericity could be an important feature of intraspecific Neandertal variability. Our findings open the way for further studies of intraspecific variation in Neandertal populations, in which the El Sidrón sample may play a significant role.}, }
@article {pmid19828976, year = {2009}, author = {Smith, TM and Reid, DJ}, title = {Temporal nature of periradicular bands ('Striae periradicales') on mammalian tooth roots.}, journal = {Frontiers of oral biology}, volume = {13}, number = {}, pages = {86-92}, doi = {10.1159/000242397}, pmid = {19828976}, issn = {1420-2433}, mesh = {Animals ; Cementogenesis ; Dental Cementum/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Dental Enamel/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Dentin/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Fossils ; Humans ; Mammals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Species Specificity ; Tooth Root/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {Periradicular bands, or fine circumferential lines on tooth roots, have received attention recently due to their prominence on hominin fossils and their potential utility for informing studies of root formation. In 1938, Komai and Miyauti [Dtsch Zahn Mund Kieferheilkd 1938;5:791-795] demonstrated that periradicular bands are related to dentine growth rather than cementum, suggesting that they were equal to accentuated lines in dentine ('dentine lamellae' or 'contour lines'). More recent indirect evidence from band spacing on primate roots suggests that they are temporally equal to other long-period lines in enamel (Retzius lines, perikymata) and dentine (Andresen lines). One of the main complications in understanding the relationship between Andresen lines and periradicular bands is the layer of cementum found on erupted teeth, which often obscures bands. Here we present both direct and indirect evidence that periradicular bands are temporally equivalent to internal long-period lines in the enamel and dentine. A sample of modern human teeth showing periradicular bands and accentuated rings was externally notched, molded, and sectioned; in one instance it was possible to show an equal number of long-period lines (internal Andresen lines and external periradicular bands) between isochrons (internal accentuated lines and external accentuated rings), confirming the temporal equivalence of these features. Furthermore, counts of long-period lines on crown and root surfaces of a Neanderthal anterior dentition showed approximately equal numbers of lines (113+/-1) between matching hypoplasias and accentuated rings across teeth. Despite their potential for studies of primate root growth, the etiology of these lines in mammalian roots requires further study.}, }
@article {pmid19827370, year = {2009}, author = {Van Reybrouck, D and de Bont, R and Rock, J}, title = {Material rhetoric: spreading stones and showing bones in the study of prehistory.}, journal = {Science in context}, volume = {22}, number = {2}, pages = {195-216}, doi = {10.1017/s0269889709002208}, pmid = {19827370}, issn = {0269-8897}, mesh = {Archaeology/*history/methods ; Belgium ; *Fossils ; History, 19th Century ; Humans ; Information Dissemination/history/methods ; Paleontology/*history/methods ; Skeleton ; }, abstract = {Since the linguistic turn, the role of rhetoric in the circulation and the popular representation of knowledge has been widely accepted in science studies. This article aims to analyze not a textual form of scientific rhetoric, but the crucial role of materiality in scientific debates. It introduces the concept of material rhetoric to understand the promotional regimes in which material objects play an essential argumentative role. It analyzes the phenomenon by looking at two students of prehistory from nineteenth-century Belgium. In the study of human prehistory and evolution, material data are either fairly abundant stone tools or very scarce fossil bones. These two types of material data stand for two different strategies in material rhetoric. In this article, the first strategy is exemplified by Aimé Rutot, who gathered great masses of eoliths (crudely chipped stones which he believed to be prehistoric tools). The second strategy is typified by the example of Julien Fraipont, who based his scientific career on only two Neanderthal skeletons. Rutot sent his "artifacts" to a very wide audience, while Fraipont showed his skeletons to only a few selected scholars. Unlike Rutot, however, Fraipont was able to monitor his audience's interpretation of the finds by means of personal contacts. What an archaeologist gains in reach, he or she apparently loses in control. In this article we argue that only those scholars who find the right balance between the extremes of reach and control will prove to be successful.}, }
@article {pmid19805258, year = {2009}, author = {Weaver, TD}, title = {Out of Africa: modern human origins special feature: the meaning of neandertal skeletal morphology.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {106}, number = {38}, pages = {16028-16033}, pmid = {19805258}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical/methods ; *Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Europe ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Humans ; Population Dynamics ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {A procedure is outlined for distinguishing among competing hypotheses for fossil morphology and then used to evaluate current views on the meaning of Neandertal skeletal morphology. Three explanations have dominated debates about the meaning of Neandertal cranial features: climatic adaptation, anterior dental loading, and genetic drift. Neither climatic adaptation nor anterior dental loading are well supported, but genetic drift is consistent with the available evidence. Climatic adaptation and activity patterns are the most discussed explanations for Neandertal postcranial features. Robust empirical relationships between climate and body form in extant humans and other endotherms currently make climatic adaptation the most plausible explanation for the wide bodies and relatively short limbs of Neandertals, and many additional postcranial features are likely secondary consequences of these overall skeletal proportions. Activity patterns may explain certain Neandertal postcranial features, but unlike the situation for climate, relationships in extant humans between morphology and activities are typically not well established. For both the cranium and the postcranium, changes in diet or activity patterns may underlie why Neandertals and Pleistocene modern humans tend to be more robust than Holocene humans.}, }
@article {pmid19805257, year = {2009}, author = {Hublin, JJ}, title = {Out of Africa: modern human origins special feature: the origin of Neandertals.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {106}, number = {38}, pages = {16022-16027}, pmid = {19805257}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical/methods ; *Biological Evolution ; Europe ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Humans ; Population Dynamics ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Western Eurasia yielded a rich Middle (MP) and Late Pleistocene (LP) fossil record documenting the evolution of the Neandertals that can be analyzed in light of recently acquired paleogenetical data, an abundance of archeological evidence, and a well-known environmental context. Their origin likely relates to an episode of recolonization of Western Eurasia by hominins of African origin carrying the Acheulean technology into Europe around 600 ka. An enhancement of both glacial and interglacial phases may have played a crucial role in this event, as well as in the subsequent evolutionary history of the Western Eurasian populations. In addition to climatic adaptations and an increase in encephalization, genetic drift seems to have played a major role in their evolution. To date, a clear speciation event is not documented, and the most likely scenario for the fixation of Neandertal characteristics seems to be an accretion of features along the second half of the MP. Although a separation time for the African and Eurasian populations is difficult to determine, it certainly predates OIS 11 as phenotypic Neandertal features are documented as far back as and possibly before this time. It is proposed to use the term "Homo rhodesiensis" to designate the large-brained hominins ancestral to H. sapiens in Africa and at the root of the Neandertals in Europe, and to use the term "Homo neanderthalensis" to designate all of the specimens carrying derived metrical or non-metrical features used in the definition of the LP Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid19781697, year = {2009}, author = {Nowaczewska, W and Kuźmiński, L}, title = {The Homo sapiens 'hemibun': its developmental pattern and the problem of homology.}, journal = {Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen}, volume = {60}, number = {6}, pages = {489-516}, doi = {10.1016/j.jchb.2009.08.004}, pmid = {19781697}, issn = {1618-1301}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Australia ; *Biological Evolution ; Female ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The occipital bun is widely considered a Neanderthal feature. Its homology to the 'hemibun' observed in some European Upper Palaeolithic anatomically modern humans is a current problem. This study quantitatively evaluates the degree of occipital plane convexity in African and Australian modern human crania to analyse a relationship between this feature and some neurocranial variables. Neanderthal and European Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens crania were included in the analysis as well. The results of this study indicated that there is a significant relationship between the degree of occipital plane convexity and the following two features in the examined crania of modern humans: the ratio of the maximum neurocranial height to the maximum width of the vault and the ratio of bregma-lambda chord to bregma-lambda arc. The results also revealed that some H. sapiens crania (modern and fossil) show the Neanderthal shape of the occipital plane and that the neurocranial height and shape of parietal midsagittal profile has an influence on occipital plane convexity in the hominins included in this study. This study suggests that the occurrence of the great convexity of the occipital plane in the Neanderthals and H. sapiens is a "by-product" of the relationship between the same neurocranial features and there is no convincing evidence that the Neanderthal occipital bun and the similar structure in H. sapiens develop during ontogeny in the same way.}, }
@article {pmid19706482, year = {2009}, author = {Richards, MP and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Out of Africa: modern human origins special feature: isotopic evidence for the diets of European Neanderthals and early modern humans.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {106}, number = {38}, pages = {16034-16039}, pmid = {19706482}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical/methods ; *Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology/metabolism ; Carbon Isotopes ; Carnivora/anatomy &amp; histology/metabolism ; Collagen/metabolism ; *Diet ; Europe ; Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/classification/*metabolism ; Humans ; Nitrogen Isotopes ; Population Dynamics ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {We report here on the direct isotopic evidence for Neanderthal and early modern human diets in Europe. Isotopic methods indicate the sources of dietary protein over many years of life, and show that Neanderthals had a similar diet through time (approximately 120,000 to approximately 37,000 cal BP) and in different regions of Europe. The isotopic evidence indicates that in all cases Neanderthals were top-level carnivores and obtained all, or most, of their dietary protein from large herbivores. In contrast, early modern humans (approximately 40,000 to approximately 27,000 cal BP) exhibited a wider range of isotopic values, and a number of individuals had evidence for the consumption of aquatic (marine and freshwater) resources. This pattern includes Oase 1, the oldest directly dated modern human in Europe (approximately 40,000 cal BP) with the highest nitrogen isotope value of all of the humans studied, likely because of freshwater fish consumption. As Oase 1 was close in time to the last Neanderthals, these data may indicate a significant dietary shift associated with the changing population dynamics of modern human emergence in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid19683787, year = {2009}, author = {David, F and D'Iatchenko, V and Enloe, JG and Girard, M and Hardy, M and Lhomme, V and Roblin-Jouve, A and Tillier, AM and Tolmie, C}, title = {New Neandertal remains from the Grotte du Bison at Arcy-sur-Cure, France.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {57}, number = {6}, pages = {805-809}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.03.006}, pmid = {19683787}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; France ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Maxilla/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, }
@article {pmid19675003, year = {2009}, author = {Lalueza-Fox, C and Gigli, E and de la Rasilla, M and Fortea, J and Rosas, A}, title = {Bitter taste perception in Neanderthals through the analysis of the TAS2R38 gene.}, journal = {Biology letters}, volume = {5}, number = {6}, pages = {809-811}, pmid = {19675003}, issn = {1744-957X}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Base Sequence ; Genetic Variation ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/*genetics ; Taste Perception/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The bitter taste perception (associated with the ability or inability to taste phenylthiocarbamide) is mediated by the TAS2R38 gene. Most of the variation in this gene is explained by three common amino-acid polymorphisms at positions 49 (encoding proline or alanine), 262 (alanine or valine) and 296 (valine or isoleucine) that determine two common isoforms: proline-alanine-valine (PAV) and alanine-valine-isoleucine (AVI). PAV is the major taster haplotype (heterozygote and homozygote) and AVI is the major non-taster haplotype (homozygote). Amino acid 49 has the major effect on the distinction between tasters and non-tasters of all three variants. The sense of bitter taste protects us from ingesting toxic substances, present in some vegetables, that can affect the thyroid when ingested in large quantities. Balancing selection has been used to explain the current high non-taster frequency, by maintaining divergent TAS2R38 alleles in humans. We have amplified and sequenced the TAS2R38 amino acid 49 in the virtually uncontaminated Neanderthal sample of El Sidrón 1253 and have determined that it was heterozygous. Thus, this Neanderthal was a taster individual, although probably slightly less than a PAV homozygote. This indicates that variation in bitter taste perception pre-dates the divergence of the lineages leading to Neanderthals and modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid19663173, year = {2009}, author = {Ramirez Rozzi, FV and d'Errico, F and Vanhaeren, M and Grootes, PM and Kerautret, B and Dujardin, V}, title = {Cutmarked human remains bearing Neandertal features and modern human remains associated with the Aurignacian at Les Rois.}, journal = {Journal of anthropological sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS}, volume = {87}, number = {}, pages = {153-185}, pmid = {19663173}, issn = {1827-4765}, mesh = {Age Determination by Teeth ; Animals ; Child ; Culture ; *Fossils ; France ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Radiometric Dating ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Weapons ; }, abstract = {The view that Aurignacian technologies and their associated symbolic manifestations represent the archaeologicalproxy for the spread of Anatomically Modern Humans into Europe, is supported by few diagnostic human remains, including those from the Aurignacian site of Les Rois in south-western France. Here we reassess the taxonomic attribution of the human remains, their cultural affiliation, and provide five new radiocarbon dates for the site. Patterns of tooth growth along with the morphological and morphometric analysis of the human remains indicate that a juvenile mandible showing cutmarks presents some Neandertal features, whereas another mandible is attributed to Anatomically Modern Humans. Reappraisal of the archaeological sequence demonstrates that human remains derive from two layers dated to 28-30 kyr BP attributed to the Aurignacian, the only cultural tradition detected at the site. Three possible explanations may account for this unexpected evidence. The first one is that the Aurignacian was exclusively produced by AMH and that the child mandible from unit A2 represents evidence for consumption or, more likely, symbolic use of a Neandertal child by Aurignacian AMH The second possible explanation is that Aurignacian technologies were produced at Les Rois by human groups bearing both AMH and Neandertal features. Human remains from Les Rois would be in this case the first evidence of a biological contact between the two human groups. The third possibility is that all human remains from Les Rois represent an AMH population with conserved plesiomorphic characters suggesting a larger variation in modern humans from the Upper Palaeolithic.}, }
@article {pmid19661919, year = {2009}, author = {Green, RE and Briggs, AW and Krause, J and Prüfer, K and Burbano, HA and Siebauer, M and Lachmann, M and Pääbo, S}, title = {The Neandertal genome and ancient DNA authenticity.}, journal = {The EMBO journal}, volume = {28}, number = {17}, pages = {2494-2502}, pmid = {19661919}, issn = {1460-2075}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA/*chemistry ; DNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry ; Evolution, Molecular ; Fossils ; Genetic Variation ; *Genome ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {Recent advances in high-thoughput DNA sequencing have made genome-scale analyses of genomes of extinct organisms possible. With these new opportunities come new difficulties in assessing the authenticity of the DNA sequences retrieved. We discuss how these difficulties can be addressed, particularly with regard to analyses of the Neandertal genome. We argue that only direct assays of DNA sequence positions in which Neandertals differ from all contemporary humans can serve as a reliable means to estimate human contamination. Indirect measures, such as the extent of DNA fragmentation, nucleotide misincorporations, or comparison of derived allele frequencies in different fragment size classes, are unreliable. Fortunately, interim approaches based on mtDNA differences between Neandertals and current humans, detection of male contamination through Y chromosomal sequences, and repeated sequencing from the same fossil to detect autosomal contamination allow initial large-scale sequencing of Neandertal genomes. This will result in the discovery of fixed differences in the nuclear genome between Neandertals and current humans that can serve as future direct assays for contamination. For analyses of other fossil hominins, which may become possible in the future, we suggest a similar 'boot-strap' approach in which interim approaches are applied until sufficient data for more definitive direct assays are acquired.}, }
@article {pmid19615713, year = {2009}, author = {Churchill, SE and Franciscus, RG and McKean-Peraza, HA and Daniel, JA and Warren, BR}, title = {Shanidar 3 Neandertal rib puncture wound and paleolithic weaponry.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {57}, number = {2}, pages = {163-178}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.05.010}, pmid = {19615713}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Forensic Anthropology ; *Fossils ; Goats ; Hominidae/*injuries ; Humans ; Iraq ; Male ; Ribs/*injuries ; Swine ; *Weapons ; }, abstract = {Since its discovery and initial description in the 1960s, the penetrating lesion to the left ninth rib of the Shanidar 3 Neandertal has been a focus for discussion about interpersonal violence and weapon technology in the Middle Paleolithic. Recent experimental studies using lithic points on animal targets suggest that aspects of weapon system dynamics can be inferred from the form of the bony lesions they produce. Thus, to better understand the circumstances surrounding the traumatic injury suffered by Shanidar 3, we conducted controlled stabbing experiments with replicas of Mousterian and Levallois points directed against the thoraces of pig carcasses. Stabs were conducted under both high and low kinetic energy conditions, in an effort to replicate the usual impact forces associated with thrusting spear vs. long-range projectile weapon systems, respectively. Analysis of the lesions produced in the pig ribs, along with examination of goat ribs subjected primarily to high kinetic energy stabs from an independent experiment, revealed consistent differences in damage patterns between the two conditions. In the case of Shanidar 3, the lack of major involvement of more than one rib, the lack of fracturing of the affected and adjacent ribs, and the lack of bony defects associated with the lesion (such as wastage, hinging, and radiating fracture lines) suggests that the weapon that wounded him was carrying relatively low kinetic energy. While accidental injury or attack with a thrusting spear or knife cannot absolutely be ruled out, the position, angulation, and morphology of the lesion is most consistent with injury by a low-mass, low-kinetic energy projectile weapon. Given the potential temporal overlap of Shanidar 3 with early modern humans in western Asia, and the possibility that the latter were armed with projectile weapon systems, this case carries more than simple paleoforensic interest.}, }
@article {pmid19608918, year = {2009}, author = {Briggs, AW and Good, JM and Green, RE and Krause, J and Maricic, T and Stenzel, U and Lalueza-Fox, C and Rudan, P and Brajkovic, D and Kucan, Z and Gusic, I and Schmitz, R and Doronichev, VB and Golovanova, LV and de la Rasilla, M and Fortea, J and Rosas, A and Pääbo, S}, title = {Targeted retrieval and analysis of five Neandertal mtDNA genomes.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {325}, number = {5938}, pages = {318-321}, doi = {10.1126/science.1174462}, pmid = {19608918}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Mitochondrial/analysis/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Evolution, Molecular ; Female ; *Fossils ; Gene Library ; Genetic Variation ; Genome, Human ; *Genome, Mitochondrial ; Geography ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Population Density ; *Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {Analysis of Neandertal DNA holds great potential for investigating the population history of this group of hominins, but progress has been limited due to the rarity of samples and damaged state of the DNA. We present a method of targeted ancient DNA sequence retrieval that greatly reduces sample destruction and sequencing demands and use this method to reconstruct the complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genomes of five Neandertals from across their geographic range. We find that mtDNA genetic diversity in Neandertals that lived 38,000 to 70,000 years ago was approximately one-third of that in contemporary modern humans. Together with analyses of mtDNA protein evolution, these data suggest that the long-term effective population size of Neandertals was smaller than that of modern humans and extant great apes.}, }
@article {pmid19608883, year = {2009}, author = {Pennisi, E}, title = {Ancient DNA. Sequencing Neandertal mitochondrial genomes by the half-dozen.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {325}, number = {5938}, pages = {252}, doi = {10.1126/science.325_252}, pmid = {19608883}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Female ; *Fossils ; Gene Library ; Genetic Variation ; Genome, Human ; *Genome, Mitochondrial ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Population Density ; *Sequence Analysis, DNA/economics ; }, }
@article {pmid19553935, year = {2009}, author = {Conard, NJ and Malina, M and Münzel, SC}, title = {New flutes document the earliest musical tradition in southwestern Germany.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {460}, number = {7256}, pages = {737-740}, pmid = {19553935}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Birds/anatomy &amp; histology ; Bone and Bones ; Culture ; Germany ; History, Ancient ; Horns ; Music/*history ; }, abstract = {Considerable debate surrounds claims for early evidence of music in the archaeological record. Researchers universally accept the existence of complex musical instruments as an indication of fully modern behaviour and advanced symbolic communication but, owing to the scarcity of finds, the archaeological record of the evolution and spread of music remains incomplete. Although arguments have been made for Neanderthal musical traditions and the presence of musical instruments in Middle Palaeolithic assemblages, concrete evidence to support these claims is lacking. Here we report the discovery of bone and ivory flutes from the early Aurignacian period of southwestern Germany. These finds demonstrate the presence of a well-established musical tradition at the time when modern humans colonized Europe, more than 35,000 calendar years ago. Other than the caves of the Swabian Jura, the earliest secure archaeological evidence for music comes from sites in France and Austria and post-date 30,000 years ago.}, }
@article {pmid19540563, year = {2009}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Eaves-Johnson, KL and Franciscus, RG and Carretero, JM and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Kebara 2: new insights regarding the most complete Neandertal thorax.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {57}, number = {1}, pages = {75-90}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.02.009}, pmid = {19540563}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Principal Component Analysis ; Thorax/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {In this study, we present a new analysis of the costal skeleton of the Kebara 2 Neandertal that challenges the original description of the fossil remains. In addition to correcting an erroneous rib rejoin, we document that Kebara 2 shows significant metric and morphological differences in comparison to a wide range of modern human comparative samples. Moreover, Kebara 2's thorax is large, but it is not an isometrically scaled version of a modern human thorax. We also present updated information regarding additional Neandertal rib remains that weakens the case for previous speculations regarding marked ecogeographical patterning in the Neandertal upper thorax. From these results, in combination with various other lines of evidence, we hypothesize that the large chest of Neandertals, while different from modern humans, is not autapomorphic but instead related to a "primitive body bauplan": wide bodies with high body mass. A large thorax in pre-modern Homo, indicating a large vital capacity, would be consistent with the idea of increased oxygen consumption derived from higher energetic demands of a larger body and higher activity levels when compared to modern industrial samples. The likely presence of larger chests in the large bodied individuals from the middle Pleistocene of Eurasia and Africa (and even from the African lower Pleistocene) calls into question cold climate adaptation as a primary force for this skeletal morphology in Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid19530138, year = {2010}, author = {Cowgill, LW}, title = {The ontogeny of Holocene and Late Pleistocene human postcranial strength.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {141}, number = {1}, pages = {16-37}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21107}, pmid = {19530138}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Age Determination by Skeleton ; Age Determination by Teeth ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Body Size ; Bone Density ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diaphyses/growth &amp; development ; Femur/anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development/*physiology ; Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development/physiology ; Humans ; Humerus/anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development/*physiology ; Infant ; Population Dynamics ; }, abstract = {While a wide variety of studies have focused on population variation in adult cross-sectional properties, relatively little is known about population variation in postcranial robusticity in immature individuals. Furthermore, the age at which the population differences readily detected in adults manifest during growth is also unknown. This research addresses these gaps in our current understanding through the analysis of immature humeral and femoral long bone strength. Cross-sectional geometry was used to compare the developmental trajectories of diaphyseal strength in Late Pleistocene Neandertal and modern human subadults to a sample of immature humans from seven geographically diverse Holocene populations. Population differences in size-standardized cross-sectional properties appear to be systemic and develop very early in ontogeny in the Holocene sample. In many cases, these differences are present before one year of age. In general, the Late Pleistocene fossil samples fit within the range of recent human variation in long bone strength. Population differences detected here are likely related to a combination of factors including activity patterns, genetic propensities, and nutritional status. These results highlight the complex mosaic of processes that result in adult postcranial robusticity, and suggest that further exploration of the developmental interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic influences on skeletal robusticity will likely enhance our understanding of adult postcranial morphology.}, }
@article {pmid19497869, year = {2009}, author = {Franciscus, RG}, title = {When did the modern human pattern of childbirth arise? New insights from an old Neandertal pelvis.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {106}, number = {23}, pages = {9125-9126}, pmid = {19497869}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Female ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Parturition/*physiology ; Pelvic Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Pelvis/*physiology ; }, }
@article {pmid19442453, year = {2009}, author = {Mladina, R and Skitarelić, N and Vuković, K}, title = {Why do humans have such a prominent nose? The final result of phylogenesis: a significant reduction of the splanchocranium on account of the neurocranium.}, journal = {Medical hypotheses}, volume = {73}, number = {3}, pages = {280-283}, doi = {10.1016/j.mehy.2009.03.045}, pmid = {19442453}, issn = {1532-2777}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Humans ; *Models, Biological ; Nose/*anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; *Phylogeny ; Skull/*growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {During the last few decades several authors tried to clarify the anthropological aspects of the shape of the human nose and why it has so emphasized projection. Our hypothesis suggests the essentiality of the role of morphologic changes of the human skull which occurred during the phylogenesis. It seems that erectile posture of the man caused remarkable morphological changes of the skull base shape thus being a part of morphologic evolution. The changes in the shape of the human spine from birth to adulthood show a philogenesis in short: a newborn has an almost flat spine like quadrupeds (except in the sacro-coccigeal region), but the spine gets increasingly bent as the person grows (lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, cervical lordosis). It is well known that the sphenoidal angle was less emphasized in prehistoric man than in modern man. In addition, the cervical spine position in the gorilla, Neanderthal man and modern man is quite different in terms of anterior inclination. Accordingly, there is a great degree of maxillary and mandible reduction in humans. The same differences can be seen when comparing the skull shapes of gorilla, gibbons, Neanderthals and modern man. A major reason for the maxillary and mandible reduction in humans is that their way of feeding has changed remarkably with time. In lower primates and other animals, nasal function, particularly olfaction, may be essential for day-to day survival. In humans, however, this is less important although both impaired nasal breathing and olfaction may affect the function in the other body organs and, of course, influence the quality of life. Nasal configuration in recent humans seems to be associated with the internal nasal cavity wideness and nasal bridge elevation which just happened because of newly developed physiological needs. The skull base angulation leads directly to obvious changes in splanchocranium on the account of neurocranium, since previous is getting "squeezed", by angulation of the surrounding bones, and the other one gets more room for the further development according to human's intellectual needs. The final morphologic result of the squeezing of the splanchocranium, in fact a side-effect of these phylogenetic changes, is a protrusion of its most anterior parts more anteriorly, that is a prominent nose in humans which is a hallmark of the modern man.}, }
@article {pmid19382177, year = {2009}, author = {Royer, DF and Lockwood, CA and Scott, JE and Grine, FE}, title = {Size variation in early human mandibles and molars from Klasies River, South Africa: comparison with other middle and late Pleistocene assemblages and with modern humans.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {140}, number = {2}, pages = {312-323}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21071}, pmid = {19382177}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Anthropology, Physical ; *Body Size ; Fossils ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Sex Characteristics ; South Africa ; }, abstract = {Previous studies of the Middle Stone Age human remains from Klasies River have concluded that they exhibited more sexual dimorphism than extant populations, but these claims have not been assessed statistically. We evaluate these claims by comparing size variation in the best-represented elements at the site, namely the mandibular corpora and M(2)s, to that in samples from three recent human populations using resampling methods. We also examine size variation in these same elements from seven additional middle and late Pleistocene sites: Skhūl, Dolní Vestonice, Sima de los Huesos, Arago, Krapina, Shanidar, and Vindija. Our results demonstrate that size variation in the Klasies assemblage was greater than in recent humans, consistent with arguments that the Klasies people were more dimorphic than living humans. Variation in the Skhūl, Dolní Vestonice, and Sima de los Huesos mandibular samples is also higher than in the recent human samples, indicating that the Klasies sample was not unusual among middle and late Pleistocene hominins. In contrast, the Neandertal samples (Krapina, Shanidar, and Vindija) do not evince relatively high mandibular and molar variation, which may indicate that the level of dimorphism in Neandertals was similar to that observed in extant humans. These results suggest that the reduced levels of dimorphism in Neandertals and living humans may have developed independently, though larger fossil samples are needed to test this hypothesis.}, }
@article {pmid19380728, year = {2009}, author = {Weaver, TD and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Neandertal birth canal shape and the evolution of human childbirth.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {106}, number = {20}, pages = {8151-8156}, pmid = {19380728}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; Female ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Parturition/*physiology ; Pelvis/*physiology ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Childbirth is complicated in humans relative to other primates. Unlike the situation in great apes, human neonates are about the same size as the birth canal, making passage difficult. The birth mechanism (the series of rotations that the neonate must undergo to successfully negotiate its mother's birth canal) distinguishes humans not only from great apes, but also from lesser apes and monkeys. Tracing the evolution of human childbirth is difficult, because the pelvic skeleton, which forms the margins of the birth canal, tends to survive poorly in the fossil record. Only 3 female individuals preserve fairly complete birth canals, and they all date to earlier phases of human evolution. Here we present a virtual reconstruction of a female Neandertal pelvis from Tabun, Israel. The size of Tabun's reconstructed birth canal indicates that childbirth was about as difficult in Neandertals as in present-day humans, but the canal's shape indicates that Neandertals had a more primitive birth mechanism. A significant shift in childbirth apparently occurred quite late in human evolution, during the last few hundred thousand years. Such a late shift underscores the uniqueness of human childbirth and the divergent evolutionary trajectories of Neandertals and the lineage leading to present-day humans.}, }
@article {pmid19367332, year = {2009}, author = {Fabre, V and Condemi, S and Degioanni, A}, title = {Genetic evidence of geographical groups among Neanderthals.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {4}, number = {4}, pages = {e5151}, pmid = {19367332}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Asia, Western ; Base Sequence ; Computational Biology ; Computer Simulation ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Demography ; Emigration and Immigration ; Europe ; *Genetic Variation ; *Genetics, Population ; Geography ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; Phylogeny ; *Population Dynamics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {The Neanderthals are a well-distinguished Middle Pleistocene population which inhabited a vast geographical area extending from Europe to western Asia and the Middle East. Since the 1950s paleoanthropological studies have suggested variability in this group. Different sub-groups have been identified in western Europe, in southern Europe and in the Middle East. On the other hand, since 1997, research has been published in paleogenetics, carried out on 15 mtDNA sequences from 12 Neanderthals. In this paper we used a new methodology derived from different bioinformatic models based on data from genetics, demography and paleoanthropology. The adequacy of each model was measured by comparisons between simulated results (obtained by BayesianSSC software) and those estimated from nucleotide sequences (obtained by DNAsp4 software). The conclusions of this study are consistent with existing paleoanthropological research and show that Neanderthals can be divided into at least three groups: one in western Europe, a second in the Southern area and a third in western Asia. Moreover, it seems from our results that the size of the Neanderthal population was not constant and that some migration occurred among the demes.}, }
@article {pmid19301622, year = {2009}, author = {Maricic, T and Pääbo, S}, title = {Optimization of 454 sequencing library preparation from small amounts of DNA permits sequence determination of both DNA strands.}, journal = {BioTechniques}, volume = {46}, number = {1}, pages = {51-2, 54-7}, doi = {10.2144/000113042}, pmid = {19301622}, issn = {0736-6205}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/*chemistry ; DNA, Complementary/chemistry ; *Gene Library ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {To increase the yield of DNA sequence generated by the 454 technology from small amounts of starting DNA, we investigated the efficiency of each step in the 454 library preparation process. We find that the last step, when the single-stranded library is released by NaOH, is inefficient and highly variable. When this step is replaced with heat treatment, library amounts dramatically increase. Furthermore, when sequencing templates are first isolated by NaOH treatment and subsequently by heat treatment, the sequences of both strands of individual template DNA molecules can be determined. Using this approach, we confirm that C/G base pairs observed as T/A base pairs in Neanderthal DNA sequences are due to a modification of the cytosine rather than guanine residues.}, }
@article {pmid19249816, year = {2009}, author = {Mounier, A and Marchal, F and Condemi, S}, title = {Is Homo heidelbergensis a distinct species? New insight on the Mauer mandible.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {56}, number = {3}, pages = {219-246}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.12.006}, pmid = {19249816}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The discovery of new fossils in Africa, Asia, and Europe, and the recognition of a greater diversity in the middle Pleistocene fossil record, has led to a reconsideration of the species Homo heidelbergensis. This nomen, formulated by Schoetensack in 1908 to describe the Mauer jaw (Germany), was almost forgotten during most of the past century. Numerous fossils have been attributed to it but no consensus has arisen concerning their classification. The holotype anatomical traits are still poorly understood, and numerous fossils with no mandibular remains have been placed in the taxon. Some researchers propose H. heidelbergensis as an Afro-European taxon that is ancestral to both modern humans and Neandertals whereas others think it is a strictly European species that is part of the Neandertal lineage. We focus on the validity of H. heidelbergensis, using the traditional basis of species recognition: anatomical description. We provide a comparative morphological analysis using 47 anatomical traits of 36 Pleistocene fossils from Africa, Asia, and Europe and 35 extant human mandibles. We re-examine the mandibular features of Mauer and discuss the specimen's inclusion in H. heidelbergensis, as well as alternative evolutionary theories. To lend objectivity to specimen grouping, we use multiple correspondence analysis associated with hierarchical classification that creates clusters corresponding to phenetic similarities between jaws. Our phenetic and comparative morphological analyses support the validity of H. heidelbergensis as a taxon. A set of morphological features can be statistically identified for the definition of the species. Some traits can be used to delimit H. heidelbergensis in an evolutionary framework (e.g., foramina mentale posteriorly positioned, horizontal retromolar surface). Those traits are also present on African (e.g., Tighenif) and European (e.g., Sima de los Huesos) specimens that show a close relationship with the Mauer mandible. Therefore, the definition of H. heidelbergensis is more precise and mainly supports the theory of an Afro-European taxon, which is the last common ancestor of H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens. However, the results of this study fail to entirely discount the hypothesis that considers H. heidelbergensis as a chronospecies leading to the Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid19213890, year = {2009}, author = {Balter, M}, title = {Neandertal genomics. A Neandertal primer.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {323}, number = {5916}, pages = {870}, doi = {10.1126/science.323.5916.870}, pmid = {19213890}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils ; Genomics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; }, }
@article {pmid19213889, year = {2009}, author = {Pennisi, E}, title = {Neandertal genomics. Wanted: clean Neandertal DNA.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {323}, number = {5916}, pages = {868}, doi = {10.1126/science.323.5916.868}, pmid = {19213889}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/*isolation &amp; purification ; Female ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, }
@article {pmid19213888, year = {2009}, author = {Pennisi, E}, title = {Neandertal genomics. Tales of a prehistoric human genome.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {323}, number = {5916}, pages = {866-871}, doi = {10.1126/science.323.5916.866}, pmid = {19213888}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones ; DNA ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Female ; *Fossils ; *Genome ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Reproduction ; }, }
@article {pmid19195741, year = {2009}, author = {Houppe, JP}, title = {[From Neandertal to therapeutic education].}, journal = {La Revue de medecine interne}, volume = {30}, number = {8}, pages = {727-731}, doi = {10.1016/j.revmed.2008.12.007}, pmid = {19195741}, issn = {0248-8663}, mesh = {Humans ; *Patient Education as Topic ; }, abstract = {Therapeutic education will be part of every patient's care. It is not an additional tool in the medical care but a new way to consider the relationship between patients and physicians. In therapeutic education, the medical knowledge transfer is essential but probably insufficient to obtain a real change in the patient's behaviour. Looking back, the origins of the words may help patients and physicians understand the real issues of therapeutic education and therefore, render it more efficient.}, }
@article {pmid19194415, year = {2009}, author = {Dalton, R}, title = {Neanderthal genome to be unveiled.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {457}, number = {7230}, pages = {645}, pmid = {19194415}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Chicago ; Congresses as Topic ; Croatia ; Genome/*genetics ; Genome, Human/*genetics ; Germany ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, }
@article {pmid19183890, year = {2009}, author = {Sourrouille, C and Marshall, B and Liénard, D and Faye, L}, title = {From Neanderthal to nanobiotech: from plant potions to pharming with plant factories.}, journal = {Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)}, volume = {483}, number = {}, pages = {1-23}, doi = {10.1007/978-1-59745-407-0_1}, pmid = {19183890}, issn = {1064-3745}, mesh = {*Biotechnology ; *Nanotechnology ; Pharmaceutical Preparations/metabolism ; Plants, Genetically Modified/*metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis ; }, abstract = {Plants were the main source for human drugs until the beginning of the nineteenth century when plant-derived pharmaceuticals were partly supplanted by drugs produced by the industrial methods of chemical synthesis. During the last decades of the twentieth century, genetic engineering has offered an alternative to chemical synthesis, using bacteria, yeasts and animal cells as factories for the production of therapeutic proteins. After a temporary decrease in interest, plants are rapidly moving back into human pharmacopoeia, with the recent development of plant-based recombinant protein production systems offering a safe and extremely cost-effective alternative to microbial and mammalian cell cultures. In this short review, we will illustrate that current improvements in plant expression systems are making them suitable as alternative factories for the production of either simple or highly complex therapeutic proteins.}, }
@article {pmid19170211, year = {2009}, author = {Bayle, P and Braga, J and Mazurier, A and Macchiarelli, R}, title = {Brief communication: high-resolution assessment of the dental developmental pattern and characterization of tooth tissue proportions in the late Upper Paleolithic child from La Madeleine, France.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {138}, number = {4}, pages = {493-498}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.21000}, pmid = {19170211}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {*Age Determination by Teeth ; Child, Preschool ; France ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; *Tooth, Deciduous/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; X-Ray Microtomography ; }, abstract = {Affinities and differences in dental maturational patterns between modern humans and Neanderthals remain a matter of discussion. In particular, deciduous teeth are rare for Late Pleistocene humans, and few entire sequences have been detailed for their developmental status. Here, we report the results from the 3D virtual reconstruction and structural analysis of the deciduous lower dentition (nine teeth in situ) of the child from La Madeleine (LM4), France, the first Upper Paleolithic specimen detailed so far by means of high-resolution microtomography (microCT). With respect to the modern dental developmental standards, age at death of this individual is now more likely estimated within the interval 3-4 years. LM4 lacks the slight discrepancy between a proportionally advanced stage of mineralization of the deciduous first molar and a relatively delayed maturational level of the incisors, which is found in Neanderthals (Bayle et al.: J Hum Evol 56 [2009] 66-75). By using a Bayesian approach, we calculated the probability that its maturational sequence is found within the extant human variation as represented by a tomographic (CT) reference sample of 45 children scored according to the same protocol (Liversidge and Molleson: Am J Phys Anthropol 123 [2004] 172-180). Results show that the specific sequence of this Magdalenian individual is found three times in the comparative sample included in this study. LM4 absolute tooth size and relative dental tissue proportions are close to the modern human figures (characterized by proportionally reduced dentine volumes) and lie systematically below the values shown by the Neanderthal child from Roc de Marsal, France (OIS 5a).}, }
@article {pmid19150805, year = {2009}, author = {Subramanian, S}, title = {Temporal trails of natural selection in human mitogenomes.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {26}, number = {4}, pages = {715-717}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/msp005}, pmid = {19150805}, issn = {1537-1719}, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genome, Mitochondrial ; Humans ; Mutation ; *Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Mildly deleterious mutations initially contribute to the diversity of a population, but later they are selected against at high frequency and are eliminated eventually. Using over 1,500 complete human mitochondrial genomes along with those of Neanderthal and Chimpanzee, I provide empirical evidence for this prediction by tracing the footprints of natural selection over time. The results show a highly significant inverse relationship between the ratio of nonsynonymous-to-synonymous divergence (d(N)/d(S)) and the age of human haplogroups. Furthermore, this study suggests that slightly deleterious mutations constitute up to 80% of the mitochondrial amino acid replacement mutations detected in human populations and that over the last 500,000 years these mutations have been gradually removed.}, }
@article {pmid19149203, year = {2008}, author = {Capasso, L and Michetti, E and D'Anastasio, R}, title = {A Homo erectus hyoid bone: possible implications for the origin of the human capability for speech.}, journal = {Collegium antropologicum}, volume = {32}, number = {4}, pages = {1007-1011}, pmid = {19149203}, issn = {0350-6134}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Italy ; *Speech ; }, abstract = {Authors describe a hyoid bone body, without horns, attributed to Homo erectus from Castel di Guido (Rome, Italy), dated to about 400,000 years BP. The hyoid bone body shows the bar-shaped morphology characteristic of Homo, in contrast to the bulla-shaped body morphology of African apes and Australopithecus. Its measurements differ from those of the only known complete specimens from other extinct human species and early hominid (Kebara Neandertal and Australopithecus afarensis), and from the mean values observed in modern humans. The almost total absence of muscular impressions on the body's ventral surface suggests a reduced capability for elevating this hyoid bone and modulating the length of the vocal tract in Homo erectus. The shield-shaped body, the probable small size of the greater horns and the radiographic image appear to be archaic characteristics; they reveal some similarities to non-humans and pre-human genera, suggesting that the morphological basis for human speech didn't arise in Homo erectus.}, }
@article {pmid19144388, year = {2009}, author = {Bouchneb, L and Crevecoeur, I}, title = {The inner ear of Nazlet Khater 2 (Upper Paleolithic, Egypt).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {56}, number = {3}, pages = {257-262}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.12.003}, pmid = {19144388}, issn = {1095-8606}, mesh = {Animals ; Ear, Inner/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Egypt ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; *Paleontology ; }, abstract = {This paper presents a description and comparison of the Nazlet Khater 2 (NK 2) inner ear structures. This specimen is the only complete modern human skeleton from the earliest Late Stone Age in Africa. The interest in the inner ear structures lies with their strong genetic component. The morphology and biometrical characteristics of the NK 2 bony labyrinth are described and compared to extant modern humans, Middle and Upper Paleolithic modern humans, and Neanderthal specimens by means of uni-, bi-, and multivariate analyses. The NK 2 inner ear presents particular features that are unusual within our extant modern human sample, but that occur more frequently among Upper and Middle Paleolithic modern human specimens. In addition, the two latter comparative groups fall on the edge of extant human variation in the multivariate morphological analysis. These results suggest that Late Pleistocene modern human variation differs from that of recent humans. Finally, the similarities between NK 2 and the Upper Paleolithic sample, suggested by the discriminant analysis, may indicate a close relationship between this Nile Valley specimen and European Upper Paleolithic modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid19128477, year = {2009}, author = {Sainudiin, R and York, T}, title = {Auto-validating von Neumann rejection sampling from small phylogenetic tree spaces.}, journal = {Algorithms for molecular biology : AMB}, volume = {4}, number = {}, pages = {1}, pmid = {19128477}, issn = {1748-7188}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: In phylogenetic inference one is interested in obtaining samples from the posterior distribution over the tree space on the basis of some observed DNA sequence data. One of the simplest sampling methods is the rejection sampler due to von Neumann. Here we introduce an auto-validating version of the rejection sampler, via interval analysis, to rigorously draw samples from posterior distributions over small phylogenetic tree spaces.<br><br>RESULTS: The posterior samples from the auto-validating sampler are used to rigorously (i) estimate posterior probabilities for different rooted topologies based on mitochondrial DNA from human, chimpanzee and gorilla, (ii) conduct a non-parametric test of rate variation between protein-coding and tRNA-coding sites from three primates and (iii) obtain a posterior estimate of the human-neanderthal divergence time.<br><br>CONCLUSION: This solves the open problem of rigorously drawing independent and identically distributed samples from the posterior distribution over rooted and unrooted small tree spaces (3 or 4 taxa) based on any multiply-aligned sequence data.}, }
@article {pmid19108732, year = {2008}, author = {Lalueza-Fox, C and Gigli, E and de la Rasilla, M and Fortea, J and Rosas, A and Bertranpetit, J and Krause, J}, title = {Genetic characterization of the ABO blood group in Neandertals.}, journal = {BMC evolutionary biology}, volume = {8}, number = {}, pages = {342}, pmid = {19108732}, issn = {1471-2148}, mesh = {ABO Blood-Group System/*genetics ; Animals ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Spain ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: The high polymorphism rate in the human ABO blood group gene seems to be related to susceptibility to different pathogens. It has been estimated that all genetic variation underlying the human ABO alleles appeared along the human lineage, after the divergence from the chimpanzee lineage. A paleogenetic analysis of the ABO blood group gene in Neandertals allows us to directly test for the presence of the ABO alleles in these extinct humans.<br><br>RESULTS: We have analysed two male Neandertals that were retrieved under controlled conditions at the El Sidron site in Asturias (Spain) and that appeared to be almost free of modern human DNA contamination. We find a human specific diagnostic deletion for blood group O (O01 haplotype) in both Neandertal individuals.<br><br>CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the genetic change responsible for the O blood group in humans predates the human and Neandertal divergence. A potential selective event associated with the emergence of the O allele may have therefore occurred after humans separated from their common ancestor with chimpanzees and before the human-Neandertal population divergence.}, }
@article {pmid19107186, year = {2008}, author = {Banks, WE and d'Errico, F and Peterson, AT and Kageyama, M and Sima, A and Sánchez-Goñi, MF}, title = {Neanderthal extinction by competitive exclusion.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {3}, number = {12}, pages = {e3972}, pmid = {19107186}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological/genetics/physiology ; Animals ; Archaeology ; *Biological Evolution ; Climate ; Ecosystem ; Europe ; *Extinction, Biological ; Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Population Dynamics ; Selection, Genetic ; Social Behavior ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Despite a long history of investigation, considerable debate revolves around whether Neanderthals became extinct because of climate change or competition with anatomically modern humans (AMH).<br><br>We apply a new methodology integrating archaeological and chronological data with high-resolution paleoclimatic simulations to define eco-cultural niches associated with Neanderthal and AMH adaptive systems during alternating cold and mild phases of Marine Isotope Stage 3. Our results indicate that Neanderthals and AMH exploited similar niches, and may have continued to do so in the absence of contact.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The southerly contraction of Neanderthal range in southwestern Europe during Greenland Interstadial 8 was not due to climate change or a change in adaptation, but rather concurrent AMH geographic expansion appears to have produced competition that led to Neanderthal extinction.}, }
@article {pmid19088185, year = {2008}, author = {Klein, RG and Steele, TE}, title = {Gibraltar data are too sparse to inform on Neanderthal exploitation of coastal resources.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {105}, number = {51}, pages = {E115; author reply E116}, pmid = {19088185}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Feeding Behavior ; Fossils ; Gibraltar ; Health Resources ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Paleontology ; *Seafood ; }, }
@article {pmid19074275, year = {2008}, author = {Walker, MJ and Gibert, J and López, MV and Lombardi, AV and Pérez-Pérez, A and Zapata, J and Ortega, J and Higham, T and Pike, A and Schwenninger, JL and Zilhão, J and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Late neandertals in southeastern Iberia: Sima de las Palomas del Cabezo Gordo, Murcia, Spain.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {105}, number = {52}, pages = {20631-20636}, pmid = {19074275}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Middle Paleolithic fossil human remains from the Sima de las Palomas in southeastern Iberia (dated to <or=43,000-40,000 calendar years before present) present a suite of derived Neandertal and/or retained ancestral morphological features in the mandibular symphysis, mandibular ramus, dental occlusal morphology, and distal hand phalanx. These traits are combined with variation in the mandibular corpus, discrete dental morphology, tooth root lengths, and anterior dental size that indicate a frequency difference with earlier Iberian and more northern European Neandertals. The Palomas Neandertals therefore confirm the late presence of Neandertals associated with the Iberian persistence of the Middle Paleolithic, but suggest microevolutionary processes and/or population contact with contemporaneous modern humans to the north.}, }
@article {pmid19003923, year = {2009}, author = {Semal, P and Rougier, H and Crevecoeur, I and Jungels, C and Flas, D and Hauzeur, A and Maureille, B and Germonpré, M and Bocherens, H and Pirson, S and Cammaert, L and De Clerck, N and Hambucken, A and Higham, T and Toussaint, M and van der Plicht, J}, title = {New data on the late Neandertals: direct dating of the Belgian Spy fossils.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {138}, number = {4}, pages = {421-428}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.20954}, pmid = {19003923}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Belgium ; *Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Radiometric Dating ; }, abstract = {In Eurasia, the period between 40,000 and 30,000 BP saw the replacement of Neandertals by anatomically modern humans (AMH) during and after the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition. The human fossil record for this period is very poorly defined with no overlap between Neandertals and AMH on the basis of direct dates. Four new (14)C dates were obtained on the two adult Neandertals from Spy (Belgium). The results show that Neandertals survived to at least approximately 36,000 BP in Belgium and that the Spy fossils may be associated to the Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician, a transitional techno-complex defined in northwest Europe and recognized in the Spy collections. The new data suggest that hypotheses other than Neandertal acculturation by AMH may be considered in this part of Europe.}, }
@article {pmid18986680, year = {2009}, author = {Bayle, P and Braga, J and Mazurier, A and Macchiarelli, R}, title = {Dental developmental pattern of the Neanderthal child from Roc de Marsal: a high-resolution 3D analysis.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {56}, number = {1}, pages = {66-75}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.09.002}, pmid = {18986680}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Dentition, Permanent ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*growth &amp; development/*physiology ; Humans ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; *Tooth, Deciduous ; }, abstract = {The assessment of the degree of similarity or difference between Neanderthals and modern humans in their patterns of dental development remains a controversial matter. Here we report results from the microtomographic-based (SR-microCT) high-resolution structural investigation of the maxilla and mandible of the Neanderthal child from Roc de Marsal, Dordogne, France (likely from OIS 5a). Following their virtual extraction and 3D rendering, we assessed the maturational stage of each of the 41 dental elements (20 deciduous and 21 permanent) forming its mixed dentition. By using a Bayesian approach, we calculated the probability that its deciduous and permanent mandibular sequences are found within the extant human variation as illustrated by a tomographic CT-based sub-sample of 32 children (deciduous dentition) and a panoramic radiographic- and CT-based whole sample of 343 living children (permanent dentition). Results show that neither the deciduous nor the permanent mandibular sequences displayed by Roc de Marsal are precisely found within our modern comparative files. In both sequences, the most influential factor is represented by a slight discrepancy in the Neanderthal child between the stage of mineralization of the first molar, which is proportionally advanced, and the maturational level reached by its incisors, which are proportionally delayed. Following a quantitative volumetric analysis of the deciduous teeth, we suggest that this characteristic may be related to differences between Neanderthals and modern humans in absolute dental size and relative size proportions between front and cheek teeth, as well as to structural differences in dental tissue proportions.}, }
@article {pmid18971954, year = {2009}, author = {Belle, EM and Benazzo, A and Ghirotto, S and Colonna, V and Barbujani, G}, title = {Comparing models on the genealogical relationships among Neandertal, Cro-Magnoid and modern Europeans by serial coalescent simulations.}, journal = {Heredity}, volume = {102}, number = {3}, pages = {218-225}, doi = {10.1038/hdy.2008.103}, pmid = {18971954}, issn = {1365-2540}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Computer Simulation ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Fossils ; Gene Flow ; *Genealogy and Heraldry ; Genetics, Population/history ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; Paleontology ; White People/*genetics/history ; }, abstract = {Populations of anatomically archaic (Neandertal) and early modern (Cro-Magnoid) humans are jointly documented in the European fossil record, in the period between 40 000 and 25 000 years BP, but the large differences between their cultures, morphologies and DNAs suggest that the two groups were not close relatives. However, it is still unclear whether any genealogical continuity between them can be ruled out. Here, we simulated a broad range of demographic scenarios by means of a serial coalescence algorithm in which Neandertals, Cro-Magnoids and modern Europeans were either part of the same mitochondrial genealogy or of two separate genealogies. Mutation rates, population sizes, population structure and demographic growth rates varied across simulations. All models in which anatomically modern (that is, Cro-Magnoid and current) Europeans belong to a distinct genealogy performed better than any model in which the three groups were assigned to the same mitochondrial genealogy. The maximum admissible level of gene flow between Neandertals and the ancestors of current Europeans is 0.001% per generation, one order of magnitude lower than estimated in previous studies not considering genetic data on Cro-Magnoid people.}, }
@article {pmid18951491, year = {2008}, author = {Prossinger, H}, title = {Mathematical analysis techniques of frontal sinus morphology, with emphasis on Homo.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {291}, number = {11}, pages = {1455-1478}, doi = {10.1002/ar.20783}, pmid = {18951491}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; Male ; Fossils ; Fractals ; *Frontal Sinus/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Mathematics ; Models, Biological ; Phylogeny ; Humans ; }, abstract = {Of all the paranasal sinuses, frontal sinus (FS) morphology, volumes, outlines, and cross-sectional areas vary most and so their statistical noise presents particular challenges. To assess and control this statistical noise requires a suite of mathematical techniques that: model their volume and cross-sectional area ontogeny, determine the uniqueness and fractal dimensions of their outlines (useful in forensics), smooth their outlines via Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), and model their expansion via percolation cluster models (PCMs). Published data sets of FS outlines, cross-sectional areas and volumes of Neanderthal and modern crania (obtained via CT-imaging techniques) are utilized here for application of these novel mathematical methods, which necessitate a modeling approach. Results show that: FS noisiness can be explained as cluster growth, their fractal outlines have properties similar to closed random walks (Brownian bridges) about predefined curves, and the PCMs can simulate the emergence of lamellae. The statistical properties derived from the analysis techniques presented here suggest that an emergence of the lamellae via PCMs (with pinning and quenching-correlated noise) resolves the masticatory stress debate by showing that the lamellae are indeed responses to masticatory stresses, but these are of so low a level that they cannot be measured with strain gauges. PCMs and Brownian bridges, defined by local rules, lead to the emergence of macroscopically observable morphologies. The methodologies presented here contribute to research in emergence phenomena and are not confined to morphological analyses of frontal sinuses.}, }
@article {pmid18951484, year = {2008}, author = {Schwartz, JH and Tattersall, I and Teschler-Nicola, M}, title = {Architecture of the nasal complex in neanderthals: comparison with other hominids and phylogenetic significance.}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {291}, number = {11}, pages = {1517-1534}, doi = {10.1002/ar.20776}, pmid = {18951484}, issn = {1932-8494}, mesh = {Animals ; Cebus/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Humans/anatomy &amp; histology ; Maxillary Sinus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Nose/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Phylogeny ; Primates/anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Rabbits ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Species Specificity ; Turbinates/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Although paranasal sinus configuration has occasionally been the focus in analyses of the phylogenetic relationships of various primates, other elements of the region of the nasal fossa--in particular, the turbinals--have received far less attention. A preliminary study of Neanderthal cranial morphology revealed the presence of an apparently unique configuration of the lateral wall of the nasal cavity: namely, in the region in which in Homo sapiens the anterior extremity of the maxilloturbinal (also referred to as the inferior nasal concha) articulates with the internal surface of the maxilla along a relatively anteroposteriorly long and essentially horizontally oriented conchal crest, there exists a vertically oriented thickening that protrudes medially into the nasal cavity (Schwartz and Tattersall, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1996; 93:10852-10854). Subsequent citations of this report either claimed that this "medial projection" in Neanderthals is merely an enlarged maxilloturbinal or mistakenly identified as this structure the base of a maxilloturbinal that had fused to the lateral wall of the nasal cavity and subsequently broken off. In light of the potential significance that any novel configuration of the nasal complex architecture may have for elucidating hominid evolution, we present here a comparative overview of this region in fossil and extant large-bodied hominoids, and demonstrate that Neanderthals do indeed possess a configuration that is unique among hominids.}, }
@article {pmid18930307, year = {2008}, author = {Adler, DS and Bar-Yosef, O and Belfer-Cohen, A and Tushabramishvili, N and Boaretto, E and Mercier, N and Valladas, H and Rink, WJ}, title = {Dating the demise: neandertal extinction and the establishment of modern humans in the southern Caucasus.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {55}, number = {5}, pages = {817-833}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.08.010}, pmid = {18930307}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Cultural/*methods ; Chronology as Topic ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ; *Fossils ; Georgia (Republic) ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Luminescence ; Mass Spectrometry ; Radiometric Dating/*methods ; Tooth/*chemistry ; }, abstract = {This paper considers the recent radiometric dating (14C-AMS, TL, ESR) of 76 late Middle and early Upper Paleolithic samples from Ortvale Klde Rockshelter, located in the Republic of Georgia. We present a critical evaluation of each date based on its stratigraphic and archaeological context, its pretreatment and contamination history, and its resulting accuracy and precision, the goal being to establish a sound chronology for the site. Only by systematically identifying aberrant dates within a data set and isolating them from further analysis can we hope to understand cultural and biological phenomena on an accurate temporal scale. Based on the strict discard protocol outlined here, we omit 25% of the dated samples from the analysis. The remaining data speak to the lengthy tenure of Neandertals in the region, but also to their relatively rapid demise and the establishment of modern human populations approximately 38-34 ka 14C BP (42-39 kacalBP(Hulu)). We compare these chronometric data with those from the neighboring sites of Bronze and Dzudzuana caves, as well as Mezmaiskaya Cave, located in the northern Caucasus. While the lack of key contextual information limit our ability to subject these other data sets to the same critical evaluation procedure, they provide the first interregional temporal assessment of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic "transition," the results of which suggest an initial expansion of modern humans into the southern Caucasus followed by expansion along the Black Sea coast and into the northern Caucasus.}, }
@article {pmid18926559, year = {2008}, author = {Conard, NJ and Bolus, M}, title = {Radiocarbon dating the late Middle Paleolithic and the Aurignacian of the Swabian Jura.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {55}, number = {5}, pages = {886-897}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.08.006}, pmid = {18926559}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Cultural/*methods ; *Chronology as Topic ; Germany ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Radiometric Dating/*methods/standards ; }, abstract = {Many lines of evidence point to the period between roughly 40 and 30 ka BP as the period in which modern humans arrived in Europe and displaced the indigenous Neandertal populations. At the same time, many innovations associated with the Upper Paleolithic--including new stone and organic technologies, use of personal ornaments, figurative art, and musical instruments--are first documented in the European archaeological record. Dating the events of this period is challenging for several reasons. In the period about six to seven radiocarbon half-lives ago, variable preservation, pre-treatment, and sample preparation can easily lead to a lack of reproducibility between samples and laboratories. A range of biological, cultural, and geological processes can lead to mixing of archaeological strata and their contents. Additionally, some data sets point to this period as a time of significant spikes in levels of atmospheric radiocarbon. This paper assesses these questions in the context of the well-excavated and intensively studied caves of Geissenklösterle and Hohle Fels in the Swabian Jura of southwestern Germany. We conclude that variable atmospheric radiocarbon production contributes to the problems of dating the late Middle Paleolithic and the early Upper Paleolithic. To help establish a reliable chronology for the Swabian Aurignacian, we are beginning to focus our dating program on short-lived, stratigraphically secure features to see if they yield reproducible results. This approach may help to test competing explanations for the noisy and often non-reproducible results that arise when trying to date the transition from the Middle to the Upper Paleolithic.}, }
@article {pmid18926558, year = {2008}, author = {Roebroeks, W}, title = {Time for the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {55}, number = {5}, pages = {918-926}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.08.008}, pmid = {18926558}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology/*methods ; Archaeology/*methods ; *Chronology as Topic ; Europe ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Paleontology/*methods ; }, abstract = {The Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition is a key period of change in the prehistory of the Old World and one of the most studied issues in paleoanthropology, as the nature of the transition(s) is still, after at least a century of archaeological research, largely unknown. Many of the issues at stake in the transition relate to the problem of building a reliable chronology for this period, which is at the limits of the radiocarbon method. The papers in this volume show that much progress has been made in our chronological knowledge of significant aspects of the transition, such as the age of the most recent Neandertal fossils and the earliest modern human remains in Europe, and the inferred overlap between the Châtelperronian and the Aurignacian. At the same time, the volume also shows where the chronological database for the period 40 to 30 ka 14C BP is flawed and that significant contextual and methodological problems have been underestimated in a number of studies of the biological and cultural changes during this crucial period. Chronology is employed by paleoanthropologists to relate the record of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition to major biological and cultural developments. This paper takes a broader paleoanthropological perspective and attempts to evaluate and, to some degree, synthesize the main results of these proceedings, while also presenting a brief discussion of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic archaeological and fossil records, and possible explanations for the differences between the two, focusing on the role of differences in the ecology of Neandertals and early European modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid18853361, year = {2008}, author = {Munch, K and Boomsma, W and Huelsenbeck, JP and Willerslev, E and Nielsen, R}, title = {Statistical assignment of DNA sequences using Bayesian phylogenetics.}, journal = {Systematic biology}, volume = {57}, number = {5}, pages = {750-757}, doi = {10.1080/10635150802422316}, pmid = {18853361}, issn = {1076-836X}, support = {R01 GM069801/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; Bayes Theorem ; Computer Simulation ; DNA/*genetics ; Insecta/genetics ; *Models, Genetic ; *Models, Statistical ; *Phylogeny ; Plants/genetics ; }, abstract = {We provide a new automated statistical method for DNA barcoding based on a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis. The method is based on automated database sequence retrieval, alignment, and phylogenetic analysis using a custom-built program for Bayesian phylogenetic analysis. We show on real data that the method outperforms Blast searches as a measure of confidence and can help eliminate 80% of all false assignment based on best Blast hit. However, the most important advance of the method is that it provides statistically meaningful measures of confidence. We apply the method to a re-analysis of previously published ancient DNA data and show that, with high statistical confidence, most of the published sequences are in fact of Neanderthal origin. However, there are several cases of chimeric sequences that are comprised of a combination of both Neanderthal and modern human DNA.}, }
@article {pmid18842288, year = {2008}, author = {Holton, NE and Franciscus, RG}, title = {The paradox of a wide nasal aperture in cold-adapted Neandertals: a causal assessment.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {55}, number = {6}, pages = {942-951}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.07.001}, pmid = {18842288}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cold Climate ; Female ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Biological ; Nose/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging/growth &amp; development ; Palate, Hard/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging/growth &amp; development ; Radiography ; Young Adult ; }, abstract = {Neandertals have been characterized as possessing features indicative of cold-climate adaptation largely based on ecogeographical morphological patterning found in recent humans. Interestingly, one character that deviates from this pattern is a relatively wide nasal aperture. The ecogeographical patterning of the nasal aperture in recent humans would predict instead that Neandertals should exhibit reduced nasal breadth dimensions. To explain this apparent anomaly it has been argued that a reduction in Neandertal nasal breadth was not possible due to dentognathic constraints on their midfaces via large anterior palatal breadth dimensions, especially large intercanine distances. A complicating factor in understanding the relationship between anterior palate breadth and nasal breadth is that both measurements are also correlated with facial prognathism. It is, therefore, unknown to what degree the relationship between anterior palate breadth and nasal breadth in Neandertals is a function of the pleisiomorphic retention of a prognathic facial skeleton. We used path analysis to test for a causal relationship between intercanine breadth and nasal breadth taking into account the potential effect of facial projection and facial prognathism (i.e., basion-nasion length and basion-prosthion length) using a large sample of geographically diverse recent and fossil Homo. Additionally, we examined the ontogenetic relationship between nasal breadth and intercanine breadth using a longitudinal human growth series to determine whether these variables exhibit similar growth trajectories. The results of these analyses indicate a weaker association between intercanine breadth and nasal breadth than expected, and that more variation in nasal breadth can be explained through basion-prosthion length rather than anterior palatal breadth dimensions. Moreover, the ontogenetic development of anterior palate breadth does not correspond to the growth trajectory of the breadth of the nose. These results explain the apparent paradox of wide piriform apertures in generally cooler climate-adapted Neandertals without resorting to dentognathic constraints, and provide additional insight into both the adaptive and nonadaptive (i.e., neutral) basis for Neandertal facial evolution.}, }
@article {pmid18809932, year = {2008}, author = {Shipman, P}, title = {Separating "us" from "them": Neanderthal and modern human behavior.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {105}, number = {38}, pages = {14241-14242}, pmid = {18809932}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Behavior/*physiology ; Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology/psychology ; Humans ; Species Specificity ; }, }
@article {pmid18809913, year = {2008}, author = {Stringer, CB and Finlayson, JC and Barton, RN and Fernández-Jalvo, Y and Cáceres, I and Sabin, RC and Rhodes, EJ and Currant, AP and Rodríguez-Vidal, J and Giles-Pacheco, F and Riquelme-Cantal, JA}, title = {Neanderthal exploitation of marine mammals in Gibraltar.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {105}, number = {38}, pages = {14319-14324}, pmid = {18809913}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Behavior ; Fishes ; *Food ; Fossils ; Geography ; Gibraltar ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Mammals ; Marine Biology ; Mollusca ; Technology ; }, abstract = {Two coastal sites in Gibraltar, Vanguard and Gorham's Caves, located at Governor's Beach on the eastern side of the Rock, are especially relevant to the study of Neanderthals. Vanguard Cave provides evidence of marine food supply (mollusks, seal, dolphin, and fish). Further evidence of marine mammal remains was also found in the occupation levels at Gorham's Cave associated with Upper Paleolithic and Mousterian technologies [Finlayson C, et al. (2006) Nature 443:850-853]. The stratigraphic sequence of Gibraltar sites allows us to compare behaviors and subsistence strategies of Neanderthals during the Middle Paleolithic observed at Vanguard and Gorham's Cave sites. This evidence suggests that such use of marine resources was not a rare behavior and represents focused visits to the coast and estuaries.}, }
@article {pmid18789810, year = {2008}, author = {López-García, JM and Blain, HA and Cuenca-Bescós, G and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Chronological, environmental, and climatic precisions on the Neanderthal site of the Cova del Gegant (Sitges, Barcelona, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {55}, number = {6}, pages = {1151-1155}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.08.001}, pmid = {18789810}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Climate ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Spain ; Time Factors ; }, }
@article {pmid18779579, year = {2008}, author = {Ponce de León, MS and Golovanova, L and Doronichev, V and Romanova, G and Akazawa, T and Kondo, O and Ishida, H and Zollikofer, CP}, title = {Neanderthal brain size at birth provides insights into the evolution of human life history.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {105}, number = {37}, pages = {13764-13768}, pmid = {18779579}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Brain/*anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Organ Size ; Parturition ; Russia ; Skeleton ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Syria ; }, abstract = {From birth to adulthood, the human brain expands by a factor of 3.3, compared with 2.5 in chimpanzees [DeSilva J and Lesnik J (2006) Chimpanzee neonatal brain size: Implications for brain growth in Homo erectus. J Hum Evol 51: 207-212]. How the required extra amount of human brain growth is achieved and what its implications are for human life history and cognitive development are still a matter of debate. Likewise, because comparative fossil evidence is scarce, when and how the modern human pattern of brain growth arose during evolution is largely unknown. Virtual reconstructions of a Neanderthal neonate from Mezmaiskaya Cave (Russia) and of two Neanderthal infant skeletons from Dederiyeh Cave (Syria) now provide new comparative insights: Neanderthal brain size at birth was similar to that in recent Homo sapiens and most likely subject to similar obstetric constraints. Neanderthal brain growth rates during early infancy were higher, however. This pattern of growth resulted in larger adult brain sizes but not in earlier completion of brain growth. Because large brains growing at high rates require large, late-maturing, mothers [Leigh SR and Blomquist GE (2007) in Campbell CJ et al. Primates in perspective; pp 396-407], it is likely that Neanderthal life history was similarly slow, or even slower-paced, than in recent H. sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid18768141, year = {2008}, author = {Forhan, G and Martiel, JL and Blum, MG}, title = {A deterministic model of admixture and genetic introgression: the case of Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon.}, journal = {Mathematical biosciences}, volume = {216}, number = {1}, pages = {71-76}, doi = {10.1016/j.mbs.2008.08.004}, pmid = {18768141}, issn = {0025-5564}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; *DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Female ; Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Male ; *Models, Genetic ; }, abstract = {There is an ongoing debate in the field of human evolution about the possible contribution of Neanderthals to the modern human gene pool. To study how the Neanderthal private alleles may have spread over the genes of Homo sapiens, we propose a deterministic model based on recursive equations and ordinary differential equations. If the Neanderthal population was large compared to the Homo sapiens population at the beginning of the contact period, we show that genetic introgression should have been fast and complete meaning that most of the Neanderthal private alleles should be found in the modern human gene pool in case of ancient admixture. In order to test/reject ancient admixture from genome-wide data, we incorporate the model of genetic introgression into a statistical hypothesis-testing framework. We show that the power to reject ancient admixture increases as the ratio, at the time of putative admixture, of the population size of Homo sapiens over that of Neanderthal decreases. We find that the power to reject ancient admixture might be particularly low if the population size of Homo sapiens was comparable to the Neanderthal population size.}, }
@article {pmid21491640, year = {2008}, author = {Goymer, P}, title = {Evolutionary genomics: our Neanderthal cousins.}, journal = {Nature reviews. Genetics}, volume = {9}, number = {9}, pages = {652}, doi = {10.1038/nrg2448}, pmid = {21491640}, issn = {1471-0064}, }
@article {pmid18711737, year = {2009}, author = {Smith, TM and Harvati, K and Olejniczak, AJ and Reid, DJ and Hublin, JJ and Panagopoulou, E}, title = {Brief communication: dental development and enamel thickness in the Lakonis Neanderthal molar.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {138}, number = {1}, pages = {112-118}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.20898}, pmid = {18711737}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; *Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Dentition ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/classification/physiology ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; *Molar/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; *Paleodontology/methods ; User-Computer Interface ; Humans ; }, abstract = {Developmental and structural affinities between modern human and Neanderthal dental remains continue to be a subject of debate as well as their utility for informing assessments of life history and taxonomy. Excavation of the Middle Paleolithic cave site Lakonis in southern Greece has yielded a lower third molar (LKH 1). Here, we detail the crown development and enamel thickness of the distal cusps of the LKH 1 specimen, which has been classified as a Neanderthal based on the presence of an anterior fovea and mid-trigonid crest. Crown formation was determined using standard histological techniques, and enamel thickness was measured from a virtual plane of section. Developmental differences include thinner cuspal enamel and a lower periodicity than modern humans. Crown formation in the LKH 1 hypoconid is estimated to be 2.6-2.7 years, which is shorter than modern human times. The LKH 1 hypoconid also shows a more rapid overall crown extension rate than modern humans. Relative enamel thickness was approximately half that of a modern human sample mean; enamel on the distal cusps of modern human third molars is extremely thick in absolute and relative terms. These findings are consistent with recent studies that demonstrate differences in crown development, tissue proportions, and enamel thickness between Neanderthals and modern humans. Although overlap in some developmental variables may be found, the results of this and other studies suggest that Neanderthal molars formed in shorter periods of time than modern humans, due in part to thinner enamel and faster crown extension rates.}, }
@article {pmid18711730, year = {2009}, author = {Glantz, M and Athreya, S and Ritzman, T}, title = {Is Central Asia the eastern outpost of the Neandertal range? A reassessment of the Teshik-Tash child.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {138}, number = {1}, pages = {45-61}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.20897}, pmid = {18711730}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Asia, Central ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology ; Regression Analysis ; Sample Size ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; }, abstract = {Since its discovery in southeastern Uzbekistan in 1938, the Teshik-Tash child has been considered a Neandertal. Its affinity is important to studies of Late Pleistocene hominin growth and development as well as interpretations of the Central Asian Middle Paleolithic and the geographic distribution of Neandertals. A close examination of the original Russian monograph reveals the incompleteness of key morphologies associated with the cranial base and face and problems with the reconstruction of the Teshik-Tash cranium, making its Neandertal attribution less certain than previously assumed. This study reassesses the Neandertal status of Teshik-Tash 1 by comparing it to a sample of Neandertal, Middle and Upper Paleolithic modern humans, and recent human sub-adults. Separate examinations of the cranium and mandible are conducted using multinomial logistic regression and discriminant function analysis to assess group membership. Results of the cranial analysis group Teshik-Tash with Upper Paleolithic modern humans when variables are not size-standardized, while results of the mandibular analysis place the specimen with recent modern humans for both raw and size-standardized data. Although these results are influenced by limitations related to the incomplete nature of the comparative sample, they suggest that the morphology of Teshik-Tash 1 as expressed in craniometrics is equivocal. Although, further quantitative studies as well as additional sub-adult fossil finds from this region are needed to ascertain the morphological pattern of this specimen specifically, and Central Asian Middle Paleolithic hominins in general, these results challenge current characterizations of this territory as the eastern boundary of the Neandertal range during the Late Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid18710493, year = {2008}, author = {Vives, S and Gilbert, MT and Arenas, C and Gigli, E and Lao, O and Lalueza-Fox, C}, title = {Statistical analysis of post mortem DNA damage-derived miscoding lesions in Neandertal mitochondrial DNA.}, journal = {BMC research notes}, volume = {1}, number = {}, pages = {40}, pmid = {18710493}, issn = {1756-0500}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: We have analysed the distribution of post mortem DNA damage derived miscoding lesions from the datasets of seven published Neandertal specimens that have extensive cloned sequence coverage over the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable region 1 (HVS1). The analysis was restricted to C-->T and G-->A miscoding lesions (the predominant manifestation of post mortem damage) that are seen at a frequency of more than one clone among sequences from a single PCR, but do not represent the true endogenous sequence.<br><br>FINDINGS: The data indicates an extreme bias towards C-->T over G-->A miscoding lesions (observed ratio of 67:2 compared to an expected ratio of 7:2), implying that the mtDNA Light strand molecule suffers proportionally more damage-derived miscoding lesions than the Heavy strand.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The clustering of Cs in the Light strand as opposed to the singleton pattern of Cs in the Heavy strand could explain the observed bias, a phenomenon that could be further tested with non-PCR based approaches. The characterization of the HVS1 hotspots will be of use to future Neandertal mtDNA studies, with specific regards to assessing the authenticity of new positions previously unknown to be polymorphic.}, }
@article {pmid18692465, year = {2008}, author = {Green, RE and Malaspinas, AS and Krause, J and Briggs, AW and Johnson, PL and Uhler, C and Meyer, M and Good, JM and Maricic, T and Stenzel, U and Prüfer, K and Siebauer, M and Burbano, HA and Ronan, M and Rothberg, JM and Egholm, M and Rudan, P and Brajković, D and Kućan, Z and Gusić, I and Wikström, M and Laakkonen, L and Kelso, J and Slatkin, M and Pääbo, S}, title = {A complete Neandertal mitochondrial genome sequence determined by high-throughput sequencing.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {134}, number = {3}, pages = {416-426}, pmid = {18692465}, issn = {1097-4172}, support = {R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM040282-20/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01-GM40282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; Bone and Bones/metabolism ; Croatia ; Cyclooxygenase 2/chemistry ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Fossils ; Genome, Mitochondrial ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Models, Molecular ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {A complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequence was reconstructed from a 38,000 year-old Neandertal individual with 8341 mtDNA sequences identified among 4.8 Gb of DNA generated from approximately 0.3 g of bone. Analysis of the assembled sequence unequivocally establishes that the Neandertal mtDNA falls outside the variation of extant human mtDNAs, and allows an estimate of the divergence date between the two mtDNA lineages of 660,000 +/- 140,000 years. Of the 13 proteins encoded in the mtDNA, subunit 2 of cytochrome c oxidase of the mitochondrial electron transport chain has experienced the largest number of amino acid substitutions in human ancestors since the separation from Neandertals. There is evidence that purifying selection in the Neandertal mtDNA was reduced compared with other primate lineages, suggesting that the effective population size of Neandertals was small.}, }
@article {pmid18692462, year = {2008}, author = {Clark, AG}, title = {Genome sequences from extinct relatives.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {134}, number = {3}, pages = {388-389}, doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2008.07.026}, pmid = {18692462}, issn = {1097-4172}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {Next-generation sequencing methods use massively parallel detection of short sequencing reactions, making them ideal for the analysis of ancient DNA. In this issue, Green et al. (2008) exploit this feature to infer the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of one Neanderthal and place bounds on its time of common ancestry with modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid18628960, year = {2008}, author = {Caramelli, D and Milani, L and Vai, S and Modi, A and Pecchioli, E and Girardi, M and Pilli, E and Lari, M and Lippi, B and Ronchitelli, A and Mallegni, F and Casoli, A and Bertorelle, G and Barbujani, G}, title = {A 28,000 years old Cro-Magnon mtDNA sequence differs from all potentially contaminating modern sequences.}, journal = {PloS one}, volume = {3}, number = {7}, pages = {e2700}, pmid = {18628960}, issn = {1932-6203}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; *Biological Evolution ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Europe ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Italy ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Paleontology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: DNA sequences from ancient specimens may in fact result from undetected contamination of the ancient specimens by modern DNA, and the problem is particularly challenging in studies of human fossils. Doubts on the authenticity of the available sequences have so far hampered genetic comparisons between anatomically archaic (Neandertal) and early modern (Cro-Magnoid) Europeans.<br><br>We typed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable region I in a 28,000 years old Cro-Magnoid individual from the Paglicci cave, in Italy (Paglicci 23) and in all the people who had contact with the sample since its discovery in 2003. The Paglicci 23 sequence, determined through the analysis of 152 clones, is the Cambridge reference sequence, and cannot possibly reflect contamination because it differs from all potentially contaminating modern sequences.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The Paglicci 23 individual carried a mtDNA sequence that is still common in Europe, and which radically differs from those of the almost contemporary Neandertals, demonstrating a genealogical continuity across 28,000 years, from Cro-Magnoid to modern Europeans. Because all potential sources of modern DNA contamination are known, the Paglicci 23 sample will offer a unique opportunity to get insight for the first time into the nuclear genes of early modern Europeans.}, }
@article {pmid18524493, year = {2008}, author = {Riel-Salvatore, J}, title = {Mad Neanderthal disease? Some comments on "A potential role for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies in Neanderthal extinction".}, journal = {Medical hypotheses}, volume = {71}, number = {3}, pages = {473-474}, doi = {10.1016/j.mehy.2008.04.015}, pmid = {18524493}, issn = {0306-9877}, mesh = {Animals ; Cannibalism/history ; *Extinction, Biological ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Kuru/history/transmission ; Primate Diseases/*history/transmission ; Prion Diseases/*history/transmission ; }, }
@article {pmid18499228, year = {2008}, author = {Glantz, M and Viola, B and Wrinn, P and Chikisheva, T and Derevianko, A and Krivoshapkin, A and Islamov, U and Suleimanov, R and Ritzman, T}, title = {New hominin remains from Uzbekistan.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {55}, number = {2}, pages = {223-237}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.12.007}, pmid = {18499228}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Anatomy, Comparative ; Animals ; Asia, Central ; Dentition ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; *Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry ; Uzbekistan ; }, abstract = {Although the Paleolithic occupations of Uzbekistan and the neighboring foothill regions of Tajikistan and Kazakhstan are well-documented, almost no hominin fossil material has been discovered in the area since Teshik-Tash 1 in 1938. Here we describe and offer a preliminary comparative framework for hominin remains that were recovered in 2003 from two Middle Paleolithic sites in Uzbekistan, Obi-Rakhmat Grotto and Anghilak Cave. The description of Teshik-Tash as a Neandertal and the preponderance of lithic assemblages identified as Mousterian in character has supported the interpretation of the region as the eastern-most extent of the Neandertal range. The material from Obi-Rakhmat (OR-1), a subadult represented by part of a permanent maxillary dentition and a fragmentary cranium, expresses a relatively Neandertal-like dentition coupled with more ambiguous cranial anatomy. The remains from Anghilak Cave include a non-diagnostic, diminutive right fifth metatarsal (AH-1). These findings are important additions to the Central Asia hominin fossil record.}, }
@article {pmid18486185, year = {2008}, author = {Bailey, S and Glantz, M and Weaver, TD and Viola, B}, title = {The affinity of the dental remains from Obi-Rakhmat Grotto, Uzbekistan.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {55}, number = {2}, pages = {238-248}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.03.004}, pmid = {18486185}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Dentition ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry ; Uzbekistan ; }, abstract = {A human partial maxillary dentition and a fragmentary cranium were recovered from Obi-Rakhmat Grotto in northeastern Uzbekistan in 2003. Initial descriptions of this single juvenile (OR-1) from a Middle Paleolithic archaeological context have emphasized its mosaic morphological pattern; the dentition appears archaic, while certain morphological aspects of the cranial fragments may be more ambiguous. The present study provides a systematic and comparative analysis of the dental morphology and morphometrics of OR-1 to provide a more refined appraisal of its phenetic affinity vis á vis Neandertals and modern humans. Two analyses were performed. The first uses 28 non-metric dental traits scored from Neandertals, Upper Paleolithic, and Middle Paleolithic modern humans to assess the posterior probability of group membership for the Obi-Rakhmat individual. The second is a morphometric analysis of the first upper molar of OR-1. The results of both analyses suggest the dentition of OR-1 is essentially Neandertal.}, }
@article {pmid18485447, year = {2008}, author = {Fortea, J and de la Rasilla, M and García-Tabernero, A and Gigli, E and Rosas, A and Lalueza-Fox, C}, title = {Excavation protocol of bone remains for Neandertal DNA analysis in El Sidrón Cave (Asturias, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {55}, number = {2}, pages = {353-357}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.03.005}, pmid = {18485447}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Bone and Bones ; DNA/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; Spain ; }, }
@article {pmid18433423, year = {2008}, author = {Healy, E}, title = {Neanderthal man's MC1R plays fair.}, journal = {Pigment cell &amp; melanoma research}, volume = {21}, number = {3}, pages = {340-341}, doi = {10.1111/j.1755-148X.2008.00465.x}, pmid = {18433423}, issn = {1755-1471}, mesh = {Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Variation ; Hair Color/genetics/physiology ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1/*genetics/*physiology ; Skin Pigmentation/genetics/physiology ; Species Specificity ; }, }
@article {pmid18413354, year = {2008}, author = {Coop, G and Bullaughey, K and Luca, F and Przeworski, M}, title = {The timing of selection at the human FOXP2 gene.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {25}, number = {7}, pages = {1257-1259}, pmid = {18413354}, issn = {1537-1719}, support = {R01 HG002772-05/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; HG002772/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM072861/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM072861-05/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HG002772/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; GM72861/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 GM079558/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; GM79558/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {*Amino Acid Substitution ; Biological Evolution ; Female ; Forkhead Transcription Factors/*genetics/metabolism ; Genetic Variation ; Genetics, Population ; Humans ; *Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Krause J, Lalueza-Fox C, Orlando L, et al. recently examined patterns of genetic variation at FOXP2 in 2 Neanderthals. This gene is of particular interest because it is involved in speech and language and was previously shown to harbor the signature of recent positive selection. The authors found the same 2 amino acid substitutions in Neanderthals as in modern humans. Assuming that these sites were the targets of selection and no interbreeding between the 2 groups, they concluded that selection at FOXP2 occurred before the populations split, over 300 thousand years ago. Here, we show that the data are unlikely under this scenario but may instead be consistent with low rates of gene flow between modern humans and Neanderthals. We also collect additional data and introduce a modeling framework to estimate levels of modern human contamination of the Neanderthal samples. We find that, depending on the assumptions, additional control experiments may be needed to rule out contamination at FOXP2.}, }
@article {pmid18396318, year = {2008}, author = {Richards, MP and Taylor, G and Steele, T and McPherron, SP and Soressi, M and Jaubert, J and Orschiedt, J and Mallye, JB and Rendu, W and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Isotopic dietary analysis of a Neanderthal and associated fauna from the site of Jonzac (Charente-Maritime), France.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {55}, number = {1}, pages = {179-185}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2008.02.007}, pmid = {18396318}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones/chemistry ; Carbon Isotopes/analysis ; Collagen/*analysis ; Dietary Proteins/*analysis ; *Feeding Behavior ; France ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Nitrogen Isotopes/analysis ; Tooth/chemistry ; }, abstract = {We report here on the isotopic analysis (carbon and nitrogen) of collagen extracted from a Neanderthal tooth and animal bone from the late Mousterian site of Jonzac (Charente-Maritime, France). This study was undertaken to test whether the isotopic evidence indicates that animal protein was the main source of dietary protein for this relatively late Neanderthal, as suggested by previous studies. This was of particular interest here because this is the first isotopic study of a relatively late Neanderthal associated with Mousterian of Acheulian Tradition (MTA, dating to approximately 55,000 to 40,000 BP) technology. We found that the Jonzac Neanderthal had isotopic values consistent with a diet in which the main protein sources were large herbivores, particularly bovids and horses. We also found evidence of different dietary niches between the Neanderthal and a hyena at the site, with the hyena consuming mainly reindeer.}, }
@article {pmid18383277, year = {2008}, author = {Rosas, A and Peña-Melián, A and García-Tabernero, A and Bastir, M and De La Rasilla, M and Fortea, J}, title = {Endocranial occipito-temporal anatomy of SD-1219 from the Neandertal El Sidrón Site (Asturias, Spain).}, journal = {Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)}, volume = {291}, number = {5}, pages = {502-512}, doi = {10.1002/ar.20684}, pmid = {18383277}, issn = {1932-8486}, mesh = {Animals ; Cranial Sinuses/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Temporal Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {We addressed the brain drainage system as inferred by the endocranial morphology of the occipito-temporal region of the El Sidrón Neandertal specimen SD-1219. Morphological details of the endocranial surface and its anatomical implications were analyzed for the reconstruction of the dural sinus drainage pattern and its comparison with Neandertals and other hominids. The specimen SD-1219 shows a pattern in which the superior sagittal sinus goes into the right transverse sinus. Comparative analyses with a large sample of fossil hominids reveal a pattern of the SD-1219 fossil that is typical for Neandertals. The analysis of the proportions of the occipital lobes prints within the occipital fossae reveals that the left occipital pole projects toward the right. This possibly indicates brain asymmetry (petalia) in this Neandertal individual, similar to that observed in some modern human brains. Conversely, no such asymmetry was observed in the cerebellar fossae. A particular feature of this fossil is the presence of two crests, located at the middle of the left cerebellar fossa that can be related to either an imprinting of a cerebellar fissure or some bone response to mechanical influence on internal bone surface morphology during cerebellar development. Specific aspects of the paleoneurology of Neandertals are discussed. Further quantitative studies on the endocranial morphology of the occipito-temporal and -mastoid region will shed light on the paleoneurological significance of this important anatomical region for the understanding of human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid18380860, year = {2008}, author = {Bradley, BJ}, title = {Reconstructing phylogenies and phenotypes: a molecular view of human evolution.}, journal = {Journal of anatomy}, volume = {212}, number = {4}, pages = {337-353}, pmid = {18380860}, issn = {1469-7580}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Human ; Genomics ; Humans ; Phenotype ; Primates/genetics ; }, abstract = {This review broadly summarizes how molecular biology has contributed to our understanding of human evolution. Molecular anthropology began in the 1960s with immunological comparisons indicating that African apes and humans were closely related and, indeed, shared a common ancestor as recently as 5 million years ago. Although initially dismissed, this finding has proven robust and numerous lines of molecular evidence now firmly place the human-ape divergence at 4-8 Ma. Resolving the trichotomy among humans, chimpanzees and gorillas took a few more decades. Despite the readily apparent physical similarities shared by African apes to the exclusion of modern humans (body hair, knuckle-walking, thin tooth enamel), the molecular support for a human-chimpanzee clade is now overwhelming. More recently, whole genome sequencing and gene mapping have shifted the focus of molecular anthropology from phylogenetic analyses to phenotypic reconstruction and functional genomics. We are starting to identify the genetic basis of the morphological, physiological and behavioural traits that distinguish modern humans from apes and apes from other primates. Most notably, recent comparative genomic analyses strongly indicate that the marked differences between modern humans and chimpanzees are likely due more to changes in gene regulation than to modifications of the genes themselves, an idea first proposed over 30 years ago. Almost weekly, press releases describe newly identified genes and regulatory elements that seem to have undergone strong positive selection along the human lineage. Loci involved in speech (e.g. FOXP2), brain development (e.g. ASPM), and skull musculature (e.g. MYH16) have been of particular interest, but some surprising candidate loci (e.g. those involved in auditory capabilities) have emerged as well. Exciting new research avenues, such as the Neanderthal Genome Project, promise that molecular analyses will continue to provide novel insights about our evolution. Ultimately, however, these molecular findings can only be understood in light of data from field sites, morphology labs, and museum collections. Indeed, molecular anthropology depends on these sources for calibrating molecular clocks and placing genetic data within the context of key morphological and ecological transitions in human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid18365508, year = {2008}, author = {Rajković, Z and Krklec, V}, title = {[The oldest treated bone fracture in Croatia--130,000 years ago].}, journal = {Acta medica Croatica : casopis Hravatske akademije medicinskih znanosti}, volume = {62}, number = {1}, pages = {89-92}, pmid = {18365508}, issn = {1330-0164}, mesh = {Animals ; Croatia ; Fractures, Bone/*history/therapy ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Paleopathology ; }, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Numerous hypotheses canibalismus on the cause of Neanderthal death have been proposed, including injury and inappropriate medical trreatment. We aimed to determine the etiology and pathogenesis of the Neanderthal by comparison of historical information with current clinicopathologic knowledge.<br><br>INVESTIGATIONS: Evaluation of Neanderthal bones, original Dragutin Gorjanovic reports, and of historical documents. The clinicopathologic data from 135,000-year-old bones were used for comparison with the Mans bones.<br><br>DIAGNOSIS: Diagnostic x-ray procedure for fractured bones with Siemens x-rays.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis suggested successful healing of the fractures of the clavicle, radial bone and cranial bone trauma. Neanderthals treated successfully fracture and wounds and amputated forearm with poor result.}, }
@article {pmid18357583, year = {2008}, author = {Trinkaus, E and Maley, B and Buzhilova, AP}, title = {Brief communication: paleopathology of the Kiik-Koba 1 Neandertal.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {137}, number = {1}, pages = {106-112}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.20833}, pmid = {18357583}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Anthropology, Physical/methods ; Bone and Bones/*pathology ; Cuspid/pathology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Hyperostosis, Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal/*history/pathology ; Male ; Paleopathology/methods ; }, abstract = {The Kiik-Koba 1 Neandertal partial skeleton (canine, partial hands, partial leg, and feet), of a approximately 40-year-old probable male, exhibits a suite of pathological lesions, including hypercementosis, minor fibrous ossifications, pedal phalangeal fracture, and pronounced enthesopathies on the patella and calcanei in the context of no articular degenerations. The first two sets of lesions are related to age in the context of advanced dental attrition and physical strains. The third lesion joins a series of healed minor traumatic lesions among the Neandertals. The last represents either pronounced tendinous inflammation, albeit in the context of no articular degenerations, or a case of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) in the Late Pleistocene. Kiik-Koba 1 therefore adds to the high incidence of pathological lesions among the Neandertals and, if a diagnosis of DISH is correct, to a high frequency of this disorder among older Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid18347337, year = {2008}, author = {Weaver, TD and Roseman, CC and Stringer, CB}, title = {Close correspondence between quantitative- and molecular-genetic divergence times for Neandertals and modern humans.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {105}, number = {12}, pages = {4645-4649}, pmid = {18347337}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Calibration ; Cephalometry ; Fossils ; *Genetic Variation ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Recent research has shown that genetic drift may have produced many cranial differences between Neandertals and modern humans. If this is the case, then it should be possible to estimate population genetic parameters from Neandertal and modern human cranial measurements in a manner analogous to how estimates are made from DNA sequences. Building on previous work in evolutionary quantitative genetics and on microsatellites, we present a divergence time estimator for neutrally evolving morphological measurements. We then apply this estimator to 37 standard cranial measurements collected on 2,524 modern humans from 30 globally distributed populations and 20 Neandertal specimens. We calculate that the lineages leading to Neandertals and modern humans split approximately 311,000 (95% C.I.: 182,000 to 466,000) or 435,000 (95% C.I.: 308,000 to 592,000) years ago, depending on assumptions about changes in within-population variation. These dates are quite similar to those recently derived from ancient Neandertal and extant human DNA sequences. Close correspondence between cranial and DNA-sequence results implies that both datasets largely, although not necessarily exclusively, reflect neutral divergence, causing them to track population history or phylogeny rather than the action of diversifying natural selection. The cranial dataset covers only aspects of cranial anatomy that can be readily quantified with standard osteometric tools, so future research will be needed to determine whether these results are representative. Nonetheless, for the measurements we consider here, we find no conflict between molecules and morphology.}, }
@article {pmid18321561, year = {2008}, author = {Olejniczak, AJ and Smith, TM and Feeney, RN and Macchiarelli, R and Mazurier, A and Bondioli, L and Rosas, A and Fortea, J and de la Rasilla, M and Garcia-Tabernero, A and Radovcić, J and Skinner, MM and Toussaint, M and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Dental tissue proportions and enamel thickness in Neandertal and modern human molars.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {55}, number = {1}, pages = {12-23}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.11.004}, pmid = {18321561}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Enamel/*chemistry/diagnostic imaging ; Dentin/chemistry/diagnostic imaging ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Molar/*chemistry/diagnostic imaging ; *Paleodontology ; Radiography ; }, abstract = {The thickness of dental enamel is often discussed in paleoanthropological literature, particularly with regard to differences in growth, health, and diet between Neandertals and modern humans. Paleoanthropologists employ enamel thickness in paleodietary and taxonomic studies regarding earlier hominins, but variation in enamel thickness within the genus Homo has not been thoroughly explored despite its potential to discriminate species and its relevance to studies of growth and development. Radiographic two-dimensional studies indicate that Neandertal molar enamel is thin relative to the thick enamel of modern humans, although such methods have limited accuracy. Here we show that, measured via accurate high-resolution microtomographic imaging, Neandertal molar enamel is absolutely and relatively thinner than modern human enamel at most molar positions. However, this difference relates to the ratio of coronal dentine volume to total crown volume, rather than the quantity of enamel per se. The absolute volume of Neandertal molar enamel is similar to that of modern humans, but Neandertal enamel is deposited over a larger volume of coronal dentine, resulting in lower average (and relative) enamel thickness values. Sample sizes do not permit rigorous intragroup comparisons, but Neandertal molar tissue proportions evince less variation than the modern human sample. Differences in three- and two-dimensional enamel thickness data describing Neandertal molars may be explained by dimensional reduction. Although molar tissue proportions distinguish Neanderthals from recent Homo sapiens, additional study is necessary to assess trends in tissue proportions in the genus Homo throughout the Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid18304371, year = {2008}, author = {Hodgson, JA and Disotell, TR}, title = {No evidence of a Neanderthal contribution to modern human diversity.}, journal = {Genome biology}, volume = {9}, number = {2}, pages = {206}, pmid = {18304371}, issn = {1474-760X}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Genetic Variation ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {The relationship between Neanderthals and modern humans is contentious, but recent advances in Neanderthal genomics have shed new light on their evolutionary history. Here we review the available evidence and find no indication of any Neanderthal contribution to modern genetic diversity.}, }
@article {pmid18301930, year = {2008}, author = {Weber, J and Pusch, CM}, title = {The lumbar spine in Neanderthals shows natural kyphosis.}, journal = {European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society}, volume = {17 Suppl 2}, number = {Suppl 2}, pages = {S327-30}, pmid = {18301930}, issn = {1432-0932}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/physiology ; Adult ; Animals ; Anthropometry ; Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology ; Gait/physiology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Humans/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; *Kyphosis ; Life Style ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Middle Aged ; Movement/physiology ; Muscle Contraction/physiology ; Muscle, Skeletal/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Paleontology ; Physical Fitness/physiology ; Range of Motion, Articular/physiology ; Spinal Diseases/pathology/physiopathology ; Walking/physiology ; Weight-Bearing/physiology ; }, abstract = {Nowadays, lumbar spondylosis is one of the most frequent causes of lower back pain. In order to improve our understanding of the lumbar spine anatomy and functionality over time, we compared the lumbar vertebrae of Neanderthals with those of anatomically modern humans. The fossil record reports on only two Neanderthal skeletons (i.e., Kebara 2 and Shanidar 3, both predating the appearance of modern humans) with full preservation of the entire lumbar spine. Examination of these early hominids showed that they display natural lumbar kyphosis, with only mild degenerative changes of the lumbar spine (ages at death: 30-35 years, Kebara 2; and 35-50 years, Shanidar 3). This finding is highly unexpected since Neanderthals are known to have had extraordinary physical activity due to demanding living conditions. The adult lumbar spines discussed here therefore show no correlation between high physical activity and degenerative spine disease as known from recent times. We speculate that both the kyphosis itself and the massive and heavily muscled skeleton of Neanderthals are causative for the minimal bone degeneration. We conclude that a kyphotic lumbar spine is the natural anatomy in these two Neanderthal individuals. Future research will reveal if this holds true for the entire Neanderthal species.}, }
@article {pmid18280671, year = {2008}, author = {Underdown, S}, title = {A potential role for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in Neanderthal extinction.}, journal = {Medical hypotheses}, volume = {71}, number = {1}, pages = {4-7}, doi = {10.1016/j.mehy.2007.12.014}, pmid = {18280671}, issn = {0306-9877}, mesh = {Animals ; Cannibalism/history ; Extinction, Biological ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Kuru/history/transmission ; Models, Biological ; Primate Diseases/*history/transmission ; Prion Diseases/*history/transmission ; }, abstract = {The Neanderthals were a Eurasian human species of the genus Homo that disappeared approximately 30,000 years ago. The cause or causes of their extinction continues to intrigue specialists and non-specialists alike. Here a contributory role for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) is suggested. TSEs could have infected Neanderthal groups as a result of general cannibalistic activity and brain tissue consumption in particular. Further infection could then have taken place through continued cannibalistic activity or via shared used of infected stone tools. A modern human hunter-gatherer proxy has been developed and applied as a hypothetical model to the Neanderthals. This hypothesis suggests that the impact of TSEs on the Neanderthals could have been dramatic and have played a large part in contributing to the processes of Neanderthal extinction.}, }
@article {pmid18178238, year = {2008}, author = {Bruner, E and Manzi, G}, title = {Paleoneurology of an "early" Neandertal: endocranial size, shape, and features of Saccopastore 1.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {54}, number = {6}, pages = {729-742}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.08.014}, pmid = {18178238}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; Female ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Italy ; Paleontology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The Saccopastore 1 cranium was found near Rome in 1929, and its most probable age is about 120 ka (OIS 5e). The Neandertal morphology of the specimen was recognized just after the discovery by the Italian anthropologist S. Sergi, and subsequently confirmed by several authors. The present paper provides a complete description and analysis of the endocranial shape and features of this specimen, considering anatomical traits, metrics, and landmark data. The main endocranial diameters and the vascular traces resemble the morphology displayed by Middle Pleistocene humans, although lacking some traits described in the European samples referred to as ante-Neandertals. Nevertheless, proportions and endocranial shape support a definite Neandertal morphology, mostly taking into account the lateral development of the frontal lobes and the shape of the parietal areas. Therefore, it may be hypothesized that the Neandertal neurocranial architecture was present since at least OIS 5, as already suggested on the basis of ectocranial morphology.}, }
@article {pmid18096205, year = {2008}, author = {Reid, DJ and Guatelli-Steinberg, D and Walton, P}, title = {Variation in modern human premolar enamel formation times: implications for Neandertals.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {54}, number = {2}, pages = {225-235}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.09.015}, pmid = {18096205}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Bicuspid/*growth &amp; development/metabolism ; Dental Enamel/*growth &amp; development/metabolism ; Hominidae/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {A recent study demonstrated that variation in enamel cap crown formation in the anterior teeth is greater than that in the molars from two geographically distinct populations: native indigenous southern Africans and northern Europeans. Eighty southern African and 69 northern European premolars (P3 and P4) were analyzed in the present study. Cuspal, lateral, and total enamel formation times were assessed. Although cuspal enamel formation times were not consistently different between the two populations, both lateral and total enamel formation times generally were. Bonferroni-corrected t-tests showed that southern Africans had significantly shorter lateral enamel formation time for five of the six cusps, as well as significantly shorter total enamel formation time for these same cusps. An analysis of covariance performed on the lingual cusps of the upper third and fourth premolars showed that differences in enamel formation times between these populations remained when crown height was statistically controlled. A further goal of this study was to ascertain, based on perikymata counts, what Neandertal periodicities would have to be in order for their teeth to have lateral enamel formation times equivalent to either southern Africans or northern Europeans. To this end, perikymata were counted on 32 Neandertal premolars, and the counts were inserted into regression formulae relating perikymata counts to periodicity for each population and each tooth type. Neandertal enamel formation times could be equivalent to those of southern Africans or northern Europeans only if their hypothetical periodicities fall within the range of periodicities for African apes and modern humans (i.e., 6-12 days). The analysis revealed that both populations could encompass Neandertal timings, with hypothetical periodicities based on the southern African population necessitating a lower range of periodicity (6-8 days) than those based on the northern European population (8-11 days).}, }
@article {pmid18084031, year = {2008}, author = {Meyer, M and Briggs, AW and Maricic, T and Höber, B and Höffner, B and Krause, J and Weihmann, A and Pääbo, S and Hofreiter, M}, title = {From micrograms to picograms: quantitative PCR reduces the material demands of high-throughput sequencing.}, journal = {Nucleic acids research}, volume = {36}, number = {1}, pages = {e5}, pmid = {18084031}, issn = {1362-4962}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils ; Gene Library ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Pan paniscus/genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods ; }, abstract = {Current efforts to recover the Neandertal and mammoth genomes by 454 DNA sequencing demonstrate the sensitivity of this technology. However, routine 454 sequencing applications still require microgram quantities of initial material. This is due to a lack of effective methods for quantifying 454 sequencing libraries, necessitating expensive and labour-intensive procedures when sequencing ancient DNA and other poor DNA samples. Here we report a 454 sequencing library quantification method based on quantitative PCR that effectively eliminates these limitations. We estimated both the molecule numbers and the fragment size distributions in sequencing libraries derived from Neandertal DNA extracts, SAGE ditags and bonobo genomic DNA, obtaining optimal sequencing yields without performing any titration runs. Using this method, 454 sequencing can routinely be performed from as little as 50 pg of initial material without titration runs, thereby drastically reducing costs while increasing the scope of sample throughput and protocol development on the 454 platform. The method should also apply to Illumina/Solexa and ABI/SOLiD sequencing, and should therefore help to widen the accessibility of all three platforms.}, }
@article {pmid18077342, year = {2007}, author = {Smith, TM and Toussaint, M and Reid, DJ and Olejniczak, AJ and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Rapid dental development in a Middle Paleolithic Belgian Neanderthal.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {104}, number = {51}, pages = {20220-20225}, pmid = {18077342}, issn = {1091-6490}, mesh = {Animals ; Belgium ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Life ; *Odontogenesis ; *Paleodontology ; Tooth/*growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {The evolution of life history (pace of growth and reproduction) was crucial to ancient hominin adaptations. The study of dental development facilitates assessment of growth and development in fossil hominins with greater precision than other skeletal analyses. During tooth formation, biological rhythms manifest in enamel and dentine, creating a permanent record of growth rate and duration. Quantification of these internal and external incremental features yields developmental benchmarks, including ages at crown completion, tooth eruption, and root completion. Molar eruption is correlated with other aspects of life history. Recent evidence for developmental differences between modern humans and Neanderthals remains ambiguous. By measuring tooth formation in the entire dentition of a juvenile Neanderthal from Scladina, Belgium, we show that most teeth formed over a shorter time than in modern humans and that dental initiation and eruption were relatively advanced. By registering manifestations of stress across the dentition, we are able to present a precise chronology of Neanderthal dental development that differs from modern humans. At 8 years of age at death, this juvenile displays a degree of development comparable with modern human children who are several years older. We suggest that age at death in juvenile Neanderthals should not be assessed by comparison with modern human standards, particularly those derived from populations of European origin. Moreover, evidence from the Scladina juvenile and other similarly aged hominins suggests that a prolonged childhood and slow life history are unique to Homo sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid18054066, year = {2008}, author = {Balzeau, A and Radovcić, J}, title = {Variation and modalities of growth and development of the temporal bone pneumatization in Neandertals.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {54}, number = {5}, pages = {546-567}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.07.009}, pmid = {18054066}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Temporal Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {The temporal bone is used frequently to determine taxonomic affinities as it contains several features that differentiate Neandertals from anatomically modern Homo sapiens. However, only little information is available about temporal bone pneumatization in Neandertals. This study provides descriptions and comparisons of the disposition and the extensiveness of the pneumatization of the temporal bone in large samples of Neandertal specimens of different geological and developmental ages (25 individuals and 33 temporal bones from the sites of Engis, Krapina, La Chapelle aux Saints, La Ferrassie, La Quina, Pech de l'Azé, and Spy). Although temporal bone pneumatization shows some individual variability, a similar pattern of distribution is found in all adult Neandertal individuals from Krapina and Western Europe. Pneumatization is restricted mainly to most parts of the petromastoid areas. We also retrace for the first time the modalities of growth and development of this pneumatization in Neandertals. Finally, this study provides new information about possible correlations between the extension and position of temporal bone pneumatization and some of the morphological features used to characterize the temporal bone of the Neandertals. These latter features include the relatively low and short temporal squama, the robust zygomatic process with a relatively marked lateral projection, the strong supramastoid crest, the significant thickness of the tympanic part of the temporal bone, and the relatively small mastoid process and large juxtamastoid eminence. Our results suggest that the development of pneumatization in Neandertals is related to available space and to temporal bone morphology. Moreover, it appears that the development of pneumatization does not play an active role in determining the morphology of the apomorphic features of the temporal bone in Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid18045650, year = {2008}, author = {Guatelli-Steinberg, D and Reid, DJ}, title = {What molars contribute to an emerging understanding of lateral enamel formation in Neandertals vs. modern humans.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {54}, number = {2}, pages = {236-250}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.09.016}, pmid = {18045650}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Enamel/*growth &amp; development/metabolism ; Hominidae/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Molar/*growth &amp; development/metabolism ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Two hypotheses, based on previous work on Neandertal anterior and premolar teeth, are investigated here: (1) that estimated molar lateral enamel formation times in Neandertals are likely to fall within the range of modern human population variation, and (2) that perikymata (lateral enamel growth increments) are distributed across cervical and occlusal halves of the crown differently in Neandertals than they are in modern humans. To investigate these hypotheses, total perikymata numbers and the distribution of perikymata across deciles of crown height were compared for Neandertal, northern European, and southern African upper molar mesiobuccal (mb) cusps, lower molar mesiobuccal cusps, and the lower first molar distobuccal (db) cusp. Sample sizes range from five (Neandertal M(1)db) to 29 (southern African M(1)mb). Neandertal mean perikymata numbers were found to differ significantly from those of both modern human samples (with the Neandertal mean higher) only for the M(2)mb. Regression analysis suggests that, with the exception of the M(2)mb, the hypothesis of equivalence between Neandertal and modern human lateral enamel formation time cannot be rejected. For the M(2)mb, regression analysis strongly suggests that this cusp took longer to form in the Neandertal sample than it did in the southern African sample. Plots of perikymata numbers across deciles of crown height demonstrate that Neandertal perikymata are distributed more evenly across the cervical and occlusal halves of molar crowns than they are in the modern human samples. These results are integrated into a discussion of Neandertal and modern human lateral enamel formation across the dentition, with reference to issues of life history and enamel growth processes.}, }
@article {pmid18035396, year = {2008}, author = {Quam, R and Rak, Y}, title = {Auditory ossicles from southwest Asian Mousterian sites.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {54}, number = {3}, pages = {414-433}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.10.005}, pmid = {18035396}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropometry ; Ear Ossicles/*anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Israel ; Otitis Media/pathology ; }, abstract = {The present study describes and analyzes new Neandertal and early modern human auditory ossicles from the sites of Qafzeh and Amud in southwest Asia. Some methodological issues in the measurement of these bones are considered, and a set of standardized measurement protocols is proposed. Evidence of erosive pathological processes, most likely attributed to otitis media, is present on the ossicles of Qafzeh 12 and Amud 7 but none can be detected in the other Qafzeh specimens. Qafzeh 12 and 15 extend the known range of variation in the fossil H. sapiens sample in some metric variables, but morphologically, the new specimens do not differ in any meaningful way from living humans. In most metric dimensions, the Amud 7 incus falls within our modern human range of variation, but the more closed angle between the short and long processes stands out. Morphologically, all the Neandertal incudi described to date show a very straight long process. Several tentative hypotheses can be suggested regarding the evolution of the ear ossicles in the genus Homo. First, the degree of metric and morphological variation seems greater among the fossil H. sapiens sample than in Neandertals. Second, there is a real difference in the size of the malleus between Neandertals and fossil H. sapiens, with Neandertals showing larger values in most dimensions. Third, the wider malleus head implies a larger articular facet in the Neandertals, and this also appears to be reflected in the larger (taller) incus articular facet. Fourth, there is limited evidence for a potential temporal trend toward reduction of the long process within the Neandertal lineage. Fifth, a combination of features in the malleus, incus, and stapes may indicate a slightly different relative positioning of either the tip of the incus long process or stapes footplate within the tympanic cavity in the Neandertal lineage.}, }
@article {pmid18001819, year = {2007}, author = {Harvati, K and Gunz, P and Grigorescu, D}, title = {Cioclovina (Romania): affinities of an early modern European.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {53}, number = {6}, pages = {732-746}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.09.009}, pmid = {18001819}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; Humans ; Hybrid Vigor ; *Hybridization, Genetic ; Principal Component Analysis ; Romania ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The current modern human origins debate centers on the possibility and degree of admixture between indigenous archaic humans and modern human populations migrating out of Africa into Europe and Asia in the Late Pleistocene. Evidence for such admixture must be sought in the earliest fossil record of modern humans outside Africa, as it is those populations that would have encountered, and possibly interbred with, archaic hominins. In the case of Europe, the recent application of direct dating techniques has eliminated several specimens from the Upper Paleolithic fossil record, while confirming early ages for others. Among these earliest reliably dated specimens is the Cioclovina calvaria from Romania. This individual is of highest importance for the understanding of modern human origins in Europe, and has recently been proposed to represent a Neanderthal-modern human hybrid. We present a short description and a three-dimensional (3D) geometric morphometric analysis of the Cioclovina specimen using a large geographic sample of recent humans, Neanderthals and Middle and Late Pleistocene fossil hominins from Europe, Africa, and the Levant, in order to establish its phenetic affinities and to evaluate its morphology for evidence of admixture between Neanderthals and early modern Europeans. Our results show Cioclovina to be entirely modern in its cranial shape, and do not support the hypothesis that it represents a hybrid.}, }
@article {pmid17983567, year = {2007}, author = {Trinkaus, E}, title = {Human Evolution: Neandertal gene speaks out.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {17}, number = {21}, pages = {R917-9}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2007.09.055}, pmid = {17983567}, issn = {0960-9822}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Forkhead Transcription Factors/*genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Language ; }, abstract = {An analysis of Neandertal DNA indicates that they shared with living humans a form of the FOXP2 gene, the absence of which impairs speech and cognitive processing related to human language.}, }
@article {pmid17962522, year = {2007}, author = {Lalueza-Fox, C and Römpler, H and Caramelli, D and Stäubert, C and Catalano, G and Hughes, D and Rohland, N and Pilli, E and Longo, L and Condemi, S and de la Rasilla, M and Fortea, J and Rosas, A and Stoneking, M and Schöneberg, T and Bertranpetit, J and Hofreiter, M}, title = {A melanocortin 1 receptor allele suggests varying pigmentation among Neanderthals.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {318}, number = {5855}, pages = {1453-1455}, doi = {10.1126/science.1147417}, pmid = {17962522}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Alleles ; Amino Acid Substitution ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Cell Line ; DNA/genetics ; *Fossils ; Hair Color/*genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; *Mutation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1/chemistry/*genetics/metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Skin Pigmentation/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) regulates pigmentation in humans and other vertebrates. Variants of MC1R with reduced function are associated with pale skin color and red hair in humans of primarily European origin. We amplified and sequenced a fragment of the MC1R gene (mc1r) from two Neanderthal remains. Both specimens have a mutation that was not found in approximately 3700 modern humans analyzed. Functional analyses show that this variant reduces MC1R activity to a level that alters hair and/or skin pigmentation in humans. The impaired activity of this variant suggests that Neanderthals varied in pigmentation levels, potentially on the scale observed in modern humans. Our data suggest that inactive MC1R variants evolved independently in both modern humans and Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid17949978, year = {2007}, author = {Krause, J and Lalueza-Fox, C and Orlando, L and Enard, W and Green, RE and Burbano, HA and Hublin, JJ and Hänni, C and Fortea, J and de la Rasilla, M and Bertranpetit, J and Rosas, A and Pääbo, S}, title = {The derived FOXP2 variant of modern humans was shared with Neandertals.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {17}, number = {21}, pages = {1908-1912}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2007.10.008}, pmid = {17949978}, issn = {0960-9822}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; *Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones/chemistry ; DNA/chemistry ; Forkhead Transcription Factors/*genetics ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Language ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; }, abstract = {Although many animals communicate vocally, no extant creature rivals modern humans in language ability. Therefore, knowing when and under what evolutionary pressures our capacity for language evolved is of great interest. Here, we find that our closest extinct relatives, the Neandertals, share with modern humans two evolutionary changes in FOXP2, a gene that has been implicated in the development of speech and language. We furthermore find that in Neandertals, these changes lie on the common modern human haplotype, which previously was shown to have been subject to a selective sweep. These results suggest that these genetic changes and the selective sweep predate the common ancestor (which existed about 300,000-400,000 years ago) of modern human and Neandertal populations. This is in contrast to more recent age estimates of the selective sweep based on extant human diversity data. Thus, these results illustrate the usefulness of retrieving direct genetic information from ancient remains for understanding recent human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid17949791, year = {2008}, author = {Weinstein, KJ}, title = {Thoracic morphology in Near Eastern Neandertals and early modern humans compared with recent modern humans from high and low altitudes.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {54}, number = {3}, pages = {287-295}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.08.010}, pmid = {17949791}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {*Altitude ; Animals ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Thorax/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Paleoanthropologists have long noted the unique "hyper-barrel-shaped" Neandertal thorax as inferred from fragmentary ribs, clavicles, and sterna. Yet scholars disagree whether the Neandertal thorax represents an adaptation to cold climates or elevated activity levels. Given the difficulties of reconstructing overall chest shape from isolated and fragmentary thoracic skeletal elements, it is worthwhile comparing Neandertals and contemporaneous early modern human fossils from the same geographic region to recent modern human skeletons that are known to have enlarged chests. This study compares thoracic skeletal morphology in two Near Eastern Neandertals (Tabūn C1 and Shanidar 3) and two early modern humans from the same region (Skhūl IV and V) with four samples of recent modern human skeletons from the Andes (n=347): two coastal groups and two groups from high altitudes. The two highland groups, similar to their living descendants, exhibit morphological evidence of anteroposteriorly deep and mediolaterally wide chests as part of respiratory adaptations to high-altitude hypoxia. I calculated the percentage of deviation of each Neandertal and early modern human fossil from the means of the four recent modern human samples for clavicle and rib lengths and curvatures. Shanidar 3 and Tabūn C1 exhibit ribs that are slightly larger and less curved than the Andean samples, indicating slightly larger thoracic skeletons than modern humans who are known to have enlarged chests in response to increased respiratory demands. Skhūl IV and V have significantly shorter ribs with greater curvature suggesting especially narrow thoracic skeletons. Comparisons with Andean populations suggest that the enlarged thoraces of Neandertals may reflect high activity levels, although results from this study do not exclude cold adaptation as an explanatory factor.}, }
@article {pmid17937503, year = {2007}, author = {Wall, JD and Kim, SK}, title = {Inconsistencies in Neanderthal genomic DNA sequences.}, journal = {PLoS genetics}, volume = {3}, number = {10}, pages = {1862-1866}, pmid = {17937503}, issn = {1553-7404}, mesh = {Alleles ; Animals ; DNA/*analysis/*genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/analysis/genetics ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Genetic/genetics ; Population Density ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Two recently published papers describe nuclear DNA sequences that were obtained from the same Neanderthal fossil. Our reanalyses of the data from these studies show that they are not consistent with each other and point to serious problems with the data quality in one of the studies, possibly due to modern human DNA contaminants and/or a high rate of sequencing errors.}, }
@article {pmid17914357, year = {2007}, author = {Krause, J and Orlando, L and Serre, D and Viola, B and Prüfer, K and Richards, MP and Hublin, JJ and Hänni, C and Derevianko, AP and Pääbo, S}, title = {Neanderthals in central Asia and Siberia.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {449}, number = {7164}, pages = {902-904}, doi = {10.1038/nature06193}, pmid = {17914357}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Age Determination by Skeleton ; Animals ; Child ; DNA, Mitochondrial/analysis ; Europe/ethnology ; Fossils ; Geography ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Siberia/ethnology ; Skeleton ; Uzbekistan/ethnology ; }, abstract = {Morphological traits typical of Neanderthals began to appear in European hominids at least 400,000 years ago and about 150,000 years ago in western Asia. After their initial appearance, such traits increased in frequency and the extent to which they are expressed until they disappeared shortly after 30,000 years ago. However, because most fossil hominid remains are fragmentary, it can be difficult or impossible to determine unambiguously whether a fossil is of Neanderthal origin. This limits the ability to determine when and where Neanderthals lived. To determine how far to the east Neanderthals ranged, we determined mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from hominid remains found in Uzbekistan and in the Altai region of southern Siberia. Here we show that the DNA sequences from these fossils fall within the European Neanderthal mtDNA variation. Thus, the geographic range of Neanderthals is likely to have extended at least 2,000 km further to the east than commonly assumed.}, }
@article {pmid17851522, year = {2007}, author = {Tzedakis, PC and Hughen, KA and Cacho, I and Harvati, K}, title = {Placing late Neanderthals in a climatic context.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {449}, number = {7159}, pages = {206-208}, doi = {10.1038/nature06117}, pmid = {17851522}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Carbon Radioisotopes ; *Climate ; *Extinction, Biological ; Gibraltar ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Temperature ; Time Factors ; Uncertainty ; }, abstract = {Attempts to place Palaeolithic finds within a precise climatic framework are complicated by both uncertainty over the radiocarbon calibration beyond about 21,500 14C years bp and the absence of a master calendar chronology for climate events from reference archives such as Greenland ice cores or speleothems. Here we present an alternative approach, in which 14C dates of interest are mapped directly onto the palaeoclimate record of the Cariaco Basin by means of its 14C series, circumventing calendar age model and correlation uncertainties, and placing dated events in the millennial-scale climate context of the last glacial period. This is applied to different sets of dates from levels with Mousterian artefacts, presumably produced by late Neanderthals, from Gorham's Cave in Gibraltar: first, generally accepted estimates of about 32,000 14C years bp for the uppermost Mousterian levels; second, a possible extended Middle Palaeolithic occupation until about 28,000 14C years bp; and third, more contentious evidence for persistence until about 24,000 14C years bp. This study shows that the three sets translate to different scenarios on the role of climate in Neanderthal extinction. The first two correspond to intervals of general climatic instability between stadials and interstadials that characterized most of the Middle Pleniglacial and are not coeval with Heinrich Events. In contrast, if accepted, the youngest date indicates that late Neanderthals may have persisted up to the onset of a major environmental shift, which included an expansion in global ice volume and an increased latitudinal temperature gradient. More generally, our radiocarbon climatostratigraphic approach can be applied to any 'snapshot' date from discontinuous records in a variety of deposits and can become a powerful tool in evaluating the climatic signature of critical intervals in Late Pleistocene human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid17847911, year = {2007}, author = {Kesterke, MJ and Ahern, JC}, title = {Is the late Neandertal mandibular sample from Vindija Cave (Croatia) biased?.}, journal = {Collegium antropologicum}, volume = {31}, number = {2}, pages = {365-373}, pmid = {17847911}, issn = {0350-6134}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Anthropometry ; Biological Evolution ; Croatia ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The late Neandertal sample from Vindija (Croatia) has been described as transitional between the earlier Central European Neandertals from Krapina (Croatia) and modern humans. However, the morphological differences indicating this transition may rather be the result of different sex and/or age compositions between the samples. This study tests the hypothesis that the metric differences between the Krapina and Vindija mandibular samples are due to sample bias. Mandibles are the focus of this paper because past studies have posited this region as particularly indicative of the Vindija sample's transitional nature. The results indicate that the metric differences between the Krapina and Vindija mandibular samples are not due to sample bias. This conclusion is consistent with an earlier analysis of sample bias for the Vindija supraorbital sample.}, }
@article {pmid17804038, year = {2008}, author = {Martínez, I and Arsuaga, JL and Quam, R and Carretero, JM and Gracia, A and Rodríguez, L}, title = {Human hyoid bones from the middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {54}, number = {1}, pages = {118-124}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.07.006}, pmid = {17804038}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Female ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Paleontology ; Sex Characteristics ; Spain ; }, abstract = {This study describes and compares two hyoid bones from the middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain). The Atapuerca SH hyoids are humanlike in both their morphology and dimensions, and they clearly differ from the hyoid bones of chimpanzees and Australopithecus afarensis. Their comparison with the Neandertal specimens Kebara 2 and SDR-034 makes it possible to begin to approach the question of temporal variation and sexual dimorphism in this bone in fossil humans. The results presented here show that the degree of metric and anatomical variation in the fossil sample was similar in magnitude and kind to living humans. Modern hyoid morphology was present by at least 530 kya and appears to represent a shared derived feature of the modern human and Neandertal evolutionary lineages inherited from their last common ancestor.}, }
@article {pmid17715061, year = {2007}, author = {Briggs, AW and Stenzel, U and Johnson, PL and Green, RE and Kelso, J and Prüfer, K and Meyer, M and Krause, J and Ronan, MT and Lachmann, M and Pääbo, S}, title = {Patterns of damage in genomic DNA sequences from a Neandertal.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {104}, number = {37}, pages = {14616-14621}, pmid = {17715061}, issn = {0027-8424}, support = {R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01-GM40282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Bacteriophage T4/enzymology ; Base Sequence ; Computer Simulation ; Cytosine/metabolism ; DNA/genetics/history ; *DNA Damage ; DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase/metabolism ; Deamination ; *Genome ; Genomic Library ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Likelihood Functions ; Models, Biological ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Paleontology/*methods ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reference Standards ; *Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Templates, Genetic ; }, abstract = {High-throughput direct sequencing techniques have recently opened the possibility to sequence genomes from Pleistocene organisms. Here we analyze DNA sequences determined from a Neandertal, a mammoth, and a cave bear. We show that purines are overrepresented at positions adjacent to the breaks in the ancient DNA, suggesting that depurination has contributed to its degradation. We furthermore show that substitutions resulting from miscoding cytosine residues are vastly overrepresented in the DNA sequences and drastically clustered in the ends of the molecules, whereas other substitutions are rare. We present a model where the observed substitution patterns are used to estimate the rate of deamination of cytosine residues in single- and double-stranded portions of the DNA, the length of single-stranded ends, and the frequency of nicks. The results suggest that reliable genome sequences can be obtained from Pleistocene organisms.}, }
@article {pmid17657781, year = {2007}, author = {Mittra, ES and Smith, HF and Lemelin, P and Jungers, WL}, title = {Comparative morphometrics of the primate apical tuft.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {134}, number = {4}, pages = {449-459}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.20687}, pmid = {17657781}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological/physiology ; Analysis of Variance ; Anatomy, Comparative ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Catarrhini/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics/physiology ; Finger Phalanges/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Fingers/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Fossils ; Genetic Drift ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics/physiology ; Humans ; *Locomotion ; Phylogeny ; Platyrrhini/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics/physiology ; Primates/*anatomy &amp; histology/genetics/physiology ; Tarsiidae/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics/physiology ; Temperature ; Toe Phalanges/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; }, abstract = {The relationship between the structure and function of the primate apical tuft is poorly understood. This study addresses several hypotheses about apical tuft morphology using a large modern primate comparative sample. Two indices of tuft size are employed: expansion and robusticity. First, comparisons of relative apical tuft size were drawn among extant nonhuman primate groups in terms of locomotion and phylogenetic category. Both of these factors appear to play a role in apical tuft size among nonhuman primates. Suspensory primates and all platyrrhines had the smallest apical tufts, while terrestrial quadrupeds and all strepsirrhines (regardless of locomotor category) had the largest tufts. Similarly, hypotheses regarding the apical tufts of hominins, especially the large tufts of Neandertals were addressed using a comparison of modern warm- and cold-adapted humans. The results showed that cold-adapted populations possessed smaller apical tufts than did warm-adapted groups. Therefore, the cold-adaptation hypothesis for Neandertal distal phalangeal morphology is not supported. Also, early modern and Early Upper Paleolithic humans had apical tufts that were significantly less expanded and less robust than those of Neandertals. The hypothesis that a large apical tuft serves as support for an expanded digital pulp is supported by radiographic analysis of modern humans in that a significant correlation was discovered between the width of the apical tuft and the width of the pulp. The implications of these findings for hypotheses about the association of apical tuft size and tool making in the hominin fossil record are discussed.}, }
@article {pmid17651909, year = {2008}, author = {Erren, TC and Cullen, P and Erren, M}, title = {Neanderthal, chimp and human genomes: hypotheses wanted for research into brain evolution.}, journal = {Medical hypotheses}, volume = {70}, number = {1}, pages = {4-7}, doi = {10.1016/j.mehy.2007.05.035}, pmid = {17651909}, issn = {0306-9877}, mesh = {Animals ; Environment ; Genome ; *Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; Pan troglodytes/*genetics ; }, abstract = {The recent sequencing of Neanderthal DNA and the release of drafts of human and chimp genomes in 2001 and 2005, respectively, provide an opportunity to better understand why our brain is different from those of extinct and living relatives. However, it is not clear that hypothesis-free analysis of genetic differences alone will shed light on the complex "big bang" evolution of human brains that is thought to have taken place about 100,000 years ago. Rather than pursuing black box genomics, we suggest that genetic analyses should be guided by hypotheses. One plausible candidate in this regard is the"fat-utilization" hypothesis proposed by the late David Horrobin.}, }
@article {pmid17603120, year = {2007}, author = {Chen, H and Green, RE and Pääbo, S and Slatkin, M}, title = {The joint allele-frequency spectrum in closely related species.}, journal = {Genetics}, volume = {177}, number = {1}, pages = {387-398}, pmid = {17603120}, issn = {0016-6731}, support = {R01 GM040282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01-GM40282/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {*Alleles ; Animals ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {We develop the theory for computing the joint frequency spectra of alleles in two closely related species. We allow for arbitrary population growth in both species after they had a common ancestor. We focus on the case in which a single chromosome is sequenced from one of the species. We use classical diffusion theory to show that, if the ancestral species was at equilibrium under mutation and drift and a chromosome from one of the descendant species carries the derived allele, the frequency spectrum in the other species is uniform, independently of the demographic history of both species. We also predict the expected densities of segregating and fixed sites when the chromosome from the other species carries the ancestral allele. We compare the predictions of our model with the site-frequency spectra of SNPs in the four HapMap populations of humans when the nucleotide present in the Neanderthal DNA sequence is ancestral or derived, using the chimp genome as the outgroup.}, }
@article {pmid17512036, year = {2007}, author = {Weaver, TD and Roseman, CC and Stringer, CB}, title = {Were neandertal and modern human cranial differences produced by natural selection or genetic drift?.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {53}, number = {2}, pages = {135-145}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.03.001}, pmid = {17512036}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Emigration and Immigration ; Fossils ; *Genetic Drift ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; *Selection, Genetic ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Most evolutionary explanations for cranial differences between Neandertals and modern humans emphasize adaptation by natural selection. Features of the crania of Neandertals could be adaptations to the glacial climate of Pleistocene Europe or to the high mechanical strains produced by habitually using the front teeth as tools, while those of modern humans could be adaptations for articulate speech production. A few researchers have proposed non-adaptive explanations. These stress that isolation between Neandertal and modern human populations would have lead to cranial diversification by genetic drift (chance changes in the frequencies of alleles at genetic loci contributing to variation in cranial morphology). Here we use a variety of statistical tests founded on explicit predictions from quantitative- and population-genetic theory to show that genetic drift can explain cranial differences between Neandertals and modern humans. These tests are based on thirty-seven standard cranial measurements from a sample of 2524 modern humans from 30 populations and 20 Neandertal fossils. As a further test, we compare our results for modern human cranial measurements with those for a genetic dataset consisting of 377 microsatellites typed for a sample of 1056 modern humans from 52 populations. We conclude that rather than requiring special adaptive accounts, Neandertal and modern human crania may simply represent two outcomes from a vast space of random evolutionary possibilities.}, }
@article {pmid17493662, year = {2007}, author = {Ramírez Rozzi, FV and Sardi, M}, title = {Crown-formation time in Neandertal anterior teeth revisited.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {53}, number = {1}, pages = {108-13; discussion 114-8}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.01.009}, pmid = {17493662}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Enamel/*growth &amp; development ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Paleodontology/*methods ; Tooth/*growth &amp; development ; }, }
@article {pmid17467038, year = {2007}, author = {Gómez-Olivencia, A and Carretero, JM and Arsuaga, JL and Rodríguez-García, L and García-González, R and Martínez, I}, title = {Metric and morphological study of the upper cervical spine from the Sima de los Huesos site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {53}, number = {1}, pages = {6-25}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.12.006}, pmid = {17467038}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Age Factors ; Animals ; Anthropometry ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra/*anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; Cervical Atlas/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Sex Determination Analysis ; Spain ; }, abstract = {In this article, the upper cervical spine remains recovered from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) middle Pleistocene site in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) are described and analyzed. To date, this site has yielded more than 5000 human fossils belonging to a minimum of 28 individuals of the species Homo heidelbergensis. At least eleven individuals are represented by the upper cervical (C1 and C2) specimens: six adults and five subadults, one of which could represent an adolescent individual. The most complete adult vertebrae (three atlases and three axes) are described, measured, and compared with other fossil hominins and modern humans. These six specimens are associated with one another and represent three individuals. In addition, one of these sets of cervical vertebrae is associated with Cranium 5 (Individual XXI) from the site. The metric analysis demonstrates that the Sima de los Huesos atlases and axes are metrically more similar to Neandertals than to our modern human comparative sample. The SH atlases share with Neandertals a sagittally elongated canal. The most remarkable feature of the SH (and Neandertal) axes is that they are craniocaudally low and mediolaterally wide compared to our modern male sample. Morphologically, the SH sample shares with Neandertals a higher frequency of caudally projected anterior atlas arch, which could reflect greater development of the longus colli muscle. In other features, such as the frequency of weakly developed tubercles for the attachment of the transverse ligament of the atlas, the Sima de los Huesos fossils show intermediate frequencies between our modern comparative samples and the Neandertals, which could represent the primitive condition. Our results are consistent with the previous phylogenetic interpretation of H. heidelbergensis as an exclusively European species, ancestral only to H. neanderthalensis.}, }
@article {pmid17452632, year = {2007}, author = {Trinkaus, E}, title = {European early modern humans and the fate of the Neandertals.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {104}, number = {18}, pages = {7367-7372}, pmid = {17452632}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Europe ; *Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {A consideration of the morphological aspects of the earliest modern humans in Europe (more than approximately 33,000 B.P.) and the subsequent Gravettian human remains indicates that they possess an anatomical pattern congruent with the autapomorphic (derived) morphology of the earliest (Middle Paleolithic) African modern humans. However, they exhibit a variable suite of features that are either distinctive Neandertal traits and/or plesiomorphic (ancestral) aspects that had been lost among the African Middle Paleolithic modern humans. These features include aspects of neurocranial shape, basicranial external morphology, mandibular ramal and symphyseal form, dental morphology and size, and anteroposterior dental proportions, as well as aspects of the clavicles, scapulae, metacarpals, and appendicular proportions. The ubiquitous and variable presence of these morphological features in the European earlier modern human samples can only be parsimoniously explained as a product of modest levels of assimilation of Neandertals into early modern human populations as the latter dispersed across Europe. This interpretation is in agreement with current analyses of recent and past human molecular data.}, }
@article {pmid17451786, year = {2007}, author = {Coppa, A and Manni, F and Stringer, C and Vargiu, R and Vecchi, F}, title = {Evidence for new Neanderthal teeth in Tabun Cave (Israel) by the application of self-organizing maps (SOMs).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {52}, number = {6}, pages = {601-613}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.11.009}, pmid = {17451786}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Dental Enamel/*chemistry ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Israel ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Morphological and metrical study suggested that seven human teeth from Tabun Cave, Israel were part of the upper dentition of a single, probably Neanderthal, individual renumbered as Tabun BC7. An enamel fragment gave ESR age estimates of 82+/-14 ka (early U-uptake) and 92+/-18 ka (linear uptake) and an age estimate of 90(+30)(-16) ka using U-series disequilibrium. Although metrical analyses suggested Neanderthal affinities, definitive assessment was difficult as the values often fell into the ranges of both Neanderthal and Levantine early modern human samples. Therefore, two further classification analyses were conducted (neural networks using self-organizing maps and homogeneity analysis). Both identify Tabun BC7 as a Neanderthal. Neural networks are a promising tool for paleoanthropological studies as they can provide reliable classifications even with incomplete data.}, }
@article {pmid17435232, year = {2007}, author = {Blum, MG and Rosenberg, NA}, title = {Estimating the number of ancestral lineages using a maximum-likelihood method based on rejection sampling.}, journal = {Genetics}, volume = {176}, number = {3}, pages = {1741-1757}, pmid = {17435232}, issn = {0016-6731}, mesh = {Algorithms ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; *Biological Evolution ; Computer Simulation ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; *Genetics, Population ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Likelihood Functions ; *Models, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Estimating the number of ancestral lineages of a sample of DNA sequences at time t in the past can be viewed as a variation on the problem of estimating the time to the most recent common ancestor. To estimate the number of ancestral lineages, we develop a maximum-likelihood approach that takes advantage of a prior model of population demography, in addition to the molecular data summarized by the pattern of polymorphic sites. The method relies on a rejection sampling algorithm that is introduced for simulating conditional coalescent trees given a fixed number of ancestral lineages at time t. Computer simulations show that the number of ancestral lineages can be estimated accurately, provided that the number of mutations that occurred since time t is sufficiently large. The method is applied to 986 present-day human sequences located in hypervariable region 1 of the mitochondrion to estimate the number of ancestral lineages of modern humans at the time of potential admixture with the Neanderthal population. Our estimates support a view that the proportion of the modern population consisting of Neanderthal contributions must be relatively small, less than approximately 5%, if the admixture happened as recently as 30,000 years ago.}, }
@article {pmid17379790, year = {2007}, author = {Erren, TC and Cullen, P and Erren, M}, title = {Comparing Neanderthal and human genomes.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {315}, number = {5819}, pages = {1664; author reply 1664}, doi = {10.1126/science.315.5819.1664}, pmid = {17379790}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; Gene Expression ; *Genome ; *Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics/metabolism ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism/*genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid17367843, year = {2007}, author = {Coolidge, FL and Wynn, T}, title = {The working memory account of Neandertal cognition--how phonological storage capacity may be related to recursion and the pragmatics of modern speech.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {52}, number = {6}, pages = {707-710}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.01.003}, pmid = {17367843}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Cognition ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Memory, Short-Term ; *Speech ; }, }
@article {pmid17360698, year = {2007}, author = {Mellars, P and Gravina, B and Bronk Ramsey, C}, title = {Confirmation of Neanderthal/modern human interstratification at the Chatelperronian type-site.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {104}, number = {9}, pages = {3657-3662}, pmid = {17360698}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology/methods ; Carbon Radioisotopes ; *Fossils ; France ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Paleontology/*methods ; *Population Dynamics ; }, abstract = {The nature of the replacement of Neanderthal by anatomically and behaviorally modern populations in Europe is currently a topic of lively debate in human evolution. In an earlier paper [Gravina B, Mellars P, Bronk Ramsey C (2005) Nature 483:51-56], we published a series of radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometer measurements for the site of Châtelperron in central France, which had been claimed to show a clear "interstratification" of successive levels of Neanderthal and modern human occupation, on the basis of excavations carried out by Henri Delporte in the 1950s. This interpretation has recently been challenged by Zilhão and colleagues [Zilhão J, d'Errico F, Bordes J-G, Lenoble A, Texier J-P, Rigaud J-P (2006) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103:12643-12648], who suggest that the deposits excavated in the 1950s consisted largely, if not entirely, of the unstratified "backdirt" of the earlier, 19th century excavations on the site. We show here that the excavation backdirt interpretation for the Châtelperron stratigraphy can be refuted from many different aspects of the stratigraphic, radiocarbon, and archaeological evidence. We reassess the significance of this site for current models of the coexistence and interactions between Neanderthal and anatomically modern populations in western Europe.}, }
@article {pmid17337039, year = {2007}, author = {Beaman, CP}, title = {Modern cognition in the absence of working memory: does the working memory account of Neandertal cognition work?.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {52}, number = {6}, pages = {702-706}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.11.008}, pmid = {17337039}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical ; *Cognition ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Memory, Short-Term ; *Speech ; }, }
@article {pmid17300854, year = {2007}, author = {Finlayson, C and Carrión, JS}, title = {Rapid ecological turnover and its impact on Neanderthal and other human populations.}, journal = {Trends in ecology &amp; evolution}, volume = {22}, number = {4}, pages = {213-222}, doi = {10.1016/j.tree.2007.02.001}, pmid = {17300854}, issn = {0169-5347}, mesh = {Africa, Northern ; Animals ; Behavior ; Climate ; *Ecology ; Europe ; Fossils ; *Hominidae/classification/genetics ; Humans ; Plants ; }, abstract = {The latter part of the last glaciation, 50,000-12,000 years ago (kya), was characterized by a rapidly changing climate, cold conditions and corresponding vegetation and faunal turnover. It also coincided with the extinction of the Neanderthals and the expansion of modern human populations. Established views of modern human superiority over Neanderthals as the cause of their extinction are under attack as recent work shows that Neanderthals were capable of behaviour that is regarded as modern. As we discuss here, the exact nature of biological and cultural interactions between Neanderthals and other human groups between 50 kya and 30 kya is currently hotly contested. The extinction of the Neanderthals, and other modern human lineages, now appears to have been a drawn-out, climate-related affair.}, }
@article {pmid17284331, year = {2007}, author = {Soressi, M and Jones, HL and Rink, WJ and Maureille, B and Tillier, AM}, title = {The Pech-de-l'Azé I Neandertal child: ESR, uranium-series, and AMS 14C dating of its MTA type B context.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {52}, number = {4}, pages = {455-466}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.11.006}, pmid = {17284331}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Carbon Radioisotopes/analysis ; Child ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ; *Fossils ; France ; Geologic Sediments/chemistry ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Uranium/*analysis ; }, abstract = {The Pech-de-l'Azé I skull and mandible are included in the juvenile Neandertal remains from Europe. However, some preserved features in the cranial skeleton seem to distinguish the specimen from other Neandertal children. Unfortunately, the stratigraphic position and dating of this child has never been clear. Our recent work on unpublished archives show that the Pech-de-l'Azé I Neandertal child was discovered at the bottom of layer 6, attributed to the Mousterian of Acheulean tradition type B. These skull and mandible are the first diagnostic human remains (aside from an isolated tooth) attributed to the Mousterian of Acheulian tradition (MTA) type B. Consequently, we confirm that Neandertals were the makers of this Mousterian industry, which is characterized by unusual high frequencies of Upper Paleolithic type tools, elongated blanks and blades. We were able to date the context of the hominid remains by dating layer 6 and the layers above and beneath it using ESR, coupled ESR/(230)Th/(234)U (coupled ESR/U-series), and AMS (14)C. Coupled ESR/U-series results on 16 mammalian teeth constrain the age of the uppermost layer 7 to 41-58ka, and layer 6 to 37-51ka. The wide spread in each age estimate results mainly from uncertainties in the gamma-dose rate. These ages are concordant with AMS (14)C ages of two bones coming from the top of layer 6, which provide dates of about 41.7-43.6ka cal BP. A combination of stratigraphic arguments and dating results for layers 6 and 7 show that the Neandertal child cannot be older than 51ka or younger than 41ka. The lowermost layer 4 is shown to be older than 43ka by the principle of superposition and ESR dating in the immediately overlying layer 5. This study shows that the MTA type B had been manufactured by Neandertals before the arrival of anatomically modern humans in the local region. Additionally, by providing a firm chronological framework for the specific morphometric the features of Pech-de-l'Azé I Neandertal child, this study is a new step toward the understanding of temporal and spatial changes in the ontogenesis of Neandertals in south-western Europe during oxygen isotope stages 5-3.}, }
@article {pmid17227863, year = {2007}, author = {Rougier, H and Milota, S and Rodrigo, R and Gherase, M and Sarcina, L and Moldovan, O and Zilhão, J and Constantin, S and Franciscus, RG and Zollikofer, CP and Ponce de León, M and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Peştera cu Oase 2 and the cranial morphology of early modern Europeans.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {104}, number = {4}, pages = {1165-1170}, pmid = {17227863}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Age Factors ; Europe ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Paleontology ; Phylogeny ; Romania ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Between 2003 and 2005, the Peştera cu Oase, Romania yielded a largely complete early modern human cranium, Oase 2, scattered on the surface of a Late Pleistocene hydraulically displaced bone bed containing principally the remains of Ursus spelaeus. Multiple lines of evidence indicate an age of approximately 40.5 thousand calendar years before the present (approximately 35 ka 14C B.P.). Morphological comparison of the adolescent Oase 2 cranium to relevant Late Pleistocene human samples documents a suite of derived modern human and/or non-Neandertal features, including absence of a supraorbital torus, subrectangular orbits, prominent canine fossae, narrow nasal aperture, level nasal floor, angled and anteriorly oriented zygomatic bones, a high neurocranium with prominent parietal bosses and marked sagittal parietal curvature, superiorly positioned temporal zygomatic root, vertical auditory porous, laterally bulbous mastoid processes, superiorly positioned posterior semicircular canal, absence of a nuchal torus and a suprainiac fossa, and a small occipital bun. However, these features are associated with an exceptionally flat frontal arc, a moderately large juxtamastoid eminence, extremely large molars that become progressively larger distally, complex occlusal morphology of the upper third molar, and relatively anteriorly positioned zygomatic arches. Moreover, the featureless occipital region and small mastoid process are at variance with the large facial skeleton and dentition. This unusual mosaic in Oase 2, some of which is paralleled in the Oase 1 mandible, indicates both complex population dynamics as modern humans dispersed into Europe and significant ongoing human evolution once modern humans were established within Europe.}, }
@article {pmid17226793, year = {2007}, author = {Weiss, KM and Smith, FH}, title = {Out of the veil of death rode the one million! Neandertals and their genes.}, journal = {BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology}, volume = {29}, number = {2}, pages = {105-110}, doi = {10.1002/bies.20535}, pmid = {17226793}, issn = {0265-9247}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {Two recent papers report extensive nuclear DNA sequence from a 38,000-year-old Neandertal fossil, comparing it to modern humans and estimating when it diverged from, and whether it contributed to, our gene pool. Based on 65,250 and over a million base-pairs of sequence across the genome, respectively, the groups arrived at slightly different interpretations. The data are an exciting and interesting new contribution, but are not surprising, and a sense of history and question helps put them in perspective.}, }
@article {pmid17212939, year = {2007}, author = {Gilgenkrantz, S}, title = {[Premises of the Neanderthal genome].}, journal = {Medecine sciences : M/S}, volume = {23}, number = {1}, pages = {95-98}, doi = {10.1051/medsci/200723195}, pmid = {17212939}, issn = {0767-0974}, mesh = {Animals ; *Genome ; Genome, Human ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; }, }
@article {pmid17164326, year = {2006}, author = {Rosas, A and Martínez-Maza, C and Bastir, M and García-Tabernero, A and Lalueza-Fox, C and Huguet, R and Ortiz, JE and Julià, R and Soler, V and de Torres, T and Martínez, E and Cañaveras, JC and Sánchez-Moral, S and Cuezva, S and Lario, J and Santamaría, D and de la Rasilla, M and Fortea, J}, title = {Paleobiology and comparative morphology of a late Neandertal sample from El Sidron, Asturias, Spain.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {103}, number = {51}, pages = {19266-19271}, pmid = {17164326}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Anatomy, Comparative ; Animals ; Anthropometry ; *Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Carbon Radioisotopes ; DNA/*isolation &amp; purification ; *Fossils ; Geography ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; *Paleopathology ; Spain ; Tooth/chemistry/*pathology ; }, abstract = {Fossil evidence from the Iberian Peninsula is essential for understanding Neandertal evolution and history. Since 2000, a new sample approximately 43,000 years old has been systematically recovered at the El Sidrón cave site (Asturias, Spain). Human remains almost exclusively compose the bone assemblage. All of the skeletal parts are preserved, and there is a moderate occurrence of Middle Paleolithic stone tools. A minimum number of eight individuals are represented, and ancient mtDNA has been extracted from dental and osteological remains. Paleobiology of the El Sidrón archaic humans fits the pattern found in other Neandertal samples: a high incidence of dental hypoplasia and interproximal grooves, yet no traumatic lesions are present. Moreover, unambiguous evidence of human-induced modifications has been found on the human remains. Morphologically, the El Sidrón humans show a large number of Neandertal lineage-derived features even though certain traits place the sample at the limits of Neandertal variation. Integrating the El Sidrón human mandibles into the larger Neandertal sample reveals a north-south geographic patterning, with southern Neandertals showing broader faces with increased lower facial heights. The large El Sidrón sample therefore augments the European evolutionary lineage fossil record and supports ecogeographical variability across Neandertal populations.}, }
@article {pmid17146600, year = {2007}, author = {Hebsgaard, MB and Wiuf, C and Gilbert, MT and Glenner, H and Willerslev, E}, title = {Evaluating Neanderthal genetics and phylogeny.}, journal = {Journal of molecular evolution}, volume = {64}, number = {1}, pages = {50-60}, pmid = {17146600}, issn = {0022-2844}, mesh = {Animals ; Artifacts ; Bayes Theorem ; *DNA, Mitochondrial ; Hominidae/genetics/*physiology ; Humans ; *Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; }, abstract = {The retrieval of Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalsensis) mitochondrial DNA is thought to be among the most significant ancient DNA contributions to date, allowing conflicting hypotheses on modern human (Homo sapiens) evolution to be tested directly. Recently, however, both the authenticity of the Neanderthal sequences and their phylogenetic position outside contemporary human diversity have been questioned. Using Bayesian inference and the largest dataset to date, we find strong support for a monophyletic Neanderthal clade outside the diversity of contemporary humans, in agreement with the expectations of the Out-of-Africa replacement model of modern human origin. From average pairwise sequence differences, we obtain support for claims that the first published Neanderthal sequence may include errors due to postmortem damage in the template molecules for PCR. In contrast, we find that recent results implying that the Neanderthal sequences are products of PCR artifacts are not well supported, suffering from inadequate experimental design and a presumably high percentage (>68%) of chimeric sequences due to "jumping PCR" events.}, }
@article {pmid17122777, year = {2006}, author = {Macchiarelli, R and Bondioli, L and Debénath, A and Mazurier, A and Tournepiche, JF and Birch, W and Dean, MC}, title = {How Neanderthal molar teeth grew.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {444}, number = {7120}, pages = {748-751}, doi = {10.1038/nature05314}, pmid = {17122777}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Dental Enamel/growth &amp; development ; Female ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Molar/*growth &amp; development ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Growth and development are both fundamental components of demographic structure and life history strategy. Together with information about developmental timing they ultimately contribute to a better understanding of Neanderthal extinction. Primate molar tooth development tracks the pace of life history evolution most closely, and tooth histology reveals a record of birth as well as the timing of crown and root growth. High-resolution micro-computed tomography now allows us to image complex structures and uncover subtle differences in adult tooth morphology that are determined early in embryonic development. Here we show that the timing of molar crown and root completion in Neanderthals matches those known for modern humans but that a more complex enamel-dentine junction morphology and a late peak in root extension rate sets them apart. Previous predictions about Neanderthal growth, based only on anterior tooth surfaces, were necessarily speculative. These data are the first on internal molar microstructure; they firmly place key Neanderthal life history variables within those known for modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid17110569, year = {2006}, author = {Noonan, JP and Coop, G and Kudaravalli, S and Smith, D and Krause, J and Alessi, J and Chen, F and Platt, D and Pääbo, S and Pritchard, JK and Rubin, EM}, title = {Sequencing and analysis of Neanderthal genomic DNA.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {314}, number = {5802}, pages = {1113-1118}, pmid = {17110569}, issn = {1095-9203}, support = {HL066681/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; F32 GM074367/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HG002772-1/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HG002772-01/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; 1-F32-GM074367/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01 HG002772/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones ; Cell Nucleus ; DNA/*genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; *Fossils ; Gene Pool ; Genome ; Genome, Human ; Genomic Library ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Alignment ; *Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods ; Time ; }, abstract = {Our knowledge of Neanderthals is based on a limited number of remains and artifacts from which we must make inferences about their biology, behavior, and relationship to ourselves. Here, we describe the characterization of these extinct hominids from a new perspective, based on the development of a Neanderthal metagenomic library and its high-throughput sequencing and analysis. Several lines of evidence indicate that the 65,250 base pairs of hominid sequence so far identified in the library are of Neanderthal origin, the strongest being the ascertainment of sequence identities between Neanderthal and chimpanzee at sites where the human genomic sequence is different. These results enabled us to calculate the human-Neanderthal divergence time based on multiple randomly distributed autosomal loci. Our analyses suggest that on average the Neanderthal genomic sequence we obtained and the reference human genome sequence share a most recent common ancestor approximately 706,000 years ago, and that the human and Neanderthal ancestral populations split approximately 370,000 years ago, before the emergence of anatomically modern humans. Our finding that the Neanderthal and human genomes are at least 99.5% identical led us to develop and successfully implement a targeted method for recovering specific ancient DNA sequences from metagenomic libraries. This initial analysis of the Neanderthal genome advances our understanding of the evolutionary relationship of Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis and signifies the dawn of Neanderthal genomics.}, }
@article {pmid17110550, year = {2006}, author = {Balter, M}, title = {Paleogenetics. A Neandertal legacy?.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {314}, number = {5802}, pages = {1071}, doi = {10.1126/science.314.5802.1071}, pmid = {17110550}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Human ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics ; Paleontology ; Selection, Genetic ; Sexual Behavior ; tau Proteins/genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid17109420, year = {2006}, author = {Schwartz, JH}, title = {Race and the odd history of human paleontology.}, journal = {Anatomical record. Part B, New anatomist}, volume = {289}, number = {6}, pages = {225-240}, doi = {10.1002/ar.b.20119}, pmid = {17109420}, issn = {1552-4906}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; History, 17th Century ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Paleontology/*history ; Racial Groups/*history ; }, abstract = {Although the late 17th century witnessed the recognition of fossils as the remains of extinct organisms-because they could be incorporated into the creation story embodied in the Great Chain of Being-acceptance of human antiquity through the indisputable demonstration of the contemporaneity of human bones, stone tools, and accepted fossils was not forthcoming for nearly 2 centuries thereafter. When it did occur, however, ancient humans were not seen as presenting a pattern of diversity similar to that seen in the fossil records of nonhuman organisms. Instead, human evolution then, as now, has typically been interpreted as being unilinear. This belief can be traced to Huxley (1863), who argued that the Feldhofer Grotto Neanderthal skullcap was merely an extension into the past of morphology seen in the Australian Aborigine, whom he took to represent the primitive end of an extreme range of variation he thought characterized Homo sapiens. During the mid-20th century, Mayr and Dobzhansky (mis)used their clout as founders of the evolutionary synthesis to cement in paleoanthropology the idea that human evolutionary history was characterized by nonspeciation. As such, anything that could be interpreted as potentially representing taxic diversity was relegated to the status of individual variation. Lack of understanding of the history of human paleontology, and the biases that constrained its perspective on human evolution, continue to affect the ways in which most paleoanthropologists pigeonhole human fossils.}, }
@article {pmid17108958, year = {2006}, author = {Green, RE and Krause, J and Ptak, SE and Briggs, AW and Ronan, MT and Simons, JF and Du, L and Egholm, M and Rothberg, JM and Paunovic, M and Pääbo, S}, title = {Analysis of one million base pairs of Neanderthal DNA.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {444}, number = {7117}, pages = {330-336}, doi = {10.1038/nature05336}, pmid = {17108958}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/*analysis/*genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/analysis/genetics ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Genetic/genetics ; Population Density ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals are the extinct hominid group most closely related to contemporary humans, so their genome offers a unique opportunity to identify genetic changes specific to anatomically fully modern humans. We have identified a 38,000-year-old Neanderthal fossil that is exceptionally free of contamination from modern human DNA. Direct high-throughput sequencing of a DNA extract from this fossil has thus far yielded over one million base pairs of hominoid nuclear DNA sequences. Comparison with the human and chimpanzee genomes reveals that modern human and Neanderthal DNA sequences diverged on average about 500,000 years ago. Existing technology and fossil resources are now sufficient to initiate a Neanderthal genome-sequencing effort.}, }
@article {pmid17108928, year = {2006}, author = {Dalton, R}, title = {Neanderthal genome sees first light.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {444}, number = {7117}, pages = {254}, doi = {10.1038/444254a}, pmid = {17108928}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Extinction, Biological ; Genome/*genetics ; Genome, Human/genetics ; Genomics/*trends ; Hominidae/*genetics/physiology ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Time Factors ; }, }
@article {pmid17103429, year = {2006}, author = {Lee-Thorp, J and Sponheimer, M}, title = {Contributions of biogeochemistry to understanding hominin dietary ecology.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {Suppl 43}, number = {}, pages = {131-148}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.20519}, pmid = {17103429}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Biochemistry/*methods ; Bone and Bones/chemistry ; Collagen/chemistry ; Dental Enamel/chemistry ; *Diet ; Ecology/*methods ; Ecosystem ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Isotopes/analysis ; Nutrition Assessment ; Paleodontology ; Tooth Attrition/pathology ; Trace Elements/analysis ; }, abstract = {Dietary ecology is one key to understanding the biology, lifeways, and evolutionary pathways of many animals. Determining the diets of long-extinct hominins, however, is a considerable challenge. Although archaeological evidence forms a pillar of our understanding of diet and subsistence in the more recent past, for early hominins, the most direct evidence is to be found in the fossils themselves. Here we review the suite of emerging biochemical paleodietary tools based on stable isotope and trace element archives within fossil calcified tissues. We critically assess their contribution to advancing our understanding of australopith, early Homo, and Neanderthal diets within the broader context of non-biogeochemical techniques for dietary reconstruction, such as morphology and dental microwear analysis. The most significant outcomes to date are the demonstration of high trophic-level diets among Neanderthals and Late Pleistocene modern humans in Glacial Europe, and the persistent inclusion of C(4) grass-related foods in the diets of Plio-Pleistocene hominins in South Africa. Such studies clearly show the promise of biogeochemical techniques for testing hypotheses about the diets of early hominins. Nevertheless, we argue that more contextual data from modern ecosystem and experimental studies are needed if we are to fully realize their potential.}, }
@article {pmid17097133, year = {2007}, author = {Gunz, P and Harvati, K}, title = {The Neanderthal "chignon": variation, integration, and homology.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {52}, number = {3}, pages = {262-274}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.08.010}, pmid = {17097133}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology/*methods ; *Phylogeny ; Temporal Bone/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The occipital bun ("chignon") is cited widely as a Neanderthal derived trait. It encompasses the posterior projection/convexity of the occipital squama and is associated with lambdoid flattening on the parietal. A 'hemibun' in some Upper Paleolithic Europeans is thought by some authors to indicate interbreeding between Neanderthals and early modern Europeans. However, 'bunning' is difficult to measure, and the term has been applied to a range of morphological patterns. Furthermore, its usefulness in phylogenetic reconstruction and its homologous status across modern and fossil humans have been disputed. We present a geometric morphometric study that quantitatively evaluates the chignon, assesses its usefulness in separating Neanderthals from modern humans, and its degree of similarity to Upper Paleolithic 'hemibuns.' We measured the three-dimensional coordinates of closely spaced points along the midsagittal plane from bregma to inion and of anatomical landmarks in a large series of recent human crania and several Middle and Late Pleistocene European and African fossils. These coordinate data were processed using the techniques of geometric morphometrics and analyzed with relative warps, canonical variates, and singular warps. Our results show no separation between Neanderthals and modern humans, including early modern Europeans, when the shape of the occipital plane midsagittal-profile is considered alone. On the other hand, Neanderthals are well separated from both recent and fossil modern humans when information about the occipital's relative position and relative size are also included. Furthermore, the occurrence of a highly convex and posteriorly projecting midline occipital profile (interpreted as the occipital bun) is highly correlated (>0.8) with a flat parietal midsagittal profile and with antero-superiorly positioned temporal bones across both our recent and our fossil human samples. We conclude that the shape of the occipital profile alone should not be considered an independent trait, as it is very tightly integrated with braincase shape. Our analysis does not support differences in integration of the posterior midsagittal profile and the cranial base in Pleistocene and recent humans.}, }
@article {pmid17085588, year = {2006}, author = {Soficaru, A and Dobos, A and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Early modern humans from the Pestera Muierii, Baia de Fier, Romania.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {103}, number = {46}, pages = {17196-17201}, pmid = {17085588}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Anthropology ; Carbon Isotopes ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Romania ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {The early modern human remains from the Peştera Muierii, Romania have been directly dated to approximately 30,000 radiocarbon years before present (approximately 30 ka 14C BP) (approximately 35 ka cal BP) ("calendrical" age; based on CalPal 2005) and augment a small sample of securely dated, European, pre-28 ka 14C BP (approximately 32.5 ka cal BP) modern human remains. The Muierii fossils exhibit a suite of derived modern human features, including reduced maxillae with pronounced canine fossae, a narrow nasal aperture, small superciliary arches, an arched parietal curve, zygomatic arch above the auditory porous, laterally bulbous mastoid processes, narrow mandibular corpus, reduced anterior dentition, ventral-to-bisulcate scapular axillary border, and planoconcave tibial and fibular diaphyseal surfaces. However, these traits co-occur with contextually archaic and/or Neandertal features, including a moderately low frontal arc, a large occipital bun, a high coronoid process and asymmetrical mandibular notch, a more medial mandibular notch crest to condylar position, and a narrow scapular glenoid fossa. As with other European early modern humans, the mosaic of modern human and archaic/Neandertal features, relative to their potential Middle Paleolithic ancestral populations, indicates considerable Neandertal/modern human admixture. Moreover, the narrow scapular glenoid fossa suggests habitual movements at variance with the associated projectile technology. The reproductive and scapulohumeral functional inferences emphasize the subtle natures of behavioral contrasts between Neandertals and these early modern Europeans.}, }
@article {pmid17058508, year = {2006}, author = {Janković, I and Karavanić, I and Ahern, JC and Brajković, D and Lenardić, JM and Smith, FH}, title = {Vindija cave and the modern human peopling of Europe.}, journal = {Collegium antropologicum}, volume = {30}, number = {3}, pages = {457-466}, pmid = {17058508}, issn = {0350-6134}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Biological Evolution ; Croatia ; Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Paleontology/*methods ; }, abstract = {Vindija cave in Croatia has yielded the youngest securely dated Neandertal skeletal remains in Central/Eastern Europe. In addition, these remains have been found in association with archaeological material exhibiting Upper Paleolithic elements. Due to its geographic location and date, the Vindija remains are particularly crucial for the understanding of initial modern human peopling of Europe and the nature of the Neandertal demise. The significance of archaeological and paleontological finds and hominin fossils from this site is discussed in the light of new finds at Vindija and recent developments in the fields of paleoanthropology and prehistoric archaeology. Furthermore, the impact of revised chronology for several crucial specimens and sites throughout Europe, including Vindija, is discussed.}, }
@article {pmid17027252, year = {2006}, author = {Wall, JD and Hammer, MF}, title = {Archaic admixture in the human genome.}, journal = {Current opinion in genetics &amp; development}, volume = {16}, number = {6}, pages = {606-610}, doi = {10.1016/j.gde.2006.09.006}, pmid = {17027252}, issn = {0959-437X}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genome, Human ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; }, abstract = {One of the enduring questions in the evolution of our species surrounds the fate of 'archaic' forms of Homo. Did Neanderthals go extinct without interbreeding with modern humans 25-40 thousand years ago or are their genes present among modern-day Europeans? Recent work suggests that Neanderthals and an as yet unidentified archaic African population contributed to at least 5% of the modern European and West African gene pools, respectively. Extensive sequencing of Neanderthal and other archaic human nuclear DNA has the potential to answer this question definitively within the next few years.}, }
@article {pmid17014890, year = {2006}, author = {Street, M and Terberger, T and Orschiedt, J}, title = {A critical review of the German Paleolithic hominin record.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {51}, number = {6}, pages = {551-579}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.04.014}, pmid = {17014890}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropometry ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Burial/methods ; Carbon Radioisotopes ; *Fossils ; Germany ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; *Paleontology ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {We review the hominin fossil record from western Central Europe in light of the recent major revisions of the geochronological context. The mandible from Mauer (Homo heidelbergensis), dated to circa 500,000 years ago, continues to represent the earliest German hominin and may coincide with the occupation of Europe north of the high alpine mountain chains. Only limited new evidence is available for the Middle Pleistocene, mostly in the form of skull fragments, a pattern that may relate to taphonomic processes. These finds and their ages suggest the gradual evolution of a suite of Neandertal features during this period. Despite new finds of classic Neandertals, there is no clear proof for Neandertal burial from Germany. Alternatively, cut marks on a skull fragment from the Neandertal type site suggest special treatment of that individual. New Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates of previous finds leave little reliably dated evidence for anatomically modern humans (AMH) in Europe before 30,000 BP; the remains from Hahnöfersand, Binshof-Speyer, Paderborn-Sande, and Vogelherd are now of Holocene age. Thus, a correlation of AMH with the Aurignacian remains to be proven, and the general idea of a long coexistence of Neandertals and AMH in Europe may be questioned. In western Central Europe, evidence of Gravettian human fossils is also very limited, although a new double grave from lower Austria may be relevant. The only dated burial from the German Upper Paleolithic (from Mittlere Klause) falls into a time period (circa 18,600 BP) represented by only a few occupation sites in western Central Europe. A number of human remains at Magdalenian sites appear to result from variable (secondary) burial practices. In contrast, the Final Paleolithic (circa 12,000-9600 cal. BC) yields an increase of hominin finds, including multiple burials (Bonn-Oberkassel, Neuwied-Irlich), similar to the situation in western and southern Europe.}, }
@article {pmid17011729, year = {2007}, author = {Størmer, FC and Mysterud, I}, title = {Cave smoke: air pollution poisoning involved in Neanderthal extinction?.}, journal = {Medical hypotheses}, volume = {68}, number = {3}, pages = {723-724}, doi = {10.1016/j.mehy.2006.08.008}, pmid = {17011729}, issn = {0306-9877}, mesh = {Air Pollutants/*toxicity ; Animals ; *Extinction, Biological ; Hominidae ; Housing ; Humans ; }, }
@article {pmid16979220, year = {2007}, author = {Arsuaga, JL and Villaverde, V and Quam, R and Martínez, I and Carretero, JM and Lorenzo, C and Gracia, A}, title = {New Neandertal remains from Cova Negra (Valencia, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {52}, number = {1}, pages = {31-58}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.07.011}, pmid = {16979220}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Femur/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Radius/anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {New Neandertal fossils from the Mousterian site of Cova Negra in the Valencia region of Spain are described, and a comprehensive study of the entire human fossil sample is provided. The new specimens significantly augment the sample of human remains from this site and make Cova Negra one of the richest human paleontological sites on the Iberian Peninsula. The new specimens include cranial and postcranial elements from immature individuals and provide an opportunity to study the ontogenetic appearance of adult Neandertal characteristics in this Pleistocene population. Children younger than 10 years of age constitute four of the seven minimum number of individuals in the sample, and this relative abundance of children at Cova Negra is similar that in to other Neandertal sites in Europe and southwest Asia. The recognition of diagnostic Neandertal features in several of the specimens, as well as their western European context and late Pleistocene age, suggests that all the human remains from Cova Negra represent Neandertals. The archaeological evidence from Cova Negra indicates sporadic, short-term occupations of the site, suggesting a high degree of mobility among Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid16971950, year = {2006}, author = {Delson, E and Harvati, K}, title = {Palaeoanthropology: return of the last Neanderthal.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {443}, number = {7113}, pages = {762-763}, doi = {10.1038/nature05207}, pmid = {16971950}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Gibraltar ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Population Dynamics ; Time Factors ; }, }
@article {pmid16965802, year = {2007}, author = {Guatelli-Steinberg, D and Reid, DJ and Bishop, TA}, title = {Did the lateral enamel of Neandertal anterior teeth grow differently from that of modern humans?.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {52}, number = {1}, pages = {72-84}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.08.001}, pmid = {16965802}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Black People ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; England ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Inuit ; Paleodontology/*methods ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; White People ; }, abstract = {The formation of lateral enamel in Neandertal anterior teeth has been the subject of recent studies. When compared to the anterior teeth of modern humans from diverse regions (Point Hope, Alaska; Newcastle upon Tyne, England; southern Africa), Neandertal anterior teeth appear to fall within the modern human range of variation for lateral enamel formation time. However, the lateral enamel growth curves of Neandertals are more linear than those of these modern human samples. Other researchers have found that the lateral enamel growth curves of Neandertals are more linear than those of Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic modern humans as well. The statistical significance of this apparent difference between Neandertal and modern human lateral enamel growth curves is analyzed here. The more linear Neandertal enamel growth curves result from the smaller percentage of total perikymata located in the cervical halves of their teeth. The percentage of total perikymata in the cervical halves of teeth is therefore compared between the Neandertal sample (n=56 teeth) and each modern human population sample: Inuit (n=65 teeth), southern African (n=114 teeth), and northern European (n=115 teeth). There are 18 such comparisons (6 tooth types, Neandertals vs. each of the three modern human populations). Eighteen additional comparisons are made among the modern human population samples. Statistically significant differences are found for 16 of the 18 Neandertal vs. modern human comparisons but for only two of the 18 modern human comparisons. Statistical analyses repeated for subsamples of less worn teeth show a similar pattern. Because surface curvature is thought to affect perikymata spacing, we also conducted measurements to assess surface curvature in thirty teeth. Our analysis shows that surface curvature is not a factor in this lateral enamel growth difference between Neandertals and modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid16959299, year = {2006}, author = {Yokley, TR and Churchill, SE}, title = {Archaic and modern human distal humeral morphology.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {51}, number = {6}, pages = {603-616}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.07.006}, pmid = {16959299}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropometry ; Black People ; Cluster Analysis ; Ethnicity ; Female ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Humerus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; *Paleontology ; Principal Component Analysis ; Species Specificity ; White People ; }, abstract = {The morphology of the proximal ulna has been shown to effectively differentiate archaic or premodern humans (such as Homo heidelbergensis and H. neanderthalensis) from modern humans (H. sapiens). Accordingly, the morphology of adjacent, articulating elements should be able to distinguish these two broad groups as well. Here we test the taxonomic utility of another portion of the elbow, the distal humerus, as a discriminator of archaic and modern humans. Principal components analysis was employed on a suite of log-raw and log-shape distal humeral measures to examine differences between Neandertal and modern human distal humeri. In addition, the morphological affinities of Broken Hill (Kabwe) E.898, an archaic human distal humeral fragment from the middle Pleistocene of Zambia, and five Pliocene and early Pleistocene australopith humeri were assessed. The morphometric analyses effectively differentiated the Neandertals from the other groups, while the Broken Hill humerus appears morphologically similar to modern human distal humeri. Thus, an archaic/modern human dichotomy-as previously reported for proximal ulnar morphology-is not supported with respect to distal humeral morphology. Relative to australopiths and modern humans, Neandertal humeri are characterized by large olecranon fossae and small distodorsal medial and lateral pillars. The seeming disparity in morphological affinities of proximal ulnae (in which all archaic human groups appear distinct from modern humans) and distal humeri (in which Neandertals appear distinct from modern humans, but other archaic humans do not) is probably indicative of a highly variable, possibly transitional population of which our knowledge is hampered by sample-size limitations imposed by the scarcity of middle-to-late Pleistocene premodern human fossils outside of Europe.}, }
@article {pmid16953901, year = {2006}, author = {Petsko, GA}, title = {Senior moments.}, journal = {Genome biology}, volume = {7}, number = {8}, pages = {113}, doi = {10.1186/gb-2006-7-8-113}, pmid = {16953901}, issn = {1474-760X}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Croatia ; Faculty ; Fossils ; *Genome, Human ; Germany ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods ; }, abstract = {The problem with reaching 'senior faculty' status is the feeling that you have nothing much to contribute except experience, but the recently announced Neanderthal Genome Project might put things into perspective.}, }
@article {pmid16920617, year = {2006}, author = {Excoffier, L}, title = {Neandertal genetic diversity: a fresh look from old samples.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {16}, number = {16}, pages = {R650-2}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2006.07.035}, pmid = {16920617}, issn = {0960-9822}, mesh = {Animals ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Demography ; Europe ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genetic Variation ; *Genetics, Population ; Geography ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; }, abstract = {The recent publication of three old Neandertal mitochondrial sequences shows that the genetic diversity of the Neandertals has been largely underestimated. It suggests that the Neandertal population was extensively subdivided geographically, and that its genetic diversity changed markedly over time.}, }
@article {pmid16920607, year = {2006}, author = {Caramelli, D and Lalueza-Fox, C and Condemi, S and Longo, L and Milani, L and Manfredini, A and de Saint Pierre, M and Adoni, F and Lari, M and Giunti, P and Ricci, S and Casoli, A and Calafell, F and Mallegni, F and Bertranpetit, J and Stanyon, R and Bertorelle, G and Barbujani, G}, title = {A highly divergent mtDNA sequence in a Neandertal individual from Italy.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {16}, number = {16}, pages = {R630-2}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2006.07.043}, pmid = {16920607}, issn = {0960-9822}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; *Genetic Variation ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*genetics ; Humans ; Italy ; Molecular Sequence Data ; *Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, }
@article {pmid16920606, year = {2006}, author = {Lalueza-Fox, C and Krause, J and Caramelli, D and Catalano, G and Milani, L and Sampietro, ML and Calafell, F and Martínez-Maza, C and Bastir, M and García-Tabernero, A and de la Rasilla, M and Fortea, J and Pääbo, S and Bertranpetit, J and Rosas, A}, title = {Mitochondrial DNA of an Iberian Neandertal suggests a population affinity with other European Neandertals.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {16}, number = {16}, pages = {R629-30}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2006.07.044}, pmid = {16920606}, issn = {0960-9822}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Europe ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Genetic Variation ; Geography ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, }
@article {pmid16908051, year = {2006}, author = {Balter, V and Simon, L}, title = {Diet and behavior of the Saint-Césaire Neanderthal inferred from biogeochemical data inversion.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {51}, number = {4}, pages = {329-338}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.04.008}, pmid = {16908051}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones/chemistry ; Carbon Isotopes ; *Diet ; Feeding Behavior ; Fossils ; France ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Meat ; Metals, Alkaline Earth/analysis ; Nitrogen Isotopes ; Vegetables ; }, abstract = {Biogeochemistry is a powerful tool for dietary reconstruction, and mixing equations can be used to quantify the contribution of multiple sources to an individual's diet. The goals of this paper are: 1) to generalize the inverse method to dietary mixtures; and 2) to reconstruct the diet of the Saint-Césaire Neanderthal using Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca data of the mineral fraction of bone (hydroxylapatite), and with published delta13C and delta15N data of the associated organic fraction of bone (collagen). A new method is proposed to calculate the maximum diagenetic contribution of the Sr/Ba ratio, assuming that the soil soluble fraction is the diagenetic end-member and, for a given fraction of diagenesis, allows the restoration of the original Sr/Ba ratio. Considering the Saint-Césaire Châtelperronian mammalian assemblage as the meat source, and on the basis of available Sr, Ba, and Ca contents of plants, the results indicate that the percentage of plants in the Neanderthal's diet must have been close to zero for realistic Sr and Ba impoverishment between diet and hydroxylapatite. Contrary to previous studies, it is shown that fish could constitute a significant proportion (30%) of the diet of the Saint-Césaire Neanderthal. However, this mass balance solution is not supported by the zooarchaeological data. When the entire faunal assemblage is considered as the dietary source, the calculation shows that bovids (except reindeer) represent the greatest percentage of consumed meat (58%), followed by horses/rhinoceros (22%), reindeer (13%), and mammoths (7%). These respective percentages are in close accordance with zooarchaeological records, suggesting that the faunal assemblage associated with the Neanderthal of Saint-Césaire reliably reflects what he ate during the last few years of his life. In behavioral terms, this result supports the hypothesis that this Neanderthal carried the foodstuffs back to the Saint-Césaire shelter before their consumption.}, }
@article {pmid16903189, year = {2006}, author = {Adler, J}, title = {Cavemen, chimps and us. What can we learn from Neanderthal genes?.}, journal = {Newsweek}, volume = {148}, number = {5}, pages = {48}, pmid = {16903189}, issn = {0028-9604}, mesh = {Animals ; Biotechnology ; DNA/analysis/genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Fossils ; *Genomics ; Hominidae/classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Pan troglodytes/*genetics ; Skull ; }, }
@article {pmid16894152, year = {2006}, author = {Zilhão, J and d'Errico, F and Bordes, JG and Lenoble, A and Texier, JP and Rigaud, JP}, title = {Analysis of Aurignacian interstratification at the Chatelperronian-type site and implications for the behavioral modernity of Neandertals.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {103}, number = {33}, pages = {12643-12648}, pmid = {16894152}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Anthropology, Physical ; *Archaeology ; *Behavior ; *Culture ; Europe ; Humans ; }, abstract = {The Châtelperronian is a Neandertal-associated archeological culture featuring ornaments and decorated bone tools. It is often suggested that such symbolic items do not imply that Neandertals had modern cognition and stand instead for influences received from coeval, nearby early modern humans represented by the Aurignacian culture, whose precocity would be proven by stratigraphy and radiocarbon dates. The Grotte des Fées at Châtelperron (France) is the remaining case of such a potential Châtelperronian-Aurignacian contemporaneity, but reanalysis shows that its stratification is poor and unclear, the bone assemblage is carnivore-accumulated, the putative interstratified Aurignacian lens in level B4 is made up for the most part of Châtelperronian material, the upper part of the sequence is entirely disturbed, and the few Aurignacian items in levels B4-5 represent isolated intrusions into otherwise in situ Châtelperronian deposits. As elsewhere in southwestern Europe, this evidence confirms that the Aurignacian postdates the Châtelperronian and that the latter's cultural innovations are better explained as the Neandertals' independent development of behavioral modernity.}, }
@article {pmid16780842, year = {2006}, author = {Alt, KW and Kaulich, B and Reisch, L and Vogel, H and Rosendahl, W}, title = {The Neanderthalian molar from Hunas, Germany.}, journal = {Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen}, volume = {57}, number = {3}, pages = {187-200}, doi = {10.1016/j.jchb.2006.03.002}, pmid = {16780842}, issn = {0018-442X}, mesh = {*Age Determination by Teeth ; Animals ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Dental Occlusion ; *Fossils ; Germany ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; *Paleodontology ; Tooth Attrition/pathology ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Tooth Root/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; }, abstract = {In this paper, we present a well-preserved isolated human molar found in 1986 in the Hunas cave ruin, south-east Bavaria. The tooth was located at the bottom of layer F2, which belongs to a long stratigraphic sequence comprising faunal remains as well as archaeological levels (Mousterian). A stalagmite from layer P at the base of the stratigraphic sequence was recently dated to 79.373+/-8.237 ka (base) and 76.872+/-9.686 ka (tip) by TIMS-U/Th (Stanford University). We identified the tooth as a right (possibly third) mandibular molar. Characteristic parameters such as crown and root morphology, fissure pattern, enamel thickness, occlusal and interproximal wear, dental dimensions and indices, and radiological features indicate that the Hunas molar represents the tooth of a Neanderthal. This is corroborated by both the palaeontological and archaeological findings (Mousterian) of layer F2.}, }
@article {pmid16753548, year = {2006}, author = {Orlando, L and Darlu, P and Toussaint, M and Bonjean, D and Otte, M and Hänni, C}, title = {Revisiting Neandertal diversity with a 100,000 year old mtDNA sequence.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {16}, number = {11}, pages = {R400-2}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2006.05.019}, pmid = {16753548}, issn = {0960-9822}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*analysis ; *Genetic Variation ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Sequence Alignment ; }, }
@article {pmid16710377, year = {2006}, author = {Dalton, R}, title = {Neanderthal DNA yields to genome foray.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {441}, number = {7091}, pages = {260-261}, doi = {10.1038/441260b}, pmid = {16710377}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Croatia ; DNA/analysis/*genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Fossils ; *Genome ; *Genomics ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Time Factors ; Y Chromosome/genetics ; }, }
@article {pmid16637187, year = {2005}, author = {Ale-Agha, N and Feige, GB and Jensen, M and Brassmann, M and Kricke, R}, title = {Surveys of new and rare microfungi in the Düsseltal (North Rhine-Westphalia)--Germany.}, journal = {Communications in agricultural and applied biological sciences}, volume = {70}, number = {3}, pages = {257-267}, pmid = {16637187}, issn = {1379-1176}, mesh = {Fungi/*classification/*isolation &amp; purification/pathogenicity ; Germany ; Phylogeny ; Plant Diseases/*microbiology ; Plants/*microbiology ; }, abstract = {In the years 2003 and 2004 we have observed an about 70 hectare large area in the Düsseltal, the eastern part of the Neandertal in North Rhine-Westphalia. There we collected on trees, bushes and herbs and found about 150 microfungi of which some are new for Germany or the entire world. E.g.: Pseudocercospora populigena N. ALE-AGHA, U. BRAUN &amp; G.B. FEIGE on Populus berolinensis; Vialaea insculpta (FR.) SACC. on Ilex aquifolium L.; Passalora amelopsidis (PECK.) U. BRAUN on Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) PLANCH.: Pleiochaeta setosa (KIRCHN.) HUGHES on Genista angelica L.; Cercospora mercurialis PASS. on Mercurialis perennis L. (new for NRW); Pleurocytospora vestita PETRAK on Ribes aureum PURSH.; Gonatobotrys simplex CORDA on Lolium perenne L.; Phomatospora berckleyi SACC. on Dactylis glomerata L. and so on. All specimens are located in the Herbarium ESS, Mycotheca Parva collection G.B. Feige &amp; N. Ale-Agha.}, }
@article {pmid16617436, year = {2006}, author = {Nicholson, E and Harvati, K}, title = {Quantitative analysis of human mandibular shape using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {131}, number = {3}, pages = {368-383}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.20425}, pmid = {16617436}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Anatomy, Comparative ; Animals ; Arctic Regions ; Asia ; Europe ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/*methods ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology/*methods ; }, abstract = {Human mandibular morphology is often thought to reflect mainly function, and to be of lesser value in studies of population history. Previous descriptions of human mandibles showed variation in ramal height and breadth to be the strongest difference among recent human groups. Several mandibular traits that differentiate Neanderthals from modern humans include greater robusticity, a receding symphysis, a large retromolar space, a rounder gonial area, an asymmetric mandibular notch, and a posteriorly positioned mental foramen in Neanderthals. Nevertheless, the degree to which these differences are part of modern human variation and/or are related to size and function remains unclear. The aim of this study was to document geographic and functional patterning in the mandibular shape of recent humans, to assess the effects of allometry on mandibular form, and to quantitatively evaluate proposed "Neanderthal" mandibular traits through comparison with samples of geographically diverse recent humans. Data were collected in the form of three-dimensional coordinates of 28 landmarks. Unlike previous studies, this analysis found that modern human mandibular shape exhibits considerable geographic patterning, with some aspects of mandibular morphology reflecting a climatic gradient, and others, a functional specialization. Population history is also reflected in mandibular form, albeit relatively weakly. Proposed "Neanderthal" traits were found to separate Neanderthal from modern human mandibles successfully in the statistical analysis. Of these, the retromolar gap was found to be related to increased mandibular size in modern humans. The status of this trait as a Neanderthal autapomorphy should therefore be treated with caution.}, }
@article {pmid16495989, year = {2006}, author = {Mellars, P}, title = {A new radiocarbon revolution and the dispersal of modern humans in Eurasia.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {439}, number = {7079}, pages = {931-935}, doi = {10.1038/nature04521}, pmid = {16495989}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology/*methods ; Asia ; Carbon Radioisotopes ; Emigration and Immigration/*history ; Europe ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/physiology ; Humans ; Paleontology/*methods ; }, abstract = {Radiocarbon dating has been fundamental to the study of human cultural and biological development over the past 50,000 yr. Two recent developments in the methodology of radiocarbon dating show that the speed of colonization of Europe by modern human populations was more rapid than previously believed, and that their period of coexistence with the preceding Neanderthal was shorter.}, }
@article {pmid16487991, year = {2006}, author = {Bailey, SE and Hublin, JJ}, title = {Dental remains from the Grotte du Renne at Arcy-sur-Cure (Yonne).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {50}, number = {5}, pages = {485-508}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.11.008}, pmid = {16487991}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Age Determination by Teeth ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Dental Enamel Hypoplasia/epidemiology/history ; *Dentition ; France/epidemiology ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Humans ; *Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth, Deciduous/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Human remains associated with the earliest Upper Paleolithic industries are sparse. What is preserved is often fragmentary, making it difficult to accurately assign them to a particular species. For some time it has been generally accepted that Neandertals were responsible for the Châtelperronian and anatomically modern humans for the early Aurignacian industries. However, the recent re-dating of several of the more-complete modern human fossils associated with the early Aurignacian (e.g., Vogelherd) has led some to question the identity of the makers and the context of these early Upper Paleolithic industries. The Grotte du Renne at Arcy-sur-Cure, France has yielded many hominin remains, from Mousterian, Châtelperronian, Aurignacian, and Gravettian layers. Previously, a child's temporal bone from the Châtelperronian Layer Xb was recognized as belonging to a Neandertal; however, most of the teeth from Châtelperronian layers VIII-X remain unpublished. We describe the dental remains from the Châtelperronian layers, place them in a comparative (Mousterian Neandertal and Upper Paleolithic modern human) context, and evaluate their taxonomic status. The teeth (n = 29) represent a minimum of six individuals aged from birth to adult. The permanent dental sample (n = 15) from the Châtelperronian layers of Arcy-sur-Cure exhibits traits (e.g., lower molar mid-trigonid crest) that occur more frequently in Neandertals than in Upper Paleolithic modern humans. Furthermore, several teeth show trait combinations, including Cusp 6/mid-trigonid crest/anterior fovea in the lower second molar, that are rare or absent in Upper Paleolithic modern humans. The deciduous teeth (n = 14) significantly increase the sample of known deciduous hominin teeth and are more similar to Mousterian Neandertals from Europe and Asia than to Upper Paleolithic modern humans. Thus, the preponderance of dental evidence from the Grotte du Renne strongly supports that Neandertals were responsible for the Châtelperronian industry at Arcy-sur-Cure.}, }
@article {pmid16475295, year = {2000}, author = {Pettitt, PB}, title = {Neanderthal lifecycles: developmental and social phases in the lives of the last archaics.}, journal = {World archaeology}, volume = {31}, number = {3}, pages = {351-366}, doi = {10.1080/00438240009696926}, pmid = {16475295}, issn = {0043-8243}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology/methods/trends ; *Archaeology/methods/trends ; *Growth and Development ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae/genetics/growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Longevity ; Mortuary Practice/history/methods/trends ; Wounds and Injuries/history ; }, }
@article {pmid16407102, year = {2006}, author = {Higham, T and Ramsey, CB and Karavanić, I and Smith, FH and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Revised direct radiocarbon dating of the Vindija G1 Upper Paleolithic Neandertals.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {103}, number = {3}, pages = {553-557}, pmid = {16407102}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Anthropology/methods/statistics &amp; numerical data ; Anthropometry/methods ; Carbon Radioisotopes ; Croatia ; *Fossils ; Humans ; }, abstract = {The 1998/1999 direct dating of two Neandertal specimens from level G(1) of Vindija Cave in Croatia to approximately 28,000 and approximately 29,000 radiocarbon ((14)C) years ago has led to interpretations concerning the late survival of Neandertals in south-central Europe, patterns of interaction between Neandertals and in-dispersing early modern humans in Europe, and complex biocultural scenarios for the earlier phases of the Upper Paleolithic. Given improvements, particularly in sample pretreatment techniques for bone radiocarbon samples, especially ultrafiltration of collagen samples, these Vindija G(1) Neandertal fossils are redated to approximately 32,000-33,000 (14)C years ago and possibly earlier. These results and the recent redating of a number of purportedly old modern human skeletal remains in Europe to younger time periods highlight the importance of fine chronological control when studying this biocultural time period and the tenuous nature of monolithic scenarios for the establishment of modern humans and earlier phases of the Upper Paleolithic in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid16395724, year = {2006}, author = {Caspari, R and Radovcić, J}, title = {New reconstruction of Krapina 5, a male Neandertal cranial vault from Krapina, Croatia.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {130}, number = {3}, pages = {294-307}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.20282}, pmid = {16395724}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Age Factors ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Croatia ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Male ; Occipital Bone/anatomy &amp; histology ; Parietal Bone/anatomy &amp; histology ; Sex Factors ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Temporal Bone/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The Neandertals from Krapina, Croatia represent some of the geologically oldest Neandertals known, and they comprise the largest Neandertal collection from a single site in the world. However, comparisons of the Krapina material with other, later Neandertals have been limited both because of their fragmentary condition and because the sample has a disproportionate number of females and/or young individuals. This paper presents a preliminary description of our new reconstruction of Krapina 5, an adult male, and provides comparisons with females from Krapina and with later Neandertal males from Western Europe. Like other hominid sites with large samples, there is considerable cranial variation at Krapina; we believe that some, but clearly not all of it is due to sexual dimorphism. Although Krapina 5 differs from the later males in a number of features, such as cranial thickness, cranial height, and sagittal curvature, it fits well within the male Neandertal range for most other metric variables, including cranial capacity.}, }
@article {pmid16364406, year = {2006}, author = {Grün, R and Maroto, J and Eggins, S and Stringer, C and Robertson, S and Taylor, L and Mortimer, G and McCulloch, M}, title = {ESR and U-series analyses of enamel and dentine fragments of the Banyoles mandible.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {50}, number = {3}, pages = {347-358}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.10.001}, pmid = {16364406}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Age Determination by Teeth ; Animals ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology/*chemistry ; Dentin/anatomy &amp; histology/*chemistry ; *Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology/*chemistry ; Paleodontology/*methods ; Paleontology ; Spain ; Uranium ; }, abstract = {The Banyoles mandible presents a puzzle. Its anatomy has been described as pre-Neandertal, but the travertine in which it was found has been dated to 45,000 +/- 4000 years. By this time, any pre-Neandertals had supposedly been absent from the European fossil record for more than 100,000 years. It was therefore proposed that the age of the travertine may represent a minimum age estimate, with the mandible possibly having been reworked from older deposits. We carried out a non-destructive ESR analysis of an enamel fragment removed from a molar and performed a series of in situ laser ablation U-series analyses on dentine fragments adjacent to the enamel piece. The analyses resulted in an apparent combined ESR-U-series age of 66,000 +/- 7000 years. The encasing travertine matrix was also analyzed for U-series isotopes and showed signs of U-mobilization. It cannot be excluded that the travertine matrix is older than the previously determined age. If the mandible was not reworked, then the combined ESR-U-series result on the tooth enamel would give its best age estimate. If, on the other hand, the mandible was reworked from another deposit, the actual ESR-U-series age will depend on the external dose rate from the previous matrix and the depth of its burial, which controls the degree of the attenuation of the cosmic dose rate over time. Considering a range of possible burial histories, the mean age of the mandible would lie somewhere between the combined ESR-U-series age and the previously determined age of the travertine matrix. Regarding the morphology of the mandible, a review of its features in the context of larger Neandertal samples indicates that the anatomy of the specimen is not incompatible with such a young age determination, although it further highlights morphological variation in the late Neandertal sample.}, }
@article {pmid16342259, year = {2006}, author = {Caspari, R and Lee, SH}, title = {Is human longevity a consequence of cultural change or modern biology?.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {129}, number = {4}, pages = {512-517}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.20360}, pmid = {16342259}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Asia, Western ; *Culture ; Europe ; Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; *Life Expectancy ; Longevity/*physiology ; Paleodontology ; *Survival Rate ; }, abstract = {Increased longevity, expressed as the number of individuals surviving to older adulthood, represents a key way that Upper Paleolithic Europeans differ from earlier European (Neandertal) populations. Here, we address whether longevity increased as a result of cultural/adaptive change in Upper Paleolithic Europe, or whether it was introduced to Europe as a part of modern human biology. We compare the ratio of older to younger adults (OY ratio) in an early modern human sample associated with the Middle Paleolithic from Western Asia with OY ratios of European Upper Paleolithic moderns and penecontemporary Neandertals from the same region. We also compare these Neandertals to European Neandertals. The difference between the OY ratios of modern humans of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic is large and significant, but there is no significant difference between the Neandertals and early modern humans of Western Asia. Longevity for the West Asian Neandertals is significantly more common than for the European Neandertals. We conclude that the increase in adult survivorship associated with the Upper Paleolithic is not a biological attribute of modern humans, but reflects important cultural adaptations promoting the demographic and material representations of modernity.}, }
@article {pmid16274633, year = {2005}, author = {Beauval, C}, title = {[A late Neanderthal femur from Les Rochers-de-Villeneuve, France].}, journal = {Medecine sciences : M/S}, volume = {21}, number = {11}, pages = {901-902}, doi = {10.1051/medsci/20052111901}, pmid = {16274633}, issn = {0767-0974}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/analysis ; Diaphyses/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Femur/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; France ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Hyaenidae ; Paleontology ; Predatory Behavior ; }, }
@article {pmid16208866, year = {2005}, author = {Sommer, M}, title = {Ancient hunters and their modern representatives: William Sollas's (1849-1936) Anthropology from disappointed bridge to trunkless tree and the instrumentalisation of racial conflict.}, journal = {Journal of the history of biology}, volume = {38}, number = {2}, pages = {327-365}, pmid = {16208866}, issn = {0022-5010}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology/*history ; *Biological Evolution ; Cultural Evolution ; History, 20th Century ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Racial Groups ; Selection, Genetic ; United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {During the first decades of the 20th century, many anthropologists who had previously adhered to a linear view of human evolution, from an ape via Pithecanthropus erectus (today Homo erectus) and Neanderthal to modern humans, began to change their outlook. A shift towards a branching model of human evolution began to take hold. Among the scientific factors motivating this trend was the insight that mammalian evolution in general was best represented by a branching tree, rather than by a straight line, and that several new fossil hominids were discovered that differed significantly in their morphology but seemed to date from about the same period. The ideological and practical implications of imperialism and WWI have also been identified as formative of the new evolutionary scenarios in which racial conflict played a crucial role. The paper will illustrate this general shift in anthropological theory for one particular scientist, William Sollas (1849-1936). Sollas achieved a synthesis of human morphological and cultural evolution in what I will refer to as an imperialist model. In this theoretical framework, migration, conflict, and replacement became the main mechanisms for progress spurred by 'nature's tyrant,' natural selection.}, }
@article {pmid16183746, year = {2005}, author = {Guatelli-Steinberg, D and Reid, DJ and Bishop, TA and Larsen, CS}, title = {Anterior tooth growth periods in Neandertals were comparable to those of modern humans.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {102}, number = {40}, pages = {14197-14202}, pmid = {16183746}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Dental Enamel/*growth &amp; development ; Hominidae/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Paleodontology ; Regression Analysis ; Time Factors ; Tooth/anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {A longstanding controversy in paleoanthropology surrounds the question of whether Neandertals shared the prolonged growth periods of modern humans. To address this question, this investigation compares the duration of enamel formation in Neandertals with that of three comparative modern human groups. Because dental and somatic growth are correlated with each other, dental growth periods are indicative of overall periods of growth. Growth increments on the anterior teeth of Neandertals, modern Inuit, and modern people from Newcastle and southern Africa were counted and their means compared. In addition, potential variation in the time spans represented by growth increments was considered and incorporated into the analysis of enamel formation times. These analyses show that Neandertal imbricational enamel formation times, although likely to have been faster than those of the Inuit, are not likely to have been faster than those of the Newcastle sample and for some teeth are clearly slower than those of the southern African sample. Thus, Neandertal tooth growth and, by extension, somatic growth, appears to be encompassed within the modern human range of interpopulation variation.}, }
@article {pmid16136079, year = {2005}, author = {Gravina, B and Mellars, P and Ramsey, CB}, title = {Radiocarbon dating of interstratified Neanderthal and early modern human occupations at the Chatelperronian type-site.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {438}, number = {7064}, pages = {51-56}, doi = {10.1038/nature04006}, pmid = {16136079}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; *Archaeology ; Bone and Bones ; Carbon Radioisotopes ; *Fossils ; France ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Paleontology ; Population Dynamics ; }, abstract = {The question of the coexistence and potential interaction between the last Neanderthal and the earliest intrusive populations of anatomically modern humans in Europe has recently emerged as a topic of lively debate in the archaeological and anthropological literature. Here we report the results of radiocarbon accelerator dating for what has been reported as an interstratified sequence of late Neanderthal and early anatomically modern occupations at the French type-site of the Chatelperronian, the Grotte des Fées de Châtelperron, in east-central France. The radiocarbon measurements seem to provide the earliest secure dates for the presence of Aurignacian technology--and from this, we infer the presence of anatomically modern human populations--in France.}, }
@article {pmid16084518, year = {2006}, author = {Ichim, I and Swain, MV and Kieser, JA}, title = {Mandibular stiffness in humans: numerical predictions.}, journal = {Journal of biomechanics}, volume = {39}, number = {10}, pages = {1903-1913}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbiomech.2005.05.022}, pmid = {16084518}, issn = {0021-9290}, mesh = {Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Chin/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Mastication/*physiology ; Models, Biological ; Primates ; }, abstract = {The chin is a feature unique to humans. This study evaluates the effect of mandibular symphyseal design on biomechanical masticatory effectiveness as determined by structural stiffness and stress developed under flexural and torsional loading. A simple model of three symphyseal shapes (chin, flat symphysis and lingual buttress), was built to represent human, Neanderthal and higher primate symphyses and these were subjected to wishboning and torsional forces. Additionally, an anatomically detailed reconstruction was made of the CT scan of an actual human mandible, which was then also morphed into a chinless model. The results of a 3-D finite element analysis show firstly, that none of the three different symphyseal shapes is biomechanically more advantageous than the others for the given loading condition. Secondly, we show in a CT-derived model, that the presence of a chin does not confer significantly improved stiffness to torsional or flexural loading. These results indicate that the acquisition of a chin in modern humans is not related to the functional demands placed upon the mandible during mastication, but suggest that it may have developed in response to other biomechanical demands.}, }
@article {pmid16079593, year = {2005}, author = {Dobrovolskaya, MV}, title = {Upper palaeolithic and late stone age human diet.}, journal = {Journal of physiological anthropology and applied human science}, volume = {24}, number = {4}, pages = {433-438}, doi = {10.2114/jpa.24.433}, pmid = {16079593}, issn = {1345-3475}, mesh = {Bone and Bones/*chemistry ; Calcium/analysis ; Carbon Isotopes/analysis ; *Diet ; Female ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Male ; Metals, Heavy/analysis ; Nitrogen Isotopes/analysis ; *Paleontology ; Russia ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; }, abstract = {Undoubtedly modern mankind is an omnivorous species. Nevertheless, types of diet changed at the time of anthropogenesis. The Upper Palaeolithic period is the crucial time because of the appearance of anatomically modern humans in Europe. The main goal in this period investigation is to find the Neanderthal man-Upper Palaeolithic man diet distinction. A sharp early Holocene rise in humidity and temperature and melting of the permafrost resulted in the complete destruction of traditional migration routes, campsite losses, and the flora and fauna of inland territories changing. All these factors affected nutrition patterns, too. The comparison of the different Mesolithic and Neolithic groups' diet patterns allow us to discuss problems of the influence of cultural and ecological factors. The bone tissue chemical concentrations (Ca, Zn, Sr, Cu) from Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic burials are considered to reconstruct individual and group patterns of nutrition. The results of the atomic absorption method were used.}, }
@article {pmid20369935, year = {2005}, author = {Cyran, KA and Kimmel, M}, title = {Interactions of neanderthals and modern humans: what can be inferred from mitochondrial DNA?.}, journal = {Mathematical biosciences and engineering : MBE}, volume = {2}, number = {3}, pages = {487-498}, doi = {10.3934/mbe.2005.2.487}, pmid = {20369935}, issn = {1547-1063}, abstract = {This paper reviews the state-of-the-art knowledge concerning the relationship between Neanderthals and Upper Paleolithic modern humans. The branching-process method is applied to infer the upper limit of hypothetical Neanderthal admixture, consistent with the evidence based on mitochon- drial DNA sequences of contemporary modern humans, as well as Neanderthal and early modern European H. sapiens fossils. As a result, a maximum value of 15% admixture is obtained. This estimate is discussed in the context of its consequences for the two competing theories of modern human origin.}, }
@article {pmid15964608, year = {2005}, author = {Coppa, A and Grün, R and Stringer, C and Eggins, S and Vargiu, R}, title = {Newly recognized Pleistocene human teeth from Tabun Cave, Israel.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {49}, number = {3}, pages = {301-315}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.04.005}, pmid = {15964608}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy/methods ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Israel ; Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology/chemistry ; Uranium/analysis ; }, abstract = {Seven human teeth from Tabun Cave, Israel, curated at the Natural History Museum London since 1955, are of uncertain provenance and identity. They are all from the upper dentition, without duplications, and are characterized by a similar preservation. The Catalogue of Fossil Hominids (1975) suggested that they might have derived from Tabun Layer A (Bronze Age to Recent). However, one of us (AC) noted some distinctive features of these teeth that warranted further study. They are here assigned to a single individual, Tabun BC7. Their morphology and metrics were then compared with the frequency of Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene groups from Europe, North Africa and Middle East. A fragment of the right M3 crown of Tabun BC7 was removed for ESR and U-analysis, and it was determined that only samples from Layer B have similar dose values. Using the sediment dose values of layer B, preliminary age estimates of 82 +/- 14 ka (early U-uptake) and 92+/-18 ka (linear uptake) were obtained. U-series disequilibrium determined from other samples attributed to Layer B resulted in a U-uptake history close to linear uptake, giving a very comparable age estimate of 90(+30)(-16) ka. The dose value previously obtained on an enamel fragment from the Tabun C1 dentition is nearly double the value measured for BC7, and tentative age estimates for C1 were in the range of 143+/-37 ka. However, due to uncertainties in the exact provenance of the human fossils, we cannot confirm that C1 is older than the new tooth sampled here, and both C1 and BC7 can be attributed to Layer B on chronological grounds. On the basis of chronology, dental morphology and metrics, the specimen named Tabun BC7 was identified as a probable Neanderthal.}, }
@article {pmid15927664, year = {2005}, author = {Ahern, JC and Hawks, JD and Lee, SH}, title = {Neandertal taxonomy reconsidered...again: a response to Harvati et al.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {48}, number = {6}, pages = {647-52; discussion 653-60}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.10.008}, pmid = {15927664}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Ecology ; Female ; Hominidae/*classification ; Humans ; Male ; Paleontology/methods ; Phylogeny ; }, }
@article {pmid15922112, year = {2005}, author = {Williams, AC and Ramsden, DB}, title = {Nicotinamide homeostasis: a xenobiotic pathway that is key to development and degenerative diseases.}, journal = {Medical hypotheses}, volume = {65}, number = {2}, pages = {353-362}, doi = {10.1016/j.mehy.2005.01.042}, pmid = {15922112}, issn = {0306-9877}, mesh = {Animals ; Choline/chemistry ; Embryonic Development ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Evolution, Molecular ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Methylation ; Models, Theoretical ; Niacinamide/chemistry/*metabolism ; Parkinson Disease/*pathology ; Xenobiotics/*pharmacology ; }, abstract = {Monkeys and man are very closely related genetically. Yet intellectually there are big differences and they suffer from a broad range of different diseases. For example, monkeys do not get Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease. The former is surprising given that both get parkinsonism from MPTP poisoning and the latter initially less surprising as the cortex predominantly affected in Alzheimer's never developed as fully in the monkey. Man is an omnivore whilst other primates are predominantly herbivores. The one primate who was almost wholly carnivorous was Neanderthal man who became extinct. Red meat has a high content of Nicotinamide, Choline, and methyl donors. The enzyme NNMT converts nicotinamide to N-methyl-nicotinamide using SAM as the methyl donor. It is not present to any degree in herbivores. It has recently been shown to be present in human brain and up regulated in Parkinson's disease. Omnivores presumably need it for nicotinamide homeostasis but the production of N-methyl-nicotinamide will also be beneficial as it will reduce the export of Choline from neurones. Both will aid brain growth and development. However, as N-methyl-nicotinamide resembles MPTP it could cause parkinsonism later in life for man but not monkeys as they would be predicted not to have as much NNMT. Humans with a diet low in Nicotinamide,Choline or methyl donors early in life and low enzyme activity may be prone to Alzheimer's as their brain and therefore its reserves may never have developed as fully. The possession of NNMT plus a diet rich in Nicotinamide, Choline and methyl providers may explain many of the advantages but also the disadvantages of the human condition. One prediction is that a diet rich in these micronutrients whilst young will improve brain development and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's but that a lower dose later in life will reduce the risk of Parkinsonism. A second prediction is that it will become clear that dietary factors including vitamins are signalers and at the head of vital biochemical pathways. A time point will be reached when errors emerge that could not be deleted by evolutionary pressures. Finding and rectifying them will be the key to preventing many common diseases.}, }
@article {pmid15896823, year = {2005}, author = {Daura, J and Sanz, M and Subirá, ME and Quam, R and Fullola, JM and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {A Neandertal mandible from the Cova del Gegant (Sitges, Barcelona, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {49}, number = {1}, pages = {56-70}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.03.004}, pmid = {15896823}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {*Age Determination by Teeth ; Age Factors ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {A human mandible from the site of Cova del Gegant is described here for the first time and compared with other Middle and Upper Pleistocene representatives of the genus Homo from Europe and Southwest Asia. The specimen was recovered from sediments which also yielded Mousterian stone tools and Pleistocene fauna. The preserved morphology of the mandible, particularly in the region of the mental foramen, clearly aligns it with the Neandertals, making the Cova del Gegant the only known site in Catalonia documenting diagnostic human skeletal remains in association with Middle Paleolithic stone tools. This represents an important new addition to the human fossil record from the Iberian Peninsula and joins the Bañolas mandible in documenting the course of human evolution in the northern Mediterranean region of Spain.}, }
@article {pmid15878988, year = {2005}, author = {Beauval, C and Maureille, B and Lacrampe-Cuyaubère, F and Serre, D and Peressinotto, D and Bordes, JG and Cochard, D and Couchoud, I and Dubrasquet, D and Laroulandie, V and Lenoble, A and Mallye, JB and Pasty, S and Primault, J and Rohland, N and Pääbo, S and Trinkaus, E}, title = {A late Neandertal femur from Les Rochers-de-Villeneuve, France.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {102}, number = {20}, pages = {7085-7090}, pmid = {15878988}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; Carbon Radioisotopes ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Femur/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; France ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {In 2002, a Neandertal partial femoral diaphysis was discovered at Les Rochers-de-Villeneuve (Vienne, France). Radiocarbon dated to approximately 40,700 14C years before present, this specimen is one of the most recent Middle Paleolithic Neandertals. The diaphysis derives from an archeological level indicating alternating human and carnivore (mostly hyena) occupation of the cave, reinforcing the close proximity and probable competition of Middle Paleolithic humans with large carnivores for resources and space. Morphological aspects of the diaphysis and ancient DNA extracted from it indicate that it is aligned with the Neandertals and is distinct from early modern humans. However, its midshaft cortical bone distribution places it between other Middle Paleolithic Neandertals and the Châtelperronian Neandertal from La Roche-à-Pierrot, supporting a pattern of changing mobility patterns among late Middle Paleolithic Neandertals on the eve of modern human dispersals into Europe.}, }
@article {pmid15869783, year = {2005}, author = {Bocherens, H and Drucker, DG and Billiou, D and Patou-Mathis, M and Vandermeersch, B}, title = {Isotopic evidence for diet and subsistence pattern of the Saint-Césaire I Neanderthal: review and use of a multi-source mixing model.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {49}, number = {1}, pages = {71-87}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.03.003}, pmid = {15869783}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones/*chemistry ; Carbon Isotopes/analysis ; Collagen/chemistry ; Diet/*history ; Feeding Behavior ; Fossils ; France ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Nitrogen Isotopes/analysis ; Tooth/*chemistry ; }, abstract = {The carbon and nitrogen isotopic abundances of the collagen extracted from the Saint-Césaire I Neanderthal have been used to infer the dietary behaviour of this specimen. A review of previously published Neanderthal collagen isotopic signatures with the addition of 3 new collagen isotopic signatures from specimens from Les Pradelles allows us to compare the dietary habits of 5 Neanderthal specimens from OIS 3 and one specimen from OIS 5c. This comparison points to a trophic position as top predator in an open environment, with little variation through time and space. In addition, a comparison of the Saint-Césaire I Neanderthal with contemporaneous hyaenas has been performed using a multi-source mixing model, modified from Phillips and Gregg (2003, Oecologia 127, 171). It appears that the isotopic differences between the Neanderthal specimen and hyaenas can be accounted for by much lower amounts of reindeer and much higher amounts of woolly rhinoceros and woolly mammoth in the dietary input of the Neanderthal specimen than in that of hyaenas, with relatively similar contributions of bovinae, large deer and horse for both predators, a conclusion consistent with the zooarchaeological data. The high proportion of very large herbivores, such as woolly rhinoceros and woolly mammoth, in Neanderthal's diet compare to that of the scavenging hyaenas suggests that Neanderthals could not acquire these prey through scavenging. They probably had to hunt for proboscideans and rhinoceros. Such a prey selection could result from a long lasting dietary tradition in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid15816039, year = {2005}, author = {Wolpoff, MH and Frayer, DW}, title = {Unique ramus anatomy for Neandertals?.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {128}, number = {2}, pages = {245-251}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.10432}, pmid = {15816039}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; }, abstract = {The ramus of Neandertal mandibles is said to show a suite of uniquely Neandertal character states that demonstrate the independent course of Neandertal evolution. This is the latest of numerous attempts to define cranial and mandibular autapomorphies for Neandertals. We examine variation in the four presumably autapomorphic ramal features and show they are neither monomorhic within Neandertals (to the contrary Neandertals are at least as variable as other human samples) nor unique to Neandertals, since they regularly appear in populations predating and postdating them. Neandertals differ from other human populations, both contemporary and recent, but the question of whether this fact reflects a divergent evolutionary trajectory must be addressed by the pattern of differences. In this case, as in the other attempts to establish Neandertal autapomorphies, rather than showing restricted variation and increased specialization, the Neandertal sample shows that the range of human variation in the recent past encompasses, and in some cases exceeds, human variation today, even in the very features claimed to be autapomorphic.}, }
@article {pmid15763360, year = {2005}, author = {Borges, MH and Alves, DL and Raslan, DS and Piló-Veloso, D and Rodrigues, VM and Homsi-Brandeburgo, MI and de Lima, ME}, title = {Neutralizing properties of Musa paradisiaca L. (Musaceae) juice on phospholipase A2, myotoxic, hemorrhagic and lethal activities of crotalidae venoms.}, journal = {Journal of ethnopharmacology}, volume = {98}, number = {1-2}, pages = {21-29}, doi = {10.1016/j.jep.2004.12.014}, pmid = {15763360}, issn = {0378-8741}, mesh = {Animals ; Crotalid Venoms/*antagonists &amp; inhibitors/chemistry/toxicity ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical/methods ; Flavonoids/chemistry/pharmacology ; Fruit/chemistry/metabolism ; Hemorrhage/chemically induced/*prevention &amp; control ; Male ; Mice ; Musa/chemistry/*metabolism ; Muscle, Skeletal/*drug effects/pathology/ultrastructure ; Neurotoxins/adverse effects/antagonists &amp; inhibitors/chemistry ; Phenols/chemistry/pharmacology ; Phospholipases A/adverse effects/*drug effects ; Phospholipases A2 ; Plant Extracts/chemistry/*pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; Polyphenols ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared/methods ; Tannins/chemistry/pharmacology ; }, abstract = {The use of plants as medicine has been referred to since ancient peoples, perhaps as early as Neanderthal man. Plants are a source of many biologically active products and nowadays they are of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry. The study of how people of different culture use plants in particular ways has led to the discovery of important new medicines. In this work, we verify the possible activity of Musa paradisiaca L. (Musaceae) against the toxicity of snake venoms. Musa paradisiaca, an important source of food in the world, has also been reported to be popularly used as an anti-venom. Interaction of Musa paradisiaca extract (MsE) with snake venom proteins has been examined in this study. Phospholipase A2 (PLA2), myotoxic and hemorrhagic activities, including lethality in mice, induced by crotalidae venoms were significantly inhibited when different amounts of MsE were mixed with these venoms before assays. On the other hand, mice that received MsE and venoms without previous mixture or by separated routes were not protected against venom toxicity. Partial chemical characterization of MsE showed the presence of polyphenols and tannins and they are known to non-specifically inactivate proteins. We suggest that these compounds can be responsible for the in vitro inhibition of the toxic effects of snake venoms. In conclusion, according to our results, using mice as experimental model, MsE does not show protection against the toxic effects of snake venoms in vivo, but if was very effective when the experiments were done in vitro.}, }
@article {pmid15761833, year = {2005}, author = {Sawyer, GJ and Maley, B}, title = {Neanderthal reconstructed.}, journal = {Anatomical record. Part B, New anatomist}, volume = {283}, number = {1}, pages = {23-31}, doi = {10.1002/ar.b.20057}, pmid = {15761833}, issn = {1552-4906}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {A century and a half of controversy concerning the differences between Neanderthals (or Neandertals) and modern humans has left us with many questions and no sign of abatement. One of these remaining questions concerns the articulated structure of the Neanderthal skeleton and how it compares to that of a modern human. Although this question has been tackled many times by more artistic avenues, never has a complete, fully articulated Neanderthal skeleton been constructed systematically using castings from real Neanderthal bones. In an attempt to provide a more objective understanding of Neanderthal stature and biomechanics, a complete Neanderthal skeleton was reconstructed and articulated. This reconstruction was primarily based on the La Ferrassie 1 specimen, with missing or incomplete elements filled in from other Neanderthal cast collections.}, }
@article {pmid15748652, year = {2005}, author = {Mitchell, D and Willerslev, E and Hansen, A}, title = {Damage and repair of ancient DNA.}, journal = {Mutation research}, volume = {571}, number = {1-2}, pages = {265-276}, doi = {10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2004.06.060}, pmid = {15748652}, issn = {0027-5107}, support = {ES07784/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {DNA/chemistry/genetics ; *DNA Damage ; *DNA Repair ; Freezing ; Oxidative Stress ; }, abstract = {Under certain conditions small amounts of DNA can survive for long periods of time and can be used as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) substrates for the study of phylogenetic relationships and population genetics of extinct plants and animals, including hominids. Because of extensive DNA degradation, these studies are limited to species that lived within the past 10(4)-10(5) years (Late Pleistocene), although DNA sequences from 10(6) years have been reported. Ancient DNA (aDNA) has been used to study phylogenetic relationships of protists, fungi, algae, plants, and higher eukaryotes such as extinct horses, cave bears, the marsupial wolf, the moa, and Neanderthal. In the past few years, this technology has been extended to the study of infectious disease in ancient Egyptian and South American mummies, the dietary habits of ancient animals, and agricultural practices and population dynamics of early native Americans. Hence, ancient DNA contains information pertinent to numerous fields of study including evolution, population genetics, ecology, climatology, medicine, archeology, and behavior. The major obstacles to the study of aDNA are its extremely low yield, contamination with modern DNA, and extensive degradation. In the course of this review, we will discuss the current aDNA literature describing the importance of aDNA studies as they relate to important biological questions and the difficulties associated with extracting useful information from highly degraded and damaged substrates derived from limited sources. In addition, we will present some of our own preliminary and published data on mechanisms of DNA degradation and some speculative thoughts on strategies for repair and restoration of aDNA.}, }
@article {pmid15701529, year = {2005}, author = {Vallverdú, J and Allué, E and Bischoff, JL and Cáceres, I and Carbonell, E and Cebrià, A and García-Antón, D and Huguet, R and Ibáñez, N and Martínez, K and Pastó, I and Rosell, J and Saladié, P and Vaquero, M}, title = {Short human occupations in the Middle Palaeolithic level I of the Abric Romani rock-shelter (Capellades, Barcelona, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {48}, number = {2}, pages = {157-174}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.10.004}, pmid = {15701529}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Artifacts ; *Fossils ; Geography ; *Hominidae ; Housing ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {This paper presents a multidisciplinary study on the size of the occupied surfaces, provisioning strategies and behaviour planning at the Romani rock-shelter, using the Middle Palaeolithic record of the level i. This level is dated around 46.000 BP through U/Th ages. A behavioural interpretation is proposed, which emphasises the activities and the systemic value of the archaeological artefacts and structures. Occupation patterns are identified on the basis of the accumulations formed by human activities. These archaeological accumulations, consisting of artefacts and hearths, are easily defined visually as spatial units. The relationships between these accumulations, established by means of refitted remains, indicate that differences can be established between: 1) small and medium-sized occupation surfaces; 2) restricted and diversified provisioning strategies. This variability suggests that different modes of occupation are represented in the same archaeological level. The human activities reveal the generalization of fire technology. In almost all sizes of the occupation surfaces, the exploitation of vegetal resources near the Abric Romani marks the threshold of the restricted provisioning strategy. Limited use and fragmented knapping activities are recorded in the lithic assemblage. Faunal remains show differential transport. The exploitation of lithic, faunal and vegetal resources characterizes the diversified provisioning strategy. The small occupation surfaces and restricted provisioning strategies suggest short settlements in the Abric Romani. This shorter occupation model complements the longer diversified provisioning strategy recorded in both small and medium-sized occupied surfaces. The selection of precise elements for transport and the possible deferred consumption in the diversified provision strategy suggest an individual supply. In this respect, Neanderthal occupations in the Romani rock-shelter show a direct relation to: 1) hunting strategic resources; 2) high, linear mobility.}, }
@article {pmid15689531, year = {2005}, author = {Lalueza-Fox, C and Sampietro, ML and Caramelli, D and Puder, Y and Lari, M and Calafell, F and Martínez-Maza, C and Bastir, M and Fortea, J and de la Rasilla, M and Bertranpetit, J and Rosas, A}, title = {Neandertal evolutionary genetics: mitochondrial DNA data from the iberian peninsula.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {22}, number = {4}, pages = {1077-1081}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/msi094}, pmid = {15689531}, issn = {0737-4038}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was retrieved for the first time from a Neandertal from the Iberian Peninsula, excavated from the El Sidrón Cave (Asturias, North of Spain), and dated to ca. 43,000 years ago. The sequence suggests that Iberian Neandertals were not genetically distinct from those of other regions. An estimate of effective population size indicates that the genetic history of the Neandertals was not shaped by an extreme population bottleneck associated with the glacial maximum of 130,000 years ago. A high level of polymorphism at sequence position 16258 reflects deeply rooted mtDNA lineages, with the time to the most recent common ancestor at ca. 250,000 years ago. This coincides with the full emergence of the "classical" Neandertal morphology and fits chronologically with a proposed speciation event of Homo neanderthalensis.}, }
@article {pmid15636070, year = {2004}, author = {Vacca, E and Ciraci, R and Delfino, VP}, title = {Shape analysis of the mid-sagittal craniogram in some European middle and upper-Paleolithic adult and subadult crania.}, journal = {Collegium antropologicum}, volume = {28}, number = {1}, pages = {121-129}, pmid = {15636070}, issn = {0350-6134}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Cephalometry/*methods ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Craniology ; Discriminant Analysis ; Europe ; *Fossils ; Fourier Analysis ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Multivariate Analysis ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {In order to evaluate the lateral shape contour of the Neanderthal cranium, the mid-sagittal profiles (glabella-opisthocranion) in adult and subadult Neanderthal remains were examined and compared with those of other specimens of fossil Homo. Size normalized boundaries were digitally acquired as ordered series of coordinates; the series of the distances from the glabella opisthocranion axis, was decomposed in Fourier polynomials; the extracted amplitudes and phase angles were used as variables to carry out multivariate discriminant analysis (PCA). The first and the second components accounted for 70% of the total variance. Neanderthal and European Upper Paleolithic subadults differ from adults of their respective groups: the subadult Homo sapiens are more similar to the adult, as the element characterizing the group is constituted by a steep craniogram with a noticeable equilibrium between the anterior and posterior district. In Neanderthal subadults, the adult model seems partially delineated and the mature cranial architecture is reached trough a phase of local allometric differentiation.}, }
@article {pmid15607452, year = {2005}, author = {Skinner, AR and Blackwell, BA and Martin, S and Ortega, A and Blickstein, JI and Golovanova, LV and Doronichev, VB}, title = {ESR dating at Mezmaiskaya Cave, Russia.}, journal = {Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine}, volume = {62}, number = {2}, pages = {219-224}, doi = {10.1016/j.apradiso.2004.08.008}, pmid = {15607452}, issn = {0969-8043}, mesh = {Age Determination by Skeleton/methods ; Age Determination by Teeth/methods ; Animals ; Archaeology ; Dental Enamel/chemistry ; Dentin/chemistry ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy/*methods ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Infant ; Paleontology/*methods ; Russia ; Skeleton ; Skull/chemistry ; }, abstract = {Mezmaiskaya Cave has yielded more than 10,000 artifacts, thousands of very well preserved faunal remains, and hominin remains, found in seven Middle Paleolithic (Mousterian) and three Upper Paleolithic levels. A complete Neanderthal infant skeleton was preserved in anatomical juxtaposition lying on a large limestone block, overlain by the earliest Mousterian layer, Layer 3. Twenty-four skull fragments from a 1-2 year-old Neanderthal infant, showing post-mortem deformation, occurred in a pit originating in the Mousterian Layer 2 and penetrating into underlying layers 2A and 2B(1). Bone from Layer 2A was dated by AMS 14C at 35.8-36.3+/-0.5 kyr BP. Direct dating of Neanderthal bone from Layer 3 gave an age of 29 kyr, but that is now considered to be due to contamination by modern carbon. Fourteen large mammal teeth from Layers 2 through 3 have been dated by standard electron spin resonance (ESR). Low U concentrations in both the enamel and dentine ensure that ESR ages do not depend significantly on the U uptake model, but do depend strongly on the sedimentary dose rates. Assuming a sedimentary water concentration equal to 20 wt%, ESR ages for the Mousterian layers range from 36.2 to 73.0+/-5.0 ka.}, }
@article {pmid15571111, year = {2004}, author = {Janković, I}, title = {Neandertals...150 years later.}, journal = {Collegium antropologicum}, volume = {28 Suppl 2}, number = {}, pages = {379-401}, pmid = {15571111}, issn = {0350-6134}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology/history ; Archaeology ; *Biological Evolution ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/genetics ; Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; }, abstract = {The place of Neandertals in modern human emergence has been a subject of debate since the first recognized Neandertal skeleton was discovered in 1856. This paper presents an overview of morphological, archaeological, and genetic evidence commonly used in discussions of Neandertals and their evolutionary significance. A brief historical sketch of the argument provides insight into the changing views on these interesting people. The major models proposed to explain modern human origins are also discussed.}, }
@article {pmid15565144, year = {2004}, author = {Mellars, P}, title = {Neanderthals and the modern human colonization of Europe.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {432}, number = {7016}, pages = {461-465}, doi = {10.1038/nature03103}, pmid = {15565144}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Archaeology ; Emigration and Immigration/*history ; Europe ; Geography ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; *Population Dynamics ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {The fate of the Neanderthal populations of Europe and western Asia has gripped the popular and scientific imaginations for the past century. Following at least 200,000 years of successful adaptation to the glacial climates of northwestern Eurasia, they disappeared abruptly between 30,000 and 40,000 years ago, to be replaced by populations all but identical to modern humans. Recent research suggests that the roots of this dramatic population replacement can be traced far back to events on another continent, with the appearance of distinctively modern human remains and artefacts in eastern and southern Africa.}, }
@article {pmid15562317, year = {2004}, author = {Currat, M and Excoffier, L}, title = {Modern humans did not admix with Neanderthals during their range expansion into Europe.}, journal = {PLoS biology}, volume = {2}, number = {12}, pages = {e421}, pmid = {15562317}, issn = {1545-7885}, mesh = {Animals ; *DNA, Mitochondrial/classification ; Demography ; Emigration and Immigration ; Europe ; Female ; *Genetic Variation ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Genetic ; Models, Statistical ; Phylogeny ; *Population Dynamics ; Probability ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {The process by which the Neanderthals were replaced by modern humans between 42,000 and 30,000 before present is still intriguing. Although no Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineage is found to date among several thousands of Europeans and in seven early modern Europeans, interbreeding rates as high as 25% could not be excluded between the two subspecies. In this study, we introduce a realistic model of the range expansion of early modern humans into Europe, and of their competition and potential admixture with local Neanderthals. Under this scenario, which explicitly models the dynamics of Neanderthals' replacement, we estimate that maximum interbreeding rates between the two populations should have been smaller than 0.1%. We indeed show that the absence of Neanderthal mtDNA sequences in Europe is compatible with at most 120 admixture events between the two populations despite a likely cohabitation time of more than 12,000 y. This extremely low number strongly suggests an almost complete sterility between Neanderthal females and modern human males, implying that the two populations were probably distinct biological species.}, }
@article {pmid15558614, year = {2005}, author = {O'Connor, CF and Franciscus, RG and Holton, NE}, title = {Bite force production capability and efficiency in Neandertals and modern humans.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {127}, number = {2}, pages = {129-151}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.20025}, pmid = {15558614}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropometry ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; *Bite Force ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Humans ; *Models, Biological ; Regression Analysis ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Stomatognathic System/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; }, abstract = {Although there is consensus that Neandertal craniofacial morphology is unique in the genus Homo, debate continues regarding the precise anatomical basis for this uniqueness and the evolutionary mechanism that produced it. In recent years, biomechanical explanations have received the most attention. Some proponents of the "anterior dental loading hypothesis" (ADLH) maintain that Neandertal facial anatomy was an adaptive response to high-magnitude forces resulting from both masticatory and paramasticatory activity. However, while many have argued that Neandertal facial structure was well-adapted to dissipate heavy occlusal loads, few have considered, much less demonstrated, the ability of the Neandertal masticatory system to generate these presumably heavy loads. In fact, the Neandertal masticatory configuration has often been simultaneously interpreted as being disadvantageous for producing large bite forces. With rare exception, analyses that attempted to resolve this conflict were qualitative rather than quantitative. Using a three-dimensional digitizer, we recorded a sequence of points on the cranium and associated mandible of the Amud 1, La Chapelle-aux-Saints, and La Ferrassie 1 Neandertals, and a sample of early and recent modern humans (n = 29), including a subsample with heavy dental wear and documented paramasticatory behavior. From these points, we calculated measures of force-production capability (i.e., magnitudes of muscle force, bite force, and condylar reaction force), measures of force production efficiency (i.e., ratios of force magnitudes and muscle mechanical advantages), and a measure of overall size (i.e., the geometric mean of all linear craniofacial measurements taken). In contrast to the expectations set forth by the ADLH, the primary dichotomy in force-production capability was not between Neandertal and modern specimens, but rather between large (robust) and small (gracile) specimens overall. Our results further suggest that the masticatory system in the genus Homo scales such that a certain level of force-production efficiency is maintained across a considerable range of size and robusticity. Natural selection was probably not acting on Neandertal facial architecture in terms of peak bite force dissipation, but rather on large tooth size to better resist wear and abrasion from submaximal (but more frequent) biting and grinding forces. We conclude that masticatory biomechanical adaptation does not underlie variation in the facial skeleton of later Pleistocene Homo in general, and that continued exploration of alternative explanations for Neandertal facial architecture (e.g., climatic, respiratory, developmental, and/or stochastic mechanisms) seems warranted.}, }
@article {pmid15553265, year = {2004}, author = {Ahern, JC and Smith, FH}, title = {Adolescent archaics or adult moderns? Le Moustier 1 as a model for estimating the age at death of fragmentary supraorbital fossils in the modern human origins debate.}, journal = {Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen}, volume = {55}, number = {1-2}, pages = {1-19}, doi = {10.1016/j.jchb.2004.01.001}, pmid = {15553265}, issn = {0018-442X}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Determination by Skeleton/*methods ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical/*methods ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {This study documents and examines selected implications of the adolescent supraorbital anatomy of the Le Moustier 1 Neandertal. Le Moustier's supraorbital morphology conforms to that expected of an adolescent Neandertal but indicates that significant development of the adult Neandertal torus occurs late in ontogeny. As the best preserved adolescent from the Late Pleistocene, Le Moustier 1's anatomy is used to help distinguish adolescent from adult anatomy in two cases of fragmentary supraorbital fossils, the Vindija late Neandertals and KRM 16425 from Klasies River Mouth (South Africa). It has been suggested that the modern-like aspects of the Vindija and Klasies supraorbital fossils are a function of developmental age rather than evolution. Although Le Moustier 1's anatomy does indicate that two of the Vindija fossils are adolescent; these two fossils have already been excluded from studies that demonstrate transitional aspects of the Vindija adult supraorbitals. Results of an analysis of KRM 16425 in light of Le Moustier 1 are more ambiguous. KRM 16425 is clearly not a Neandertal, but its morphology suggests that it may be an adolescent form of such late archaic Africans like Florisbad or Ngaloba. Both the Vindija and Klasies River Mouth cases highlight the need to be wary of confusing adolescent anatomy with modernity.}, }
@article {pmid15459361, year = {2004}, author = {Balter, M}, title = {Paleoanthropology. Dressed for success: Neandertal culture wins respect.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {306}, number = {5693}, pages = {40-41}, doi = {10.1126/science.306.5693.40}, pmid = {15459361}, issn = {1095-9203}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology ; Body Constitution ; Clothing ; Cold Climate ; *Culture ; Europe ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; Thermogenesis ; }, }
@article {pmid15454333, year = {2004}, author = {Williams, FL and Krovitz, GE}, title = {Ontogenetic migration of the mental foramen in Neandertals and modern humans.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {47}, number = {4}, pages = {199-219}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.06.006}, pmid = {15454333}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adult ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; Classification ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Since the nineteenth century, researchers have noted that Neandertal and modern human adults differ in mental foramen position, although the ontogenetic changes in the position of this feature have only recently come under the scrutiny of paleoanthropologists. Research on mental foramen position has focused on whether this feature is inferior to a particular tooth. However, tooth position may not be a reliable indicator of mental foramen position because of variability in tooth size within and between taxa and during eruption events. As opposed to observing the mental foramen with respect to the postcanine teeth, we examined linear distances from the mental foramen to other mandibular landmarks. Modern human adults may appear truncated, or paedomorphic, in mental foramen position with respect to Neandertal adults. However, infants of the two taxa differ substantially in anterior mandibular form. The initial differences in the shape of the mental region may be related to the embryological position of the mental foramen in modern humans and its role in the development of the mental trigone. The shape changes that accrue thereafter, possibly from faster mandibular growth rates in Neandertals, further distinguish the adults from one another. Although mandibular shape differences exist from early infancy onwards, adults of the two taxa are broadly similar in bi-mental foramen breadth with respect to mandibular size. For this reason, qualitative assessments of mental foramen position may provide less taxonomic information than previously thought.}, }
@article {pmid15386225, year = {2005}, author = {Bailey, SE and Lynch, JM}, title = {Diagnostic differences in mandibular P4 shape between Neandertals and anatomically modern humans.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {126}, number = {3}, pages = {268-277}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.20037}, pmid = {15386225}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Discriminant Analysis ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Humans ; Mandible ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Phylogeny ; Principal Component Analysis ; Tooth Crown/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {This study uses elliptical Fourier analysis to quantify shape differences observed in the P(4) crown of Neandertals and anatomically modern humans. Previously, P(4) shape was assessed qualitatively, and results suggested marked differences between Neandertals and anatomically modern humans (Bailey [2002] New Anat. 269:148-156). The goal of this study was to investigate the P(4) shape in more detail, quantifying it in order to determine its utility for taxonomic classification and phylogenetic analysis. A comparison of mean shapes confirms that the mesiolingual portion of the P(4) is truncated in Neandertals, and that this produces a distinctively asymmetrical P(4). A randomization test confirms that the shape difference between Neandertals and anatomically modern humans is significant. Principal component and discriminant function analyses indicate that the relative size of the lingual portion of the tooth also affects tooth shape, with the lingual portion of the Neandertal P(4) being narrower than that of anatomically modern humans. Classification of P(4) crown shapes using discriminant functions analysis is far from perfect. While 86.4% of the teeth were correctly classified, classification was much better for anatomically modern humans (98.1%) than it was for Neandertals (65%). Fortunately, crown shape is but one of several diagnostic characters of the P(4) crown. P(4) crown asymmetry can be added to the growing list of dental morphological characters distinguishing Neandertals from anatomically modern humans. Moreover, based on a comparison of mean tooth shapes in fossil and recent humans, symmetry, rather than asymmetry, appears to be the primitive state, and the high frequency of P(4) asymmetry is likely derived in Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid15337415, year = {2004}, author = {Bailey, SE}, title = {A morphometric analysis of maxillary molar crowns of Middle-Late Pleistocene hominins.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {47}, number = {3}, pages = {183-198}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.07.001}, pmid = {15337415}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Multivariate Analysis ; Paleodontology ; Photography/methods ; }, abstract = {This study explores the significance of shape differences in the maxillary first molar crowns of Neandertals and anatomically modern humans. It uses morphometric analysis to quantify these differences and to investigate how the orientation of major cusps, relative cusp base areas and occlusal polygon area influence crown shape. The aims of this study were to 1) quantify these data to test whether the tooth shapes of Neandertals and anatomically modern humans differ significantly and 2) to explore if either of the shapes is derived relative to earlier fossil hominins. Data were collected from digital occlusal photographs using image-processing software. Cusp angles, relative cusp base areas and occlusal polygon areas were measured on Neandertals (n=15), contemporary modern humans (n=62), Upper Paleolithic humans (n=6), early anatomically modern humans (n=3) and Homo erectus (n=3). Univariate and multivariate statistical tests were used to evaluate the differences between contemporary modern humans and Neandertals, while the much sparser data sets from the other fossil samples were included primarily for comparison. Statistically significant differences reflecting overall crown shape and internal placement of the crown apices were found. Neandertals are distinguished from contemporary humans by possessing maxillary first molars that 1) are markedly skewed; 2) possess a narrower distal segment of the occlusal polygon compared to the mesial segment; 3) possess a significantly smaller metacone and a significantly larger hypocone; and 4) possess a significantly smaller relative occlusal polygon area reflecting internally placed cusps. Differences in relative cusp base areas of the hypocone and metacone may contribute to the shape differences observed in Neandertals. However, early anatomically modern humans possessing a pattern of relative cusp base areas similar to Neandertals lack their unusual shape. That the morphology observed in non-Neandertal fossil hominins is more anatomically modern human-like than Neandertal-like, suggests that this distinctive morphology may be derived in Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid15288524, year = {2004}, author = {Guatelli-Steinberg, D and Larsen, CS and Hutchinson, DL}, title = {Prevalence and the duration of linear enamel hypoplasia: a comparative study of Neandertals and Inuit foragers.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {47}, number = {1-2}, pages = {65-84}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.05.004}, pmid = {15288524}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Alaska ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Archaeology ; Dental Enamel Hypoplasia/*epidemiology/*history/pathology ; *Diet ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae ; Humans ; *Inuit ; Tooth/growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {As a dental indicator of generalized physiological stress, enamel hypoplasia has been the subject of several Neandertal studies. While previous studies generally have found high frequencies of enamel hypoplasia in Neandertals, the significance of this finding varies with frequencies of enamel hypoplasia in comparative samples. The present investigation was undertaken to ascertain if the enamel hypoplasia evidence in Neandertals suggests a high level of physiological stress relative to a modern human foraging group, represented here by an archaeological sample of Inuit from Point Hope, Alaska. Unlike previous studies, this study focused specifically on linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH), emphasizing systemic over localized causes of this defect by considering LEH to be present in an individual only if LEH defects occur on two anterior teeth with overlapping crown formation periods. Moreover, this study is the first to evaluate the average growth disruption duration represented by these defects in Neandertals and a comparative foraging group. In the prevalence analysis, 7/18 Neandertal individuals (from Krapina and southern France) and 21/56 Neandertal anterior teeth were affected by LEH, or 38.9% and 37.5% respectively. These values do not differ significantly from those of the Inuit sample in which 8/21, or 38.1% of individuals, and 32/111, or 28.8% of anterior teeth were affected. For the growth disruption duration analysis, 22 defects representing separate episodes of growth disruption in Neandertals were compared with 22 defects in the Inuit group using three indicators of duration: the number of perikymata (growth increments) in the occlusal walls of LEH defects, the total number of perikymata within them, and defect width. Only one indicator, the total number of perikymata within defects, differed significantly between the Inuit and Neandertal groups (an average of 13.4 vs. 7.3 perikymata), suggesting that if there is any difference between them, the Inuit defects may actually represent longer growth disruptions than the Neandertal defects. Thus, while stress indicators other than linear enamel hypoplasia may eventually show that Neandertal populations were more stressed than those of modern foragers, the evidence from linear enamel hypoplasia does not lend support to this idea.}, }
@article {pmid15285613, year = {2004}, author = {Maliarchuk, BA}, title = {[Similarity of mutation spectra of the mitochondrial DNA hypervariable segment 1 in Homo and Pan species].}, journal = {Molekuliarnaia biologiia}, volume = {38}, number = {3}, pages = {442-448}, pmid = {15285613}, issn = {0026-8984}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Mutation ; Pan troglodytes/*genetics ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; }, abstract = {The mutation spectrum of mtDNA hypervariable segment 1 (HVS1) was compared for east chimpanzee Pan troglodytes schweigfurthi and human. The two HVS1 had much the same nucleotide composition, and their mutation spectra were similar in major characteristics (substantial prevalence of transitions over transversions, pyrimidine transitions over purine ones, and C --> T over T --> C). DNA strand displacement (dislocation) during replication was identified as a major mechanism of context-dependent mutagenesis in human and chimpanzee mtDNAs. Nucleotide positions with mutations fitting the model of dislocation mutagenesis accounted for 21% of all variable positions in the chimpanzee HVS1. Variable motifs proved to be similar in the chimpanzee and human HVS1. Comparison of the Neanderthal and modern human HVS1 nucleotide sequences showed that most variable nucleotides are in DNA sites allowing context-dependent mutagenesis.}, }
@article {pmid15211991, year = {2004}, author = {Boulinier, G}, title = {[Arthur Keith and the first settlement of human being in Malta. Two subversive teeth].}, journal = {Histoire des sciences medicales}, volume = {38}, number = {1}, pages = {37-48}, pmid = {15211991}, issn = {0440-8888}, mesh = {History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; History, Ancient ; Malta ; Paleopathology/*history ; *Tooth ; United Kingdom ; }, abstract = {The paper aims to give historical example of errors to which the examination of two fragmentary - and probably pathological - fossil remains can lead in the field of human palaeontology. In 1917, two very special human molars with a wide extension of their pulp cavity and fused fang were found in Neolothic excavations in Malta. As he had observed such a dental morphology of Neanderthal man in Jersey Arthur Keith (1866-1955) called that taurodontism and claimed it was a characteristic between Malta and the Italian coast he asserted that Neanderthat Man had lived in Malta. The theory has never been corroborated and taurodontism is not so characteristic as supposed by Keith. Furthermore it might be an individual pathological feature. Up to now there is no proof of human beings in Malta before about 5,000 BC.}, }
@article {pmid15182692, year = {2004}, author = {Cooper, A and Drummond, AJ and Willerslev, E}, title = {Ancient DNA: would the real Neandertal please stand up?.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {14}, number = {11}, pages = {R431-3}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2004.05.037}, pmid = {15182692}, issn = {0960-9822}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Models, Genetic ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Mitochondrial DNA sequences recovered from eight Neandertal specimens cannot be detected in either early fossil Europeans or in modern populations. This indicates that, if Neandertals made any genetic contribution at all to modern humans, it must have been limited, though the extent of the contribution cannot be resolved at present.}, }
@article {pmid15118713, year = {2004}, author = {Kelley, J}, title = {Palaeoanthropology: Neanderthal teeth lined up.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {428}, number = {6986}, pages = {904-905}, doi = {10.1038/428904b}, pmid = {15118713}, issn = {1476-4687}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Brain/anatomy &amp; histology ; Dental Enamel/anatomy &amp; histology/*growth &amp; development ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*classification/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Sexual Maturation ; Time Factors ; }, }
@article {pmid15085545, year = {2004}, author = {Trinkaus, E}, title = {Eyasi 1 and the suprainiac fossa.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {124}, number = {1}, pages = {28-32}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.10336}, pmid = {15085545}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {A reexamination of Eyasi 1, a later Middle Pleistocene east African neurocranium, reveals the presence of a suite of midoccipital features, including a modest nuchal torus that is limited to the middle half of the bone, the absence of an external occipital protuberance, and a distinct transversely oval suprainiac fossa. These features, and especially the suprainiac fossa, were considered to be uniquely derived for the European and western Asian Neandertals. These observations therefore indicate that these features are not limited to Neandertal lineage specimens, and should be assessed in terms of frequency distributions among later archaic humans.}, }
@article {pmid15066380, year = {2004}, author = {Wynn, T and Coolidge, FL}, title = {The expert Neandertal mind.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {46}, number = {4}, pages = {467-487}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.01.005}, pmid = {15066380}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology ; Archaeology ; *Cognition ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Memory ; Personality ; Problem Solving ; }, abstract = {Cognitive neuropsychology, cognitive anthropology, and cognitive archaeology are combined to yield a picture of Neandertal cognition in which expert performance via long-term working memory is the centerpiece of problem solving. This component of Neandertal cognition appears to have been modern in scope. However, Neandertals' working memory capacity, which is the ability to hold a variety of information in active attention, may not have been as large as that of modern humans. This characteristic helps us understand features of the archaeological record, such as the rarity of innovation, and allows us to make empirically based speculations about Neandertal personality.}, }
@article {pmid15024415, year = {2004}, author = {Serre, D and Langaney, A and Chech, M and Teschler-Nicola, M and Paunovic, M and Mennecier, P and Hofreiter, M and Possnert, G and Pääbo, S}, title = {No evidence of Neandertal mtDNA contribution to early modern humans.}, journal = {PLoS biology}, volume = {2}, number = {3}, pages = {E57}, pmid = {15024415}, issn = {1545-7885}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Base Sequence ; DNA/metabolism ; DNA Primers/chemistry ; *DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genetics, Population ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Models, Statistical ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Paleontology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {The retrieval of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from four Neandertal fossils from Germany, Russia, and Croatia has demonstrated that these individuals carried closely related mtDNAs that are not found among current humans. However, these results do not definitively resolve the question of a possible Neandertal contribution to the gene pool of modern humans since such a contribution might have been erased by genetic drift or by the continuous influx of modern human DNA into the Neandertal gene pool. A further concern is that if some Neandertals carried mtDNA sequences similar to contemporaneous humans, such sequences may be erroneously regarded as modern contaminations when retrieved from fossils. Here we address these issues by the analysis of 24 Neandertal and 40 early modern human remains. The biomolecular preservation of four Neandertals and of five early modern humans was good enough to suggest the preservation of DNA. All four Neandertals yielded mtDNA sequences similar to those previously determined from Neandertal individuals, whereas none of the five early modern humans contained such mtDNA sequences. In combination with current mtDNA data, this excludes any large genetic contribution by Neandertals to early modern humans, but does not rule out the possibility of a smaller contribution.}, }
@article {pmid15014140, year = {2004}, author = {Pusch, CM and Bachmann, L}, title = {Spiking of contemporary human template DNA with ancient DNA extracts induces mutations under PCR and generates nonauthentic mitochondrial sequences.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {21}, number = {5}, pages = {957-964}, doi = {10.1093/molbev/msh107}, pmid = {15014140}, issn = {0737-4038}, mesh = {Base Sequence ; Biological Evolution ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA/genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis/*methods ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; *Mutation ; Plasmids/metabolism ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {Proof of authenticity is the greatest challenge in palaeogenetic research, and many safeguards have become standard routine in laboratories specialized on ancient DNA research. Here we describe an as-yet unknown source of artifacts that will require special attention in the future. We show that ancient DNA extracts on their own can have an inhibitory and mutagenic effect under PCR. We have spiked PCR reactions including known human test DNA with 14 selected ancient DNA extracts from human and nonhuman sources. We find that the ancient DNA extracts inhibit the amplification of large fragments to different degrees, suggesting that the usual control against contaminations, i.e., the absence of long amplifiable fragments, is not sufficient. But even more important, we find that the extracts induce mutations in a nonrandom fashion. We have amplified a 148-bp stretch of the mitochondrial HVRI from contemporary human template DNA in spiked PCR reactions. Subsequent analysis of 547 sequences from cloned amplicons revealed that the vast majority (76.97%) differed from the correct sequence by single nucleotide substitutions and/or indels. In total, 34 positions of a 103-bp alignment are affected, and most mutations occur repeatedly in independent PCR amplifications. Several of the induced mutations occur at positions that have previously been detected in studies of ancient hominid sequences, including the Neandertal sequences. Our data imply that PCR-induced mutations are likely to be an intrinsic and general problem of PCR amplifications of ancient templates. Therefore, ancient DNA sequences should be considered with caution, at least as long as the molecular basis for the extract-induced mutations is not understood.}, }
@article {pmid14745010, year = {2004}, author = {Harvati, K and Frost, SR and McNulty, KP}, title = {Neanderthal taxonomy reconsidered: implications of 3D primate models of intra- and interspecific differences.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {101}, number = {5}, pages = {1147-1152}, pmid = {14745010}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; Ecology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Paleontology ; Phylogeny ; Primates/*classification ; }, abstract = {The taxonomic status of Neanderthals lies at the center of the modern human origins debate. Proponents of the single-origin model often view this group as a distinct species with little or no contribution to the evolution of modern humans. Adherents to the regional continuity model consider Neanderthals a subspecies or population of Homo sapiens, which contributed significantly to the evolution of early modern Europeans. Paleontologists generally agree that fossil species should be equivalent to extant ones in the amount of their morphological variation. Recognition of fossil species therefore hinges on analogy to living species. A previous study by one of the authors and recent work by other researchers [Schillachi, M. A. &amp; Froelich, J. W. (2001) Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 115, 157-166] have supported specific status for Neanderthals based on analogy to chimpanzees and Sulawesi macaques, respectively. However, these taxa may not be the most appropriate models for Pleistocene humans. Here we test the hypothesis that Neanderthals represent a subspecies of H. sapiens by comparing the degree of their morphological differentiation from modern humans to that found within and between 12 species of extant primates. The model taxa comprised >1,000 specimens, including phylogenetic (modern humans and African apes) and ecological (eight papionin taxa) models for Pleistocene humans. Morphological distances between model taxon pairs were compared to the distances between Neanderthals and modern humans obtained by using a randomization technique. Results strongly support a specific distinction for Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid14698684, year = {2004}, author = {Ahern, JC and Karavanić, I and Paunović, M and Janković, I and Smith, FH}, title = {New discoveries and interpretations of hominid fossils and artifacts from Vindija Cave, Croatia.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {46}, number = {1}, pages = {27-67}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2003.09.010}, pmid = {14698684}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology, Cultural ; Anthropology, Physical ; Bone and Bones ; Croatia ; Cultural Characteristics ; Decision Making ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Manufactured Materials ; }, abstract = {Beginning with excavations during the 1970s, Vindija Cave (Croatia) has yielded significant Middle and Upper Paleolithic fossil and archaeological finds. We report on seven recently identified hominid fossils, a newly associated partial hominid cranial vault from level G(3), nine possible bone retouchers, and a revised interpretation of the Mousterian artifact assemblage from the site. This new information reinforces our knowledge of the complex biocultural phenomena revealed in unit G and earlier deposits at Vindija. Six of the new hominid fossils derive from stratigraphic units G and I, while one lacks exact provenience. All specimens preserving diagnostic anatomy are from Neandertals. One of the postcranial remains, a radius fragment which exhibits Neandertal-like anatomy, comes from level G(1)and is congruent with the previously established association of Neandertals with an early Upper Paleolithic industry at the site. The partial cranial vault represents the most complete Neandertal from Vindija. The possible retouchers derive from unit G. Our analysis of these artifacts suggests that both percussion and pressure techniques may have been used by Neandertals in the final stage of tool production (retouching). This paper also presents a revision of the artifact analysis for late Mousterian level G(3). We separated raw materials into two main groups due to the differing ways that the materials fracture and the differing morphology of the debitage. The use of raw material in level G(3)is different from earlier Middle Paleolithic levels at Vindija. This indicates that the G(3)late Neandertals were making choices regarding source material somewhat more like the Upper Paleolithic people at the site. When interpreted within a larger regional framework, the Vindija archaeological and hominid fossil remains demonstrate a complex, mosaic pattern of biocultural change in the Late Pleistocene of south-central Europe.}, }
@article {pmid14673084, year = {2003}, author = {Bruner, E and Manzi, G and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Encephalization and allometric trajectories in the genus Homo: evidence from the Neandertal and modern lineages.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {100}, number = {26}, pages = {15335-15340}, pmid = {14673084}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Brain/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Geography ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Paleontology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; User-Computer Interface ; }, abstract = {The term "encephalization" is commonly used to describe an enlargement in brain size, considered as either absolute endocranial volumes or relative values in relation to body size. It is widely recognized that a considerable endocranial expansion occurred throughout the evolution of the genus Homo. This article aims to evaluate whether this phenomenon was the outcome of distinct evolutionary lineages, reaching similar brain expansions but through different trajectories. Endocranial morphology was studied in a sample of fossil hominines by multivariate approaches using both traditional metrics and geometric morphometrics. The analysis was focused on the transition from a generalized archaic pattern within the genus Homo to the modern morphology and compared with changes that occurred along the Neandertal lineage. The main result was the identification of two different evolutionary trajectories, in which a similar expansion in endocranial size has been reached by different changes in shape. Along the Neandertal lineage we observed maintenance of an "archaic" endocranial model, in which a large amount of variability is based on a single allometric trend. By contrast, when modern endocasts were compared with nonmodern ones, we found important differences apparently led by a parietal expansion. In this light, the origin of our species may have represented the opportunity to surpass the constraints imposed on encephalization by the ontogenetic pattern shared by nonmodern Homo representatives.}, }
@article {pmid14643674, year = {2003}, author = {Harvati, K and Panagopoulou, E and Karkanas, P}, title = {First Neanderthal remains from Greece: the evidence from Lakonis.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {45}, number = {6}, pages = {465-473}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhevol.2003.09.005}, pmid = {14643674}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Greece ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Molar/anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; }, }
@article {pmid14580590, year = {2003}, author = {Smith, CI and Chamberlain, AT and Riley, MS and Stringer, C and Collins, MJ}, title = {The thermal history of human fossils and the likelihood of successful DNA amplification.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {45}, number = {3}, pages = {203-217}, doi = {10.1016/s0047-2484(03)00106-4}, pmid = {14580590}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Australia ; *Climate ; Europe ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; *Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; Survival ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Recent success in the amplification of ancient DNA (aDNA) from fossil humans has led to calls for further tests to be carried out on similar material. However, there has been little systematic research on the survival of DNA in the fossil record, even though the environment of the fossil is known to be of paramount importance for the survival of biomolecules over archaeological and geological timescales. A better understanding of aDNA survival would enable research to focus on material with greater chances of successful amplification, thus preventing the unnecessary loss of material and valuable researcher time. We argue that the thermal history of a fossil is a key parameter for the survival of biomolecules. The thermal history of a number of northwest European Neanderthal cave sites is reconstructed here and they are ranked in terms of the relative likelihood of aDNA survival at the sites, under the assumption that DNA depurination is the principal mechanism of degradation. The claims of aDNA amplification from material found at Lake Mungo, Australia, are also considered in the light of the thermal history of this site.}, }
@article {pmid14564026, year = {2001}, author = {Zietkiewicz, E}, title = {Modern human origins and prehistoric demography of Europe in light of the present-day genetic diversity.}, journal = {Journal of applied genetics}, volume = {42}, number = {4}, pages = {509-530}, pmid = {14564026}, issn = {1234-1983}, abstract = {Dynamic advance in DNA sequencing methods and progress in formal population genetics analyses made it possible to infer aspects of human evolution from the DNA diversity distribution and frequency in contemporary populations. While providing some general background concerning the origins of modern human, this paper focuses on the dynamics of prehistoric population in Europe. The relevance of the present-day genetic diversity studies in elucidating prehistoric events is presented in the context of archeological and paleoanthropological evidence. The questions of the Neanderthal admixture as well as of the relative contribution of different waves of prehistoric migrations to the gene pool of modern Europeans are discussed.}, }
@article {pmid14527631, year = {2003}, author = {Bogin, B and Rios, L}, title = {Rapid morphological change in living humans: implications for modern human origins.}, journal = {Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular &amp; integrative physiology}, volume = {136}, number = {1}, pages = {71-84}, doi = {10.1016/s1095-6433(02)00294-5}, pmid = {14527631}, issn = {1095-6433}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Body Constitution/*ethnology ; Child ; Growth/*physiology ; Hominidae/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Human body size and body proportions are interpreted as markers of ethnicity, 'race,' adaptation to temperature, nutritional history and socioeconomic status. Some studies emphasize only one of these indicators and other studies consider combinations of indicators. To better understand the biocultural nature of human size and proportions a new study of the growth of Maya-American youngsters was undertaken in 1999 and 2000. One purpose of this research is to assess changes in body proportion between Maya growing up in the US and Maya growing up in Guatemala. Height and sitting height of 6-12-year-old boys and girls (n=360) were measured and the sitting height ratio [sitting height/height]x100, a measure of proportion, was calculated. These data are compared with a sample of Maya of the same ages living in Guatemala and measured in 1998 (n=1297). Maya-American children are currently 10.24 cm taller, on average, and have a significantly lower sitting height ratio, (i.e. relatively longer legs, averaging 7.02 cm longer) than the Guatemala Maya. Maya-American children have body proportions more like those of white children in the US than like Maya children in Guatemala. Improvements in the environment for growth, in terms of nutrition and health, seem to explain both the trends in greater stature and relatively longer legs for the Maya-Americans. These findings are applied to the problem of modern human origins as assessed from fossil skeletons. It has been proposed that heat adapted, relatively long-legged Homo sapiens from Africa replaced the cold adapted, relatively short-legged Homo neandertalensis of the Levant and Europe [J Hum Evol 32 (1997a) 423]. Skeletal samples of Maya adults from rural Guatemala have body proportions similar to adult Neandertals and to skeletal samples from Europe with evidence of nutritional and disease stress. Just as nutrition and health status explains the differences in the body proportions of living Maya children, these factors, along with adaptation to climate, may also explain much of the differences between the Neandertal and African hominid samples.}, }
@article {pmid14504393, year = {2003}, author = {Trinkaus, E and Moldovan, O and Milota, S and Bîlgăr, A and Sarcina, L and Athreya, S and Bailey, SE and Rodrigo, R and Mircea, G and Higham, T and Ramsey, CB and van der Plicht, J}, title = {An early modern human from the Peştera cu Oase, Romania.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {100}, number = {20}, pages = {11231-11236}, pmid = {14504393}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {*Anthropology ; *Fossils ; Humans ; *Jaw ; Romania ; }, abstract = {The 2002 discovery of a robust modern human mandible in the Peştera cu Oase, southwestern Romania, provides evidence of early modern humans in the lower Danubian Corridor. Directly accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (14C)-dated to 34,000-36,000 14C years B.P., the Oase 1 mandible is the oldest definite early modern human specimen in Europe and provides perspectives on the emergence and evolution of early modern humans in the northwestern Old World. The moderately long Oase 1 mandible exhibits a prominent tuber symphyseos and overall proportions that place it close to earlier Upper Paleolithic European specimens. Its symmetrical mandibular incisure, medially placed condyle, small superior medial pterygoid tubercle, mesial mental foramen, and narrow corpus place it closer to early modern humans among Late Pleistocene humans. However, its cross-sectional symphyseal orientation is intermediate between late archaic and early modern humans, the ramus is exceptionally wide, and the molars become progressively larger distally with exceptionally large third molars. The molar crowns lack derived Neandertal features but are otherwise morphologically undiagnostic. However, it has unilateral mandibular foramen lingular bridging, an apparently derived Neandertal feature. It therefore presents a mosaic of archaic, early modern human and possibly Neandertal morphological features, emphasizing both the complex population dynamics of modern human dispersal into Europe and the subsequent morphological evolution of European early modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid12953177, year = {2003}, author = {Martinón-Torres, M}, title = {Quantifying trabecular orientation in the pelvic cancellous bone of modern humans, chimpanzees, and the Kebara 2 Neanderthal.}, journal = {American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council}, volume = {15}, number = {5}, pages = {647-661}, doi = {10.1002/ajhb.10197}, pmid = {12953177}, issn = {1042-0533}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Female ; Gait ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Human Development ; Humans ; Male ; *Pan troglodytes ; Pelvic Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Radiography ; }, abstract = {The adaptive nature of bone lies in its ability to respond to the environment by conforming and reshaping itself constantly to accommodate life-time stresses experienced throughout daily activities. In order to keep strains within the bone as uniform and isotropic as possible, the trabecular orientation is determined by forces acting on the bone through adaptive remodeling. Hence, the preserved structure of bones may contain direct information about the forces they may have undergone. Some authors (Correnti [1952], Atti Acc Naz Lincei 12:518-523, [1955] Riv Antrop 42:289-336; Macchiarelli et al. [1999] J Hum Evol 36:211-232, [2001] Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press) have described in detail the trabecular systems of the hip bone in different primate species and have identified a gait-related system above the acetabulum with substantial differences across species (Macchiarelli et al. [1999]; Rook et al. [1999] Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96:8875-8879). The aim of this study was to quantify trabecular orientation above the acetabulum to test the hypothesis that hominoid biomechanical behavior is recorded in the cancellous bone. The pelvic bones of 23 archaeological adult modern humans (12 females, 11 males), 20 adult Pan troglodytes (10 females, 10 males), and one adult male Neanderthal were radiographed and digitized. Fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) of the regions of interest in the corpus of the ilium were performed, with the angular distribution of the trabeculae quantified. All species displayed a constant and periodic orthogonal arrangement in the trabeculae with differences in the pattern of dominance between the arcades oriented along the 0 degrees or the 90 degrees axes. The variation in the FFT spectrum between species is discussed in the light of distinctive biomechanical features.}, }
@article {pmid12890447, year = {2003}, author = {DeGusta, D}, title = {Aubesier 11 is not evidence of Neanderthal conspecific care.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {45}, number = {1}, pages = {91-94}, doi = {10.1016/s0047-2484(03)00084-8}, pmid = {12890447}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; DMF Index ; Dentition, Permanent ; Family Relations ; Food Preferences ; *Fossils ; France ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Mandible/*pathology ; Paleontology ; Tooth Diseases/*pathology ; Tooth Loss/pathology ; }, }
@article {pmid12815095, year = {2003}, author = {Trinkaus, E}, title = {Neandertal faces were not long; modern human faces are short.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {100}, number = {14}, pages = {8142-8145}, pmid = {12815095}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Cephalometry ; *Craniology ; Face/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Racial Groups ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Neandertal faces have been described as being derived with respect to their overall length or degree of anterior projection. A comparison of cranial and mandibular indicators of lower facial projection across archaic and modern Homo indicates that Neandertal facial lengths on average are similar to those of preceding archaic Homo and principally contrast with those of recent humans. Neandertal facial length is not derived. The shortness of recent human facial skeletons is the evolutionarily derived condition.}, }
@article {pmid12799160, year = {2003}, author = {Franciscus, RG}, title = {Internal nasal floor configuration in Homo with special reference to the evolution of Neandertal facial form.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {44}, number = {6}, pages = {701-729}, doi = {10.1016/s0047-2484(03)00062-9}, pmid = {12799160}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; *Climate ; Face/anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Male ; Nasal Cavity/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Respiration ; }, abstract = {The presence of a steeply sloping or depressed nasal floor within the nasal cavity of Neandertals is frequently mentioned as a likely specialization or autapomorphy. The depressed nasal floor has also been seen as contributing to a relatively more capacious nasal cavity in Neandertals, which is tied to cold-climate respiratory adaptation and energetics. These observations have been limited largely to a relatively few intact crania, and the character states associated with this trait have not been as precisely codified or analyzed as those published for Plio-Pleistocene hominins (McCollum et al., 1993, J. Hum. Evol. 24, 87; McCollum, 2000, Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 112, 275). This study examines the internal nasal floor topography in complete crania and isolated maxillae in European, west Asian, and African fossil Homo (n=158) including 25 Neandertals, and a wide range of recent humans from Europe, the Near East, and Africa (n=522). The configuration of the internal nasal floor relative to the nasal cavity entrance is codified as: 1) level, forming a smooth continuous plane; 2) sloped or mildly stepped; or 3) bilevel with a pronounced vertical depression. The frequency of these nasal floor configurations, and their relationship to both nasal margin cresting patterning and a comprehensive set of nasofacial metrics is examined. Neandertals show a high frequency of the bilevel (depressed) configuration in both adults and subadults (80%), but this configuration is also present in lower frequencies in Middle Pleistocene African, Late Pleistocene non-Neandertal (Skhul, Qafzeh), and European Later Upper Paleolithic samples (15%-50%). The bilevel configuration is also present in lower frequencies (ca. 10%) in all recent human samples, but attains nearly 20% in some sub-Saharan African samples. Across extinct and extant Homo (excluding Neandertals), internal nasal floor configuration is not associated with piriform aperture nasal margin patterning, but the two are strongly linked in Neandertals. Variation in internal nasal floor configuration in recent humans is primarily associated with internal nasal fossa breadth and nasal bridge elevation, whereas in fossil hominins, it is associated primarily with variation in facial height. Cold-climate and activity-related thermal adaptation as an explanation for the high frequency of pronounced nasal floor depression in Neandertals is inconsistent with all available data. Alternatively, variation in internal nasal floor configuration is more likely related to stochastically derived populational differences in fetal nasofacial growth patterns that do not sharply differentiate genus Homo taxa (i.e., cladistically), but do phenetically differentiate groups, in particular the Neandertals, especially when considered in combination with other nasofacial features.}, }
@article {pmid12765622, year = {2003}, author = {Knight, A}, title = {The phylogenetic relationship of Neandertal and modern human mitochondrial DNAs based on informative nucleotide sites.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {44}, number = {5}, pages = {627-632}, doi = {10.1016/s0047-2484(03)00044-7}, pmid = {12765622}, issn = {0047-2484}, support = {GM28428/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Complementarity Determining Regions/genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Databases, Factual ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Mutation/genetics ; Nucleotide Mapping/*methods ; *Phylogeny ; }, }
@article {pmid12761384, year = {2003}, author = {Weaver, TD}, title = {The shape of the Neandertal femur is primarily the consequence of a hyperpolar body form.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {100}, number = {12}, pages = {6926-6929}, pmid = {12761384}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Body Constitution ; Climate ; Femur/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; *Fossils ; Hip Joint/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Humans ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Neandertal femora are distinct from contemporaneous near-modern human femora. Traditionally, these contrasts in femoral shape have been explained as the result of the elevated activity levels and limited cultural abilities of Neandertals. More recently, however, researchers have realized that many of these femoral differences may be explained by the cold-adapted bodies of Neandertals vs. the warm-adapted bodies of near-modern humans. This study explicitly tests this proposed link between climate-induced body proportions and femoral shape by considering the entire hip as a unit by using geometric morphometric methods adapted to deal with articulated structures. Based on recent human patterns of variation, most contrasts in shape between the femora of Neandertals and near-modern humans seem to be secondary consequences of differences in climate-induced body proportions. These results, considered in light of hip mechanics during growth, highlight the importance of developmental and functional integration in determining skeletal form.}, }
@article {pmid12727465, year = {2003}, author = {Pérez-Pérez, A and Espurz, V and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and de Lumley, MA and Turbón, D}, title = {Non-occlusal dental microwear variability in a sample of Middle and Late Pleistocene human populations from Europe and the Near East.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {44}, number = {4}, pages = {497-513}, doi = {10.1016/s0047-2484(03)00030-7}, pmid = {12727465}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Climate ; Dental Enamel/ultrastructure ; Europe ; Feeding Behavior ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Middle East ; Paleodontology/*methods ; Postmortem Changes ; Reference Values ; Tooth/*ultrastructure ; Tooth Attrition/*pathology ; }, abstract = {Non-occlusal, buccal tooth microwear variability has been studied in 68 fossil humans from Europe and the Near East. The microwear patterns observed suggest that a major shift in human dietary habits and food processing techniques might have taken place in the transition from the Middle to the Late Pleistocene populations. Differences in microwear density, average length, and orientation of striations indicate that Middle Pleistocene humans had more abrasive dietary habits than Late Pleistocene populations. Both dietary and cultural factors might be responsible for the differences observed. In addition, the Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal specimens studied show a highly heterogeneous pattern of microwear when compared to the other samples considered, which is inconsistent with a hypothesis of all Neanderthals having a strictly carnivorous diet. The high density of striations observed in the buccal surfaces of several Neanderthal teeth might be indicative of the inclusion of plant foods in their diet. The buccal microwear variability observed in the Neanderthals is compatible with an overall exploitation of both plant and meat foods on the basis of food availability. A preliminary analysis of the relationship between buccal microwear density and climatic conditions prevailing in Europe during the Late Pleistocene has been attempted. Cold climatic conditions, as indicated by oxygen isotope stage data, seem to be responsible for higher densities of microwear features, whereas warmer periods could correspond to a reduced pattern of scratch density. Such a relationship would be indicative of less abrasive dietary habits, perhaps more meat dependent, during warmer periods.}, }
@article {pmid12662940, year = {2003}, author = {Spoor, F and Hublin, JJ and Braun, M and Zonneveld, F}, title = {The bony labyrinth of Neanderthals.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {44}, number = {2}, pages = {141-165}, doi = {10.1016/s0047-2484(02)00166-5}, pmid = {12662940}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Ear, Inner/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Europe ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Semicircular Canals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {This paper presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of the Neanderthal bony labyrinth, a structure located inside the petrous temporal bone. Fifteen Neanderthal specimens are compared with a Holocene human sample, as well as with a small number of European Middle Pleistocene hominins, and early anatomically modern and European Upper Palaeolithic humans. Compared with Holocene humans the bony labyrinth of Neanderthals can be characterized by an anterior semicircular canal arc which is smaller in absolute and relative size, is relatively narrow, and shows more torsion. The posterior semicircular canal arc is smaller in absolute and relative size as well, it is more circular in shape, and is positioned more inferiorly relative to the lateral canal plane. The lateral semicircular canal arc is absolutely and relatively larger. Finally, the Neanderthal ampullar line is more vertically inclined relative to the planar orientation of the lateral canal. The European Upper Palaeolithic and early modern humans are most similar, although not fully identical to Holocene humans in labyrinthine morphology. The European Middle Pleistocene hominins show the typical semicircular canal morphology of Neanderthals, with the exception of the arc shape and inferiorly position of the posterior canal and the strongly inclined ampullar line. The marked difference between the labyrinths of Neanderthals and modern humans can be used to assess the phylogenetic affinities of fragmentary temporal bone fossils. However, this application is limited by a degree of overlap between the morphologies. The typical shape of the Neanderthal labyrinth appears to mirror aspects of the surrounding petrous pyramid, and both may follow from the phylogenetic impact of Neanderthal brain morphology moulding the shape of the posterior cranial fossa. The functionally important arc sizes of the Neanderthal semicircular canals may reflect a pattern of head movements different from that of modern humans, possibly related to aspects of locomotor behaviour and the kinematic properties of their head and neck.}, }
@article {pmid12627528, year = {2003}, author = {Harvati, K}, title = {Quantitative analysis of Neanderthal temporal bone morphology using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {120}, number = {4}, pages = {323-338}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.10122}, pmid = {12627528}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Cephalometry/*methods ; Craniology ; Female ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/*methods ; Male ; Reference Values ; Sex Factors ; Temporal Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The temporal bone is the location of several traits thought to differentiate Neanderthals from modern humans, including some proposed Neanderthal-derived traits. Most of these, however, are difficult to measure and are usually described qualitatively. This study applied the techniques of geometric morphometrics to the complex morphology of the temporal bone, in order to quantify the differences observed between Neanderthal and modern human anatomy. Two hundred and seventy modern human crania were measured, representing 9 populations of 30 individuals each, and spanning the extremes of the modern human geographical range. Twelve Neanderthal specimens, as well as Reilingen, Kabwe, Skhul 5, Qafzeh 9, and 4 Late Paleolithic European specimens, were included in the fossil sample. The data were collected in the form of three-dimensional (3-D) landmark coordinates, and specimen configurations were superimposed using generalized Procrustes analysis. The fitted coordinates were then analyzed by an array of multivariate statistical methods, including principal components analysis, canonical variates analysis, and Mahalanobis D(2). The temporal bone landmark analysis was very successful in separating Neanderthals from modern humans. Neanderthals were separated from modern humans in both the principal components and canonical variates analyses. They were much further in Mahalanobis distances from all modern human populations than any two modern human groups were from each other. Most of the previously described temporal bone traits contributed to this separation.}, }
@article {pmid12604307, year = {2003}, author = {Harvati, K}, title = {The Neanderthal taxonomic position: models of intra- and inter-specific craniofacial variation.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {44}, number = {1}, pages = {107-132}, doi = {10.1016/s0047-2484(02)00208-7}, pmid = {12604307}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Anatomy, Comparative/methods ; Animals ; Cephalometry ; *Craniology ; Female ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Male ; *Models, Anatomic ; Pan troglodytes ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {The Neanderthal taxonomic position is a matter of wide disagreement among paleoanthropologists. Some workers consider this fossil human group to represent a different species, Homo neanderthalensis, while others see it as a subspecies of Homo sapiens. This study developed two models of morphological variation to be applied to a comparison between Neanderthals and modern humans: modern human populations provided a measure of intra-specific variation, while the species and subspecies of Pan provided measures of both intra- and inter-specific morphological differences. Although such an approach has been advocated strongly, it has not been systematically undertaken until recently. The techniques of geometric morphometrics were used to collect data in the form of three-dimensional coordinates of craniofacial landmarks. The data were processed using generalized procrustes analysis, and analyzed by an array of multivariate statistical methods, including principal components analysis, canonical variates analysis and Mahalanobis D(2). The morphological distances between Neanderthals and modern humans, and between Neanderthals and Late Paleolithic/early anatomically modern specimens, are consistently greater than the distances among recent human populations, and greater than the distances between the two chimpanzee species. Furthermore, no strong morphological similarities were found between Neanderthals and Late Paleolithic Europeans. This study does not find evidence for Neanderthal contribution to the evolution of modern Europeans. Results are consistent with the recognition of Neanderthals as a distinct species.}, }
@article {pmid12572274, year = {2002}, author = {Sajantila, A}, title = {[On the Maid Finland, the Neandertal human and shortly on the diet of Otz. Time traveling with the help of a molecule].}, journal = {Duodecim; laaketieteellinen aikakauskirja}, volume = {118}, number = {23}, pages = {2447-2452}, pmid = {12572274}, issn = {0012-7183}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology/history ; Austria ; DNA/analysis ; Finland ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Biology/*history ; *Mummies/history ; *Time ; }, }
@article {pmid12529957, year = {2002}, author = {Hoffmann, A and Wegner, D}, title = {[The skull of Combe Capelle].}, journal = {Anthropologischer Anzeiger; Bericht uber die biologisch-anthropologische Literatur}, volume = {60}, number = {4}, pages = {333-339}, pmid = {12529957}, issn = {0003-5548}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical ; Berlin ; History, 20th Century ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; *Museums ; National Socialism ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; USSR ; Warfare ; }, abstract = {Since the end of World War II two of the most important anthropological artefacts of the Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte in Berlin, the skulls and skeletons of Le Moustier and Combe Capelle, were believed to be missing or destroyed, respectively. The postcrania were severely damaged during a fire after the museum was bombed in February 1945, while the skulls were brought to the Soviet Union in 1945. In 1965, the skull of the Neanderthal man from Le Moustier and the chain of the grave of Combe Capelle were found amongst the art objects returned by the Soviet Union into the German Democratic Republic in 1958. However, the Combe Capelle skull was still missing. In the end of 2001 this skull could be found and identified in a store-house of the museum. Now, one the oldest known representatives of Homo sapiens sapiens is again available for scientific research and public exhibitions.}, }
@article {pmid12457854, year = {2002}, author = {Lebel, S and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Middle Pleistocene human remains from the Bau de l'Aubesier.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {43}, number = {5}, pages = {659-685}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.2002.0598}, pmid = {12457854}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Alveolar Bone Loss/*pathology ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Anthropometry ; Fossils ; France ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Mastication ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Excavations in later Middle Pleistocene levels at the Bau de l'Aubesier, Vaucluse, France yielded a maxillary molar (M(1) or M(2); Aubesier 10) and a partial mandible from the left C(1) alveolus to the right condylar base lacking the coronoid process (Aubesier 11). Dentally they are similar to other later Middle Pleistocene Europeans in dental dimensions and variable taurodontism (Aubesier 10 but not Aubesier 11). The small Aubesier 11 mandible exhibits a retreating symphyseal profile with a minimal tuber symphyseos, an anterior marginal tubercle at P(4)/M(1), the mental foramen at P(4)/M(1)-M(1), a modest retromolar space, no lingular bridging of the mandibular foramen, an enlarged superior medial pterygoid tubercle, a modest lateral condylar tubercle, and a mandibular notch crest that intersects the middle third of the condylar margin. All of these features fall within the ranges of variation of later Middle Pleistocene Neandertal lineage humans, and some are characteristic of Middle Pleistocene human mandibles in general. In addition, Aubesier 11 exhibits pervasive ante mortem alveolar resorption with apical abscesses, alveolar bone destruction, universal labial/buccal bone loss, ante mortem tooth loss (for > or =81.8% of preserved alveoli), a lingual alveolar fenestration, and two broken root apices with masticatory attrition. These lesions indicate significantly impaired masticatory function, the oldest specimen currently known with such a reduced degree of dental function but one of several Middle Pleistocene human remains with indications of serious abnormalities.}, }
@article {pmid12365031, year = {2002}, author = {Rak, Y and Ginzburg, A and Geffen, E}, title = {Does Homo neanderthalensis play a role in modern human ancestry? The mandibular evidence.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {119}, number = {3}, pages = {199-204}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.10131}, pmid = {12365031}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Data obtained from quantifying the upper part of the mandibular ramus (the coronoid process, the condylar process, and the notch between them) lead us to conclude that Neanderthals (both European and Middle Eastern) differ more from Homo sapiens (early specimens such as Tabun II, Skhul, and Qafzeh, as well as contemporary populations from as far apart as Alaska and Australia) than the latter differs from Homo erectus. The specialized Neanderthal mandibular ramus morphology emerges as yet another element constituting the derived complex of morphologies of the mandible and face that are unique to Neanderthals. These morphologies provide further support for the contention that Neanderthals do not play a role in modern human biological ancestry, either through "regional continuity" or through any other form of anagenetic progression.}, }
@article {pmid12237935, year = {2002}, author = {Jabbour, RS and Richards, GD and Anderson, JY}, title = {Mandibular condyle traits in Neanderthals and other Homo: a comparative, correlative, and ontogenetic study.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {119}, number = {2}, pages = {144-155}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.10108}, pmid = {12237935}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Determination by Skeleton ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; California ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Mandibular Condyle/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology/methods ; }, abstract = {The relationship between the mandibular condyle and the crest of the mandibular notch (CMN) has historically entered into discussions of Neanderthal characteristics and was recently suggested to be autapomorphic in Neanderthals. The Neanderthal CMN has been described as intersecting the condyle in the middle, while the modern human CMN runs to the condyle's lateral end. A large lateral condylar tubercle (LCT) has also been observed in Neanderthals and thought to be related to medial (or less lateral) CMN position. In addition, the presence of a less lateral CMN early in ontogeny, as seen in the Amud 7 infant, has been argued to demonstrate great evolutionary divergence in Neanderthals. Using a scoring system for each trait, this study first examines the expression of CMN position and LCT size in 102 adult modern humans and in samples of Neanderthals and other fossil Homo. Then, CMN position is scored in 208 subadult modern humans to elucidate the ontogeny of this trait. Results show that CMN position is not autapomorphic in Neanderthals, but Neanderthals have significantly more CMNs in the least-lateral score category than does the modern human sample. Large LCTs are found to be strongly predictive of less lateral CMN position, although less lateral CMN position may exist in the absence of a large LCT. The complex ontogenetic pattern of CMN expression observed indicates that features of subadult and adult condylar morphology cannot be constructively compared without first considering subadult morphology on its own functional and developmental terms.}, }
@article {pmid12234551, year = {2002}, author = {Ahern, JC and Lee, SH and Hawks, JD}, title = {The late Neandertal supraorbital fossils from Vindija Cave, Croatia: a biased sample?.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {43}, number = {3}, pages = {419-432}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.2002.0586}, pmid = {12234551}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical/*statistics &amp; numerical data ; Anthropometry ; Croatia ; Female ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Male ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The late Neandertal sample from Vindija (Croatia) has been described as transitional between the earlier Central European Neandertals from Krapina (Croatia) and modern humans. However, the morphological differences indicating this transition may rather be the result of different sex and/or age compositions between the samples. This study tests the hypothesis that the metric differences between the Krapina and Vindija supraorbital samples are due to sampling bias. We focus upon the supraorbital region because past studies have posited this region as particularly indicative of the Vindija sample's transitional nature. Furthermore, the supraorbital region varies significantly with both age and sex. We analyzed four chords and two derived indices of supraorbital torus form as defined by Smith &amp; Ranyard (1980, Am. J. phys. Anthrop.93, pp. 589-610). For each variable, we analyzed relative sample bias of the Krapina and Vindija samples using three sampling methods. In order to test the hypothesis that the Vindija sample contains an over-representation of females and/or young while the Krapina sample is normal or also female/young biased, we determined the probability of drawing a sample of the same size as and with a mean equal to or less than Vindija's from a Krapina-based population. In order to test the hypothesis that the Vindija sample is female/young biased while the Krapina sample is male/old biased, we determined the probability of drawing a sample of the same size as and with a mean equal or less than Vindija's from a generated population whose mean is halfway between Krapina's and Vindija's. Finally, in order to test the hypothesis that the Vindija sample is normal while the Krapina sample contains an over-representation of males and/or old, we determined the probability of drawing a sample of the same size as and with a mean equal to or greater than Krapina's from a Vindija-based population. Unless we assume that the Vindija sample is female/young and the Krapina sample is male/old biased, our results falsify the hypothesis that the metric differences between the Krapina and Vindija samples are due to sample bias.}, }
@article {pmid12234549, year = {2002}, author = {Arsuaga, JL and Villaverde, V and Quam, R and Gracia, A and Lorenzo, C and Martínez, I and Carretero, JM}, title = {The Gravettian occipital bone from the site of Malladetes (Barx, Valencia, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {43}, number = {3}, pages = {381-393}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.2002.0579}, pmid = {12234549}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cultural Characteristics ; Fossils ; *Genetics, Population ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Occipital Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {The juvenile occipital bone from the site of Malladetes in Valencia (Spain) is described and compared with other European Pleistocene representatives of the genus Homo. This specimen derives from a Gravettian cultural context and has been AMS radiocarbon-dated to 25,120 +/- 240 years BP. As such, it provides evidence on early modern human anatomy from the Central Mediterranean region of the Iberian peninsula. The clear evidence for a late survival of Neandertals in southern Iberia, has led to considerable debate surrounding the biological and cultural interactions between these Pleistocene humans and their early modern human successors, and it is within this context that the Malladetes specimen represents an important contribution to the discussion. The recently discovered Upper Paleolithic infant from the site of Lagar Velho in Portugal is said to show a mosaic of Neandertal and early modern human characteristics throughout the skeleton and is argued to represent the strongest evidence yet recovered in favor of hybridization between these two Pleistocene populations. Our analysis of the Malladetes occipital, however, reveals no evidence of Neandertal genetic influence.}, }
@article {pmid12232049, year = {2002}, author = {Schmitz, RW and Serre, D and Bonani, G and Feine, S and Hillgruber, F and Krainitzki, H and Pääbo, S and Smith, FH}, title = {The Neandertal type site revisited: interdisciplinary investigations of skeletal remains from the Neander Valley, Germany.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {99}, number = {20}, pages = {13342-13347}, pmid = {12232049}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology ; Biological Evolution ; Carbon Radioisotopes/metabolism ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Paleontology ; *Skeleton ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {The 1856 discovery of the Neandertal type specimen (Neandertal 1) in western Germany marked the beginning of human paleontology and initiated the longest-standing debate in the discipline: the role of Neandertals in human evolutionary history. We report excavations of cave sediments that were removed from the Feldhofer caves in 1856. These deposits have yielded over 60 human skeletal fragments, along with a large series of Paleolithic artifacts and faunal material. Our analysis of this material represents the first interdisciplinary analysis of Neandertal remains incorporating genetic, direct dating, and morphological dimensions simultaneously. Three of these skeletal fragments fit directly on Neandertal 1, whereas several others have distinctively Neandertal features. At least three individuals are represented in the skeletal sample. Radiocarbon dates for Neandertal 1, from which a mtDNA sequence was determined in 1997, and a second individual indicate an age of approximately 40,000 yr for both. mtDNA analysis on the same second individual yields a sequence that clusters with other published Neandertal sequences.}, }
@article {pmid12231201, year = {2002}, author = {Goudot, P}, title = {The mandibular canal of the "old man" of Cro-Magnon: anatomical-radiological study.}, journal = {Journal of cranio-maxillo-facial surgery : official publication of the European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery}, volume = {30}, number = {4}, pages = {213-218}, doi = {10.1054/jcms.2002.0282}, pmid = {12231201}, issn = {1010-5182}, mesh = {Chin/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; France ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology/*diagnostic imaging ; Mandibular Nerve/anatomy &amp; histology ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: The radiological study of the 'old man' of Cro-Magnon mandible complements the one published about the mandibular canal of the "Neanderthal Man" of La Chapelle-aux-Saints with which it is compared.<br><br>OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the internal structure of this famous fossil.<br><br>MATERIAL AND METHODS: The mandible of the "old man" of Cro-Magnon (22,000 BC) was studied with panoramic radiography and CT scanning.<br><br>RESULTS: The mandibular canal is similar to that of modern man. The images obtained are of a good quality and can be used for analysis of the internal structures of bony fossils.<br><br>CONCLUSION: The mandible of the "old man" of Cro-Magnon belongs to the species Homo sapiens sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid12214223, year = {2002}, author = {Maureille, B}, title = {A lost Neanderthal neonate found.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {419}, number = {6902}, pages = {33-34}, doi = {10.1038/419033a}, pmid = {12214223}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; France ; History, 20th Century ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Museums ; Phylogeny ; Skeleton ; }, abstract = {Fossil remains of adult Neanderthals are well documented, but juvenile specimens are rare and information about them is scant. Here we identify a beautifully preserved skeleton that has been lost to science for almost 90 years as the Neanderthal neonate known as 'Le Moustier 2', which was originally found at Le Moustier in the Dordogne, southwest France. This find will be a rich source of data for studying the evolution of human ontogeny as well as the phylogenetic relationship between these extinct hominids and anatomically modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid12203812, year = {2002}, author = {Steegmann, AT and Cerny, FJ and Holliday, TW}, title = {Neandertal cold adaptation: physiological and energetic factors.}, journal = {American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council}, volume = {14}, number = {5}, pages = {566-583}, doi = {10.1002/ajhb.10070}, pmid = {12203812}, issn = {1042-0533}, mesh = {*Acclimatization ; Adipose Tissue, Brown/metabolism ; Animals ; Anthropology, Cultural ; *Biological Evolution ; *Cold Climate ; *Energy Metabolism/genetics/physiology ; Europe ; Hominidae/genetics/metabolism/*physiology ; Humans ; Macaca/physiology ; Models, Biological ; }, abstract = {European Neandertals employed a complex set of physiological cold defenses, homologous to those seen in contemporary humans and nonhuman primates. While Neandertal morphological patterns, such as foreshortened extremities and low relative surface-area, may have explained some of the variance in cold resistance, it is suggested the adaptive package was strongly dependent on a rich array of physiological defenses. A summary of the environmental cold conditions in which the Neandertals lived is presented, and a comparative ethnographic model from Tierra del Fuego is used. Muscle and subcutaneous fat are excellent "passive" insulators. Neandertals were quite muscular, but it is unlikely that they could maintain enough superficial body fat to offer much cold protection. A major, high-energy metabolic adaptation facilitated by modest amounts of highly thermogenic brown adipose tissue (BAT) is proposed. In addition, Neandertals would have been protected by general mammalian cold defenses based on systemic vasoconstriction and intensified by acclimatization, aerobic fitness, and localized cold--induced vasodilation. However, these defenses are energetically expensive. Based on contemporary data from circumpolar peoples, it is estimated that Neandertals required 3,360 to 4,480 kcal per day to support strenuous winter foraging and cold resistance costs. Several specific genetic cold adaptations are also proposed--heat shock protein (actually, stress shock protein), an ACP*1 locus somatic growth factor, and a specialized calcium metabolism not as yet understood.}, }
@article {pmid12192086, year = {2002}, author = {Chou, HH and Hayakawa, T and Diaz, S and Krings, M and Indriati, E and Leakey, M and Paabo, S and Satta, Y and Takahata, N and Varki, A}, title = {Inactivation of CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase occurred prior to brain expansion during human evolution.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {99}, number = {18}, pages = {11736-11741}, pmid = {12192086}, issn = {0027-8424}, support = {R01 GM032373/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R01-GM323373/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; *Biological Evolution ; Brain/*enzymology/growth &amp; development ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Complementary ; Fossils ; Gorilla gorilla/genetics ; Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Mixed Function Oxygenases/*antagonists &amp; inhibitors ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Humans are genetically deficient in the common mammalian sialic acid N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) because of an Alu-mediated inactivating mutation of the gene encoding the enzyme CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-Neu5Ac) hydroxylase (CMAH). This mutation occurred after our last common ancestor with bonobos and chimpanzees, and before the origin of present-day humans. Here, we take multiple approaches to estimate the timing of this mutation in relationship to human evolutionary history. First, we have developed a method to extract and identify sialic acids from bones and bony fossils. Two Neanderthal fossils studied had clearly detectable Neu5Ac but no Neu5Gc, indicating that the CMAH mutation predated the common ancestor of humans and the Neanderthal, approximately 0.5-0.6 million years ago (mya). Second, we date the insertion event of the inactivating human-specific sahAluY element that replaced the ancestral AluSq element found adjacent to exon 6 of the CMAH gene in the chimpanzee genome. Assuming Alu source genes based on a phylogenetic tree of human-specific Alu elements, we estimate the sahAluY insertion time at approximately 2.7 mya. Third, we apply molecular clock analysis to chimpanzee and other great ape CMAH genes and the corresponding human pseudogene to estimate an inactivation time of approximately 2.8 mya. Taken together, these studies indicate that the CMAH gene was inactivated shortly before the time when brain expansion began in humankind's ancestry, approximately 2.1-2.2 mya. In this regard, it is of interest that although Neu5Gc is the major sialic acid in most organs of the chimpanzee, its expression is selectively down-regulated in the brain, for as yet unknown reasons.}, }
@article {pmid12160715, year = {2002}, author = {Robson Brown, KA and Davies, EN and McNally, DS}, title = {The angular distribution of vertebral trabeculae in modern humans, chimpanzees and the Kebara 2 Neanderthal.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {43}, number = {2}, pages = {189-205}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.2002.0568}, pmid = {12160715}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; *Bone Remodeling ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Humans ; Locomotion ; Pan troglodytes/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Posture ; Spine/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Bone is known to remodel to optimize its structure according to its mechanical environment. In particular trabecular arcades are thought to align with the orientations of components of principal strain. This paper presents the application of a novel method for quantifying trabecular orientation to test the hypothesis that hominoid posture and locomotion are reflected in trabecular architecture. Lateral radiographs were taken of vertebrae from the entire thoracolumbar spines of eight modern humans, seven Pan troglodytes and one Neanderthal. The radiographs were digitized and a square region of interest located at the centre of each vertebral body selected. Fourier transforms of the regions of interest were performed and the relative magnitude of the transform in each of 16 angular segments calculated. The simple indices of external vertebral body morphology, wedge angle and aspect ratio, were also calculated from the radiographs. All three species exhibit the same pattern, with the majority of trabeculae oriented either axially or dorsoventrally. This suggests that vertebral mechanical loading is similar in chimpanzees and humans, despite their apparent postural and locomotor differences. Significant differences between the magnitudes of the Fourier transform in the 78.75 degrees and 135 degrees orientations of chimpanzee and human vertebrae were observed in all but the upper thoracic spine. As the magnitudes at these orientations in the Neanderthal correspond more closely to that in the human and the orientational features were unrelated to the external vertebral morphology, the difference between the two magnitudes may well prove to be a useful parameter in future phylogenetic analysis. Modern human spines were found to show a greater variation in the proportions of axial and dorsoventral trabeculae with spinal level than chimpanzees, with the greatest differences observed in the upper thoracic spine and thoracolumbar junction, suggesting an association with postural spinal curves.}, }
@article {pmid12140248, year = {2002}, author = {Gutiérrez, G and Sánchez, D and Marín, A}, title = {A reanalysis of the ancient mitochondrial DNA sequences recovered from Neandertal bones.}, journal = {Molecular biology and evolution}, volume = {19}, number = {8}, pages = {1359-1366}, doi = {10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a004197}, pmid = {12140248}, issn = {0737-4038}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones ; DNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry/*genetics ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Likelihood Functions ; Mice ; Nucleic Acid Conformation ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {Recent reports analyzing mitochondrial DNA sequences from Neandertal bones have claimed that Neandertals and modern humans are different species. The phylogenetic analyses carried out in these articles did not take into account the high substitution rate variation among sites observed in the human mitochondrial D-loop region and also lack an estimation of the parameters of the nucleotide substitution model. The separate phylogenetic position of Neandertals is not supported when these factors are considered. Our analysis shows that Neandertal-Human and Human-Human pairwise distance distributions overlap more than what previous studies suggested. We also show that the most ancient Neandertal HVI region is the most divergent when compared with modern human sequences. However, the opposite would be expected if the sequence had not been modified since the death of the specimen. Such incongruence is discussed in the light of diagenetic modifications in ancient Neandertal DNA sequences.}, }
@article {pmid12124901, year = {2002}, author = {Bailey, SE}, title = {A closer look at Neanderthal postcanine dental morphology: the mandibular dentition.}, journal = {The Anatomical record}, volume = {269}, number = {3}, pages = {148-156}, doi = {10.1002/ar.10116}, pmid = {12124901}, issn = {0003-276X}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropometry/methods ; Biological Evolution ; *Dentition, Permanent ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Models, Biological ; *Paleodontology ; }, abstract = {Neanderthals are known to exhibit unique incisor morphology as well as enlarged pulp chambers in postcanine teeth (taurodontism). Recent studies suggest that their overall dental pattern (i.e., in morphologic trait frequencies) is also unique. However, what this means in a phylogenetic sense is not known. Although exploring the polarity of dental morphologic characters is essential to understanding the phylogenetic implications of unique patterns of variation, few have undertaken this task. This study moves beyond standard scoring methods, which are based on modern humans, to include several postcanine traits that have not been considered previously. In addition, Homo erectus is used as an outgroup to Neanderthals and modern humans to explore the polarity of these traits. The findings of this study suggest that Neanderthals are not only unique in their pattern of dental trait frequencies (as found in previous studies) but that they present several dental autapomorphies, as well. These include a high frequency of the mid-trigonid crest in lower molars and unique morphology of the lower premolars. Interestingly, these characters are not observed in the Mauer mandible, which some have claimed to be a member of a chronospecies that is a unique ancestor to Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid12124900, year = {2002}, author = {Ackermann, RR and Krovitz, GE}, title = {Common patterns of facial ontogeny in the hominid lineage.}, journal = {The Anatomical record}, volume = {269}, number = {3}, pages = {142-147}, doi = {10.1002/ar.10119}, pmid = {12124900}, issn = {0003-276X}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropometry/methods ; *Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Humans ; *Maxillofacial Development ; Morphogenesis ; *Paleodontology ; }, abstract = {Recent evaluation of Neanderthal and modern human ontogeny suggests that taxon-specific features arose very early in development in both lineages, with early, possibly prenatal, morphological divergence followed by parallel postnatal developmental patterns. Here we use morphometric techniques to compare hominoid facial growth patterns, and show that this developmental phenomenon is, in fact, not unique to comparisons between Neanderthals and modern humans but extends to Australopithecus africanus and to the hominoid lineage more broadly. This finding suggests that a common pattern of juvenile facial development may be more widespread and that the roots of ontogenetically early developmental differentiation are deep-perhaps predating the ape/human split of 6+ million years ago.}, }
@article {pmid11972028, year = {2002}, author = {Zollikofer, CP and Ponce De Leon, MS and Vandermeersch, B and Leveque, F}, title = {Evidence for interpersonal violence in the St. Cesaire Neanderthal.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {99}, number = {9}, pages = {6444-6448}, pmid = {11972028}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology ; Archaeology ; *Behavior ; France ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Skull/*pathology ; Time Factors ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; *Violence ; }, abstract = {The St. Césaire 1 Neanderthal skeleton of a young adult individual is unique in its association with Châtelperronian artifacts from a level dated to ca. 36,000 years ago. Computer-tomographic imaging and computer-assisted reconstruction of the skull revealed a healed fracture in the cranial vault. When paleopathological and forensic diagnostic standards are applied, the bony scar bears direct evidence for the impact of a sharp implement, which was presumably directed toward the individual during an act of interpersonal violence. These findings add to the evidence that Neanderthals used implements not only for hunting and food processing, but also in other behavioral contexts. It is hypothesized that the high intra-group damage potential inherent to weapons might have represented a major factor during the evolution of hominid social behavior.}, }
@article {pmid11865690, year = {2001}, author = {Romagnuolo, G}, title = {[Essence and significance of surgery. Part I -- Birth of surgery: determining factors and contexts].}, journal = {Annali italiani di chirurgia}, volume = {72}, number = {4}, pages = {393-396}, pmid = {11865690}, issn = {0003-469X}, mesh = {General Surgery/*history ; History, Ancient ; }, abstract = {The author intends to particularly analyse the origin of Surgery as regards its deterministic factors and contexts, resounding the essence and the meaning of Surgery itself. The primary core of the surgical practice dates back to Prehistoric Times, when, driven by his self-preservation instinct, the cave man, when suffering from some trauma, performed on himself a series of more or less immediate "actions" in order to remain healthy. At the same time, a second meaningful nucleus of the surgical experience rises contiguously to the operations the Prehistoric Man performed on another member of his clan. The third stage of this ongoing process, coincident with the origin of surgery in the strict sense of the word, goes back to the tribal context: in fact, in this social organisation only one member of the group was specifically assigned to treat diseases, based on group regulations. For the mediterranean area, the chronological development of this evolution is likely to have started 250,000 years ago in connection with the experience initially of Neanderthal Man and subsequently Cro-Magnon Man in Pleistocene and Holocene of the Quarternary Era respectively, and it could have finished at the beginning of the Neolithic, when the "ancient civilization" of the Mediterranean Basin arose in approximately 10,000 B.C.}, }
@article {pmid11846533, year = {2002}, author = {Franciscus, RG and Churchill, SE}, title = {The costal skeleton of Shanidar 3 and a reappraisal of Neandertal thoracic morphology.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {42}, number = {3}, pages = {303-356}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.2001.0528}, pmid = {11846533}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological ; Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Anthropometry ; Bone Remodeling ; Cold Climate ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Iraq ; Male ; Phylogeny ; Reference Values ; Ribs/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {For over a century, Neandertal rib remains have engendered frequent discussions of "barrel-shaped" thoraces, largely in the absence of systematic comparison and hard data. We present here a description of the relatively complete ribcage of the Near Eastern Shanidar 3 Neandertal. We also furnish metric and non-metric comparisons of the Shanidar 3 ribs with other Near Eastern and European Neandertals, the Nariokotome (Homo erectus/ergaster) specimen, Levantine archaic/early modern humans, early and later European modern humans, and a sample of recent Euroamerican males. It is clear from these comparisons that Neandertals share with modern humans the fundamentally human thoracic "bauplan" that first evolved in the early Pleistocene. Yet it is also apparent that the ribcage of Neandertals differ in several anatomical details from those of fully modern humans. Rib curvature, posterior angle, mid-shaft cross-sectional size and shape, and muscle scarring varies considerably among Neandertals and across all samples when considered in isolated ribs. However, normalized metric and discrete patterning across the greater thorax clearly distinguishes Neandertals from our comparative samples. This is most marked in the inferior thorax where Neandertals (and probably earlier Homo) exhibit larger, more rounded and rugose ribs, and a greater costal area (thoracic volume). Greater lower rib cross-sectional robusticity and muscle scarring indicates relatively elevated ventilatory levels. Greater thoracic volume in Neandertals probably reflects greater body mass compared with modern humans since lung volume scales isometrically to body mass among mammals. Neandertal and modern human pulmonary capacity, normalized for body mass differences, was therefore roughly equivalent in the context of detailed differences in thoracic shape. To the extent that cold-climate adaptation is involved, Near Eastern Neandertals appear less "hyper-polar" in thoracic shape than their European counterparts as is also true for several other body proportion measures that are clinally distributed across the known Neandertal range.}, }
@article {pmid11846532, year = {2002}, author = {Grine, FE and Henshilwood, CS}, title = {Additional human remains from Blombos Cave, South Africa: (1999-2000 excavations).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {42}, number = {3}, pages = {293-302}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.2001.0525}, pmid = {11846532}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Bicuspid/anatomy &amp; histology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Infant ; Molar/anatomy &amp; histology ; Odontometry ; *Paleodontology ; South Africa ; Tooth Attrition ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth, Deciduous/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The uppermost Middle Stone Age (MSA) layers at Blombos Cave contain high densities of Still Bay bifacial points. Information from other regional sites places the Still Bay prior to the Howiesons Poort industry, which has been dated at 65-70 ka. The Blombos Cave MSA strata have yielded nine human teeth or dental fragments. Four that were recovered during the 1997-1998 excavations have been published elsewhere. The remaining five were discovered during the 1999-2000 field seasons; these are described here. Three of the new specimens are deciduous teeth, and two are permanent premolar and molar crown fragments. The entire dental sample probably represents at least five and as many as seven individuals. The deciduous teeth from the upper MSA levels are likely to have been exfoliated in the cave. One deciduous tooth and the permanent tooth fragments from the lower MSA levels probably represent three individuals who died in or near the cave. The Blombos Cave premolars preserve horizontal circum-cervical striae suggestive of palliative tooth pick use. Approximately half of the permanent and deciduous crown diameters exceed those of recent Africans; for the remainder, the fossil values fall among modern African sample means. The Blombos Cave tooth crowns tend to be smaller than the majority of penecontemporaneous Neandertal teeth. The morphology of the Blombos Cave di is comparable to MSA homologues from the nearby, and presumably somewhat younger site of Die Kelders Cave 1.}, }
@article {pmid11786995, year = {2001}, author = {Jolly, CJ}, title = {A proper study for mankind: Analogies from the Papionin monkeys and their implications for human evolution.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {Suppl 33}, number = {}, pages = {177-204}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.10021}, pmid = {11786995}, issn = {1096-8644}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical/trends ; *Biological Evolution ; Ecology ; Genetic Variation ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; Papio/*physiology ; Phylogeny ; Physiology, Comparative ; }, abstract = {This paper's theme is that analogies drawn from the cercopithecine tribe Papionini, especially the African subtribe Papionina (baboons, mangabeys, and mandrills), can be a valuable source of insights about the evolution of the human tribe, Hominini, to complement homologies found in extant humans and/or African apes. Analogies, involving a "likeness of relations" of the form "A is to B, as X is to Y," can be usefully derived from nonhomologous (homoplastic) resemblances in morphology, behavior, ecology, or population structure. Pragmatically, the papionins are a fruitful source of analogies for hominins because they are phylogenetically close enough to share many basic attributes by homology, yet far enough that homoplastic modifications of these features are easily recognized as such. In "The Seedeaters," an analogy between Theropithecus among baboons and Australopithecus africanus among hominines was the source of a widely discussed (and often misrepresented) diet-based scenario of hominin origins that explained previously unassociated hominin apomorphies, interpreted basal hominins as nonhuman rather than prehuman primates, and accommodated a basal hominin adaptive radiation of at least two lines. Current usage recognizes an even more extensive evolutionary radiation among the basal hominins, originating no earlier than about 7 ma, with multiple lineages documented or inferred by 2.5 ma. Although multilineage clades (especially the Paranthropus clade) within this complex are widely recognized, and emerge from sophisticated, parsimony-based analyses, it is suspected that in many cases, developmental or functional homoplasies are overwhelming the phylogenetic signal in the data. The papionin analogy (specifically the splitting of the traditional, morphology-based genera Cercocebus and Papio mandated by molecular evidence) illustrates the power of these factors to produce erroneous cladograms. Moreover, the rapid deployment of basal hominins across varied African habitats was an ideal scenario for producing morphologically undetectable homoplasy. There seems to be no foolproof way to distinguish, a priori, homologous from homoplastic resemblances in morphology, but one pragmatic strategy is to severely censor the datset, retaining only resemblances or differences (often apparently trivial ones) that cannot be reasonably explained on the basis of functional resemblance or difference, respectively. This strategy may eliminate most morpological data, and leave many fossil taxa incertae sedis, but this is preferable to unwarranted phylogenetic confidence. Another source of phylogenetic uncertainty is the possibility of gene-flow by occasional hybridization between hominins belonging to ecologically and adaptively distinct species or even genera. Although the evidence is unsatisfactorily sparse, it suggests that among catarrhines generally, regardless of major chromosomal rearrangements, intersterility is roughly proportional to time since cladogenetic separation. On a papionin analogy, especially the crossability of Papio hamadryas with Macaca mulatta and Theropithecus gelada, crossing between extant hominine genera is unlikely to produce viable and fertile offspring, but any hominine species whose ancestries diverged less than 4 ma previously may well have been able to produce hybrid offspring that could, by backcrossing, introduce alien genes with the potential of spreading if advantageous. Selection against maladaptive traits would maintain adaptive complexes against occasional genetic infiltration, and the latter does not justify reducing the hybridizing forms to a conspecific or congeneric rank. Whether reticulation could explain apparent parallels in hominin dentition and brain size is uncertain, pending genetic investigation of these apparently complex traits. Widespread papionin taxa (such as Papio baboons and species-groups of the genus Macaca), like many such organisms, are distributed as a "patchwork" of nonoverlapping but often parapatric forms (allotaxa). Morphologically diagnosable, yet not reproductively isolated, most allotaxa would be designated species by the phylogenetic species concept, but subspecies by the biological species concept, and use of the term "allotaxa" avoids this inconsistency. A line of contact between allotaxa typically coincides with an ecotone, with neighboring allotaxa occupying similar econiches in slightly different habitats, and often exhibiting subtle, adaptive, morphological differences as well as their defining differences of pelage. "Hybrid zones," with a wide variety of internal genetic structures and dynamics, typically separate parapatric allotaxa. Current models attribute the formation and maintenance of allotaxa to rapid pulses of population expansion and contraction to and from refugia, driven by late Neogene climatic fluctuations. An overall similarity in depth of genetic diversity suggests that papionin taxa such as Papio baboons, rather than extant humans, may present the better analogy for human population structure of the "prereplacement" era. Neandertals and Afro-Arabian "premodern" populations may have been analogous to extant baboon (and macaque) allotaxa: "phylogenetic" species, but "biological" subspecies. "Replacement," in Europe, probably involved a rapidly sweeping hybrid zone, driven by differential population pressure from the "modern" side. Since the genetic outcome of hybridization at allotaxon boundaries is so variable, the problem of whether any Neandertal genes survived the sweep, and subsequent genetic upheavals, is a purely empirical one; if any genes passed "upstream" across the moving zone, they are likely to be those conferring local adaptive advantage, and markers linked to these. In general, extant papionin analogies suggest that the dynamics and interrelationships among hominin populations now known only from fossils are likely to have been more complex than we are likely to be able to discern from the evidence available, and also more complex than can be easily expressed in conventional taxonomic terminology.}, }
@article {pmid11681860, year = {2001}, author = {Quam, RM and Arsuaga, JL and Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Díez, CJ and Lorenzo, C and Carretero, JM and García, N and Ortega, AI}, title = {Human remains from Valdegoba Cave (Huérmeces, Burgos, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {41}, number = {5}, pages = {385-435}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.2001.0486}, pmid = {11681860}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Bicuspid/anatomy &amp; histology ; Cuspid/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Incisor/anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Paleontology ; Pubic Symphysis/anatomy &amp; histology ; Sex Determination Analysis ; Spain ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Systematic excavations, begun in 1987, at the Valdegoba cave site in northern Spain have yielded the remains of five individuals associated with a Middle Paleolithic stone tool technology and Pleistocene fauna. A fragmentary mandible of an adolescent (VB1), preserving nearly a full set of teeth, exhibits a symphyseal tubercle and slight incurvatio mandibulae anterior on the external symphysis. Both the superior and inferior transverse tori are present on the internal aspect. A second individual (VB2) is represented by a set of ten deciduous teeth consistent with an age at death of 6-9 months. A proximal manual phalanx (VB3) displays a relatively broad head, a characteristic which is found in both Neandertals, as well as European Middle Pleistocene hominids. VB4 is a fourth metatarsal that lacks the distal epiphysis, indicating it comes from an adolescent individual, and has a relatively high robusticity index. Finally, VB5 is a fifth metatarsal of an adult. The VB1 mandible shows a combination of archaic characteristics as well as more specific Neandertal morphological traits. The VB2 deciduous teeth are very small, and both the metrics and morphology seem more consistent with a modern human classification. The postcranial elements are undiagnostic, U-Th dating has provided an age of >350 ka for the base of the sequence and a date of <73.2+/-5 ka for level 7, near the top. Faunal analysis and radiometric dates from other nearby Mousterian sites suggests that the Valdegoba site is correlative with oxygen isotope stages 3-6 on the Iberian peninsula, and an Upper Pleistocene age for the Valdegoba hominids seems most reasonable.}, }
@article {pmid11625734, year = {1999}, author = {Rosinski, FM}, title = {[Death according to old-Israeli beliefs].}, journal = {Medycyna nowozytna : studia nad historia medycyny}, volume = {6}, number = {1}, pages = {25-41}, pmid = {11625734}, issn = {1231-1960}, mesh = {*Attitude to Death ; History, Ancient ; Israel ; Jews/*history ; Mortuary Practice/*history ; *Religion and Medicine ; }, abstract = {In Palestine the Neanderthal men and fossil contemporary men treated the dead kinsmen in a special way which can be observed in his intentional burials. They are the evidence of the belief in life after death that probably was imagined as a continuation of earthly life. In the Bible thanatology issues do not assume the crucial importance; the descriptions of dying and posthumous continuance of a man are brief and subject to a certain development. Death is not glorified, the dead cult is forbidden, the corps are treated in a ritual context as impure objects, contaminating people and environment. Death was not considered as boundary, temporary phenomen but as a gradual outflow of life. Only in the later fragments of the Old Testament there appears the concept that in death there takes place the ultimate separation between two constituent elements of a man i.e. between body that turns into dust and soul that goes back to God. The Bible distinguishes various types of death and its causes; but it is God who is the ultimate master of life and death. The other life is considered to be a manifestation of God's blessing. The Holy Scriptures pays special attention to the words spoken by the dying man, occasionally ascribing a prophetic sense to them. Although the funeral ceremony was not ostentatious it was most of the time excessive. The funeral was organized immediately after death, usually after 8 hours and the same day if it was possible. The corpse was wrapped up in linen and buried in hewn in the rock caves or terrestrial graves; bodies were neither burnt nor mummified. "Weeping" and mourning for the deceased lasted quite short - 7 days, seldom longer. Any forms of communicating with the soul of the dead person were severely forbidden and prosecuted; they were considered as discordant with the Jahweh cult. Some of the texts seem to reveal personification of death; it is never considered, however, as a being or power independent of God.}, }
@article {pmid11553766, year = {2001}, author = {Lebel, S and Trinkaus, E and Faure, M and Fernandez, P and Guérin, C and Richter, D and Mercier, N and Valladas, H and Wagner, GA}, title = {Comparative morphology and paleobiology of Middle Pleistocene human remains from the Bau de l'Aubesier, Vaucluse, France.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {98}, number = {20}, pages = {11097-11102}, pmid = {11553766}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Dentition ; Face/anatomy &amp; histology ; France ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Paleontology ; }, abstract = {The discovery of later Middle Pleistocene human remains from the Bau de l'Aubesier, France reinforces an evolutionary model of the gradual accumulation of Neandertal-derived facial and dental features during the Middle Pleistocene of the northwestern Old World. The pronounced maxillary incisor beveling of Aubesier 4 helps to extend the antiquity of nondietary use of the anterior dentition. The interproximal "toothpick" groove on the Aubesier 10 molar increases the sample for these lesions. The pathological loss of the mandibular dentition of Aubesier 11 indicates advanced antemortem masticatory impairment, at a level previously undocumented before the Late Pleistocene. These remains support a view of later Middle Pleistocene humans able to support debilitated individuals despite the considerable use of their bodies to accomplish routine activities.}, }
@article {pmid11525469, year = {2001}, author = {Hawks, JD and Wolpoff, MH}, title = {The accretion model of Neandertal evolution.}, journal = {Evolution; international journal of organic evolution}, volume = {55}, number = {7}, pages = {1474-1485}, doi = {10.1111/j.0014-3820.2001.tb00667.x}, pmid = {11525469}, issn = {0014-3820}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Europe/ethnology ; Foramen Magnum/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; *Gene Frequency ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Incisor/anatomy &amp; histology ; Mastoid/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Models, Biological ; Nasal Bone/anatomy &amp; histology ; Orbit/anatomy &amp; histology ; Phenotype ; *Phylogeny ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The Accretion model of Neandertal evolution specifies that this group of Late Pleistocene hominids evolved in partial or complete genetic isolation from the rest of humanity through the gradual accumulation of distinctive morphological traits in European populations. As they became more common, these traits also became less variable, according to those workers who developed the model. Its supporters propose that genetic drift caused this evolution, resulting from an initial small European population size and either complete isolation or drastic reduction in gene flow between this deme and contemporary human populations elsewhere. Here, we test an evolutionary model of gene flow between regions against fossil data from the European population of the Middle and Late Pleistocene. The results of the analysis clearly show that the European population was not significantly divergent from its contemporaries, even in a subset of traits chosen to show the maximum differences between Europeans and other populations. The pattern of changes, over time within Europe of the traits in this subset, does not support the Accretion model, either because the characters did not change in the manner specified by the model or because the characters did not change at all. From these data, we can conclude that special phenomena such as near-complete isolation of the European population during the Pleistocene are not required to explain the pattern of evolution in this region.}, }
@article {pmid11484052, year = {2001}, author = {Ponce de León, MS and Zollikofer, CP}, title = {Neanderthal cranial ontogeny and its implications for late hominid diversity.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {412}, number = {6846}, pages = {534-538}, doi = {10.1038/35087573}, pmid = {11484052}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Cephalometry ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; *Fossils ; *Genetic Variation ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification/genetics/growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology/growth &amp; development ; }, abstract = {Homo neanderthalensis has a unique combination of craniofacial features that are distinct from fossil and extant 'anatomically modern' Homo sapiens (modern humans). Morphological evidence, direct isotopic dates and fossil mitochondrial DNA from three Neanderthals indicate that the Neanderthals were a separate evolutionary lineage for at least 500,000 yr. However, it is unknown when and how Neanderthal craniofacial autapomorphies (unique, derived characters) emerged during ontogeny. Here we use computerized fossil reconstruction and geometric morphometrics to show that characteristic differences in cranial and mandibular shape between Neanderthals and modern humans arose very early during development, possibly prenatally, and were maintained throughout postnatal ontogeny. Postnatal differences in cranial ontogeny between the two taxa are characterized primarily by heterochronic modifications of a common spatial pattern of development. Evidence for early ontogenetic divergence together with evolutionary stasis of taxon-specific patterns of ontogeny is consistent with separation of Neanderthals and modern humans at the species level.}, }
@article {pmid11437523, year = {2001}, author = {Czarnetzki, A and Gaudzinski, S and Pusch, CM}, title = {Hominid skull fragments from Late Pleistocene layers in Leine Valley (Sarstedt, District of Hildesheim, Germany).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {41}, number = {2}, pages = {133-140}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.2001.0484}, pmid = {11437523}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Germany ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Paleontology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Three cranial fragments were recovered from coarse-grained deposits dug up by a suction dredge from gravel pits on the Leine river flats in the vicinity of Sarstedt (northwestern Germany). Also recovered were a number of artefacts which, upon careful inspection, could be assigned to the Middle Paleolithic. The geological pattern of the Leine Valley in this region suggests that these fragments were deposited in the lower terrace during a yet undetermined warm period-possibly Brörup or Odderade-during the Weichsel glaciation. However, attribution to the Eemian period or a Saale interstadial cannot be ruled out. The features of the Sarstedt (Sst) I infant temporal are known from Neanderthals (e.g., Weimar-Ehringsdorf, Engis, Krapina 1) and can be seen in specimens from the European late- Homo erectus group as well. Subadult individuals do not always exhibit full development of features characteristic for adults and-to some extent-anticipate the succeeding developmental stage (i.e., neoteny). The Neanderthal autapomorphies characterizing the fragments of the occipital and the parietal are certainly consistent with assigning both unequivocally to the species H. neanderthalensis. The presence of Middle Paleolithic artefacts recovered from the same deposits are commensurate with the presence of Neanderthals. However, there is no clear contextual association of any archaeological and fossil human material. Future DNA research will hopefully add up to the established morphological picture.}, }
@article {pmid11371652, year = {2001}, author = {Richards, MP and Pettitt, PB and Stiner, MC and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Stable isotope evidence for increasing dietary breadth in the European mid-Upper Paleolithic.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {98}, number = {11}, pages = {6528-6532}, pmid = {11371652}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology/methods ; Appetitive Behavior ; Bone and Bones/*chemistry ; Carbon Isotopes ; Collagen/*analysis ; *Diet ; Europe ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Nitrogen Isotopes ; }, abstract = {New carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values for human remains dating to the mid-Upper Paleolithic in Europe indicate significant amounts of aquatic (fish, mollusks, and/or birds) foods in some of their diets. Most of this evidence points to exploitation of inland freshwater aquatic resources in particular. By contrast, European Neandertal collagen carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values do not indicate significant use of inland aquatic foods but instead show that they obtained the majority of their protein from terrestrial herbivores. In agreement with recent zooarcheological analyses, the isotope results indicate shifts toward a more broad-spectrum subsistence economy in inland Europe by the mid-Upper Paleolithic period, probably associated with significant population increases.}, }
@article {pmid11371151, year = {2001}, author = {Sorensen, MV and Leonard, WR}, title = {Neandertal energetics and foraging efficiency.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {40}, number = {6}, pages = {483-495}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.2001.0472}, pmid = {11371151}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Basal Metabolism/physiology ; Behavior/*physiology ; Body Weight ; Eating/*physiology ; Energy Metabolism/*physiology ; Europe ; Female ; Hominidae/metabolism/*physiology ; Humans ; Male ; }, abstract = {Mechanical interpretations of Neandertal skeletal robusticity suggest extremely high activity levels compared to modern humans. Such activity patterns imply high energy requirements; yet it has been argued that Neandertals were also inefficient foragers. The present study addresses this apparent conflict by estimating energy needs in Neandertals and then evaluating those estimates in the context of energetic and foraging data compiled for contemporary human foragers and nonhuman primates. Energy demands for Neandertals were determined by first predicting basal metabolic rates (BMR) from body weight estimates using human standards developed by the World Health Organization [FAO/WHO/UNU (1985) Energy and Protein Requirements. Report of the Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Export Committee, Geneva: WHO]. Total daily energy expenditure (kcal/day) was then estimated assuming high levels of physical activity (i.e., 2--3 x BMR), comparable to those observed among subsistence-level populations today. These estimates of energy requirements (ranging from 3000--5500 kcal/day) were then used to determine Neandertal foraging efficiency assuming (1) minimal survival-level foraging returns, and (2) daily foraging times longer than those observed among any contemporary foraging group and comparable to a nonhuman primate. Even with these extremely conservative parameters, estimates of Neandertal foraging efficiency (approximately 800--1150 kcal/h foraged) were comparable to those observed among living hunter-gatherers. These results indicate that if Neandertals did have heavy activity levels, as implied by their skeletal robusticity, they would have required foraging efficiencies within the range observed among modern groups. Thus, Neandertals could have been either highly active or poor foragers, but they could not have been both.}, }
@article {pmid11309754, year = {2001}, author = {Relethford, JH}, title = {Absence of regional affinities of Neandertal DNA with living humans does not reject multiregional evolution.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {115}, number = {1}, pages = {95-98}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1060}, pmid = {11309754}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Biological Evolution ; DNA Fingerprinting ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; *Emigration and Immigration ; Europe ; *Gene Frequency ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; }, abstract = {The recent extraction of mitochondrial DNA sequences from three European Neandertal fossils has led many to the conclusion that ancient DNA analysis supports the African replacement model of modern human origins and rejects models of multiregional evolution that propose some Neandertal ancestry in living humans. This conclusion is based, in part, on the lack of regional affinity of Neandertal DNA to that from living Europeans. Consideration of migration matrix models shows that this conclusion is premature, since under a model of interregional gene flow we expect to see similar levels of Neandertal ancestry in all contemporary regions, and living Europeans should not necessarily show closer affinity. The absence of regional affinity in Neandertal DNA does not distinguish between replacement and multiregional models.}, }
@article {pmid11298436, year = {2001}, author = {Smith, CI and Chamberlain, AT and Riley, MS and Cooper, A and Stringer, CB and Collins, MJ}, title = {Neanderthal DNA. Not just old but old and cold?.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {410}, number = {6830}, pages = {771-772}, doi = {10.1038/35071177}, pmid = {11298436}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Altitude ; Animals ; Bone and Bones ; Cold Temperature ; *DNA/chemistry/isolation &amp; purification ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Paleontology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Time ; }, }
@article {pmid11241748, year = {2001}, author = {Tobias, PV}, title = {Re-creating ancient hominid virtual endocasts by CT-scanning.}, journal = {Clinical anatomy (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {14}, number = {2}, pages = {134-141}, doi = {10.1002/1098-2353(200103)14:2&lt;134::AID-CA1021&gt;3.0.CO;2-F}, pmid = {11241748}, issn = {0897-3806}, mesh = {Cephalometry/*methods ; Fossils ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skull/*diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods ; }, abstract = {Probably the first radiographic study of human fossils, that by D. Gorganovic-Kramberger on Neandertal remains from Krapina, Croatia, was published in 1906, only 11 years after Röntgen announced the discovery of X-rays. Many subsequent studies on fossil hominids used regular clinical diagnostic radiological apparatus, as depicted in Atlas of Radiographs of Early Man by M.F. Skinner and G.H. Sperber (1982). Some specimens such as crania filled with heavily calcified matrix proved intractable. Ordinary radiographs of such specimens usually failed to reveal endocranial structure, as fossilized bone and calcified endocast were approximately equally radio-opaque. Thus, neither endocranial volume nor structural details were detectable. The only invasive method that could have been employed involved mechanical removal of the solid matrix, but this entailed hazards to the cranial vault and the destruction of the natural endocranial cast. In 1983--1984, G.C. Conroy and M. Vannier utilized recent advances in high-resolution computed tomography to produce non-invasive, intracranial capacity measurements of matrix-filled fossil skulls. They tried the method on two fossil mammal skulls filled with hard sandstone matrix (1984, Science 26:456-458), and then successfully applied it to a South African, matrix-filled cranium of the ancient hominid (hominin) species, Australopithecus africanus from Makapansgat (Conroy et al. 1990, Science 247:838-841). Details of the morphology of the endocranial surface of the braincase were revealed, including the pattern of venous sinus drainage in the posterior cranial fossa. A group based in St. Louis, Vienna, Paris, Rome, and Johannesburg has taken such studies further. Beautiful "virtual endocasts" have been produced on a large male specimen of A. africanus from Sterkfontein, South Africa, and the endocranial capacity has been determined (1998). The methods make it possible to re-create "virtual endocasts" of ancient hominids.}, }
@article {pmid11241191, year = {2001}, author = {Hawks, J and Wolpoff, MH}, title = {Brief communication: paleoanthropology and the population genetics of ancient genes.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {114}, number = {3}, pages = {269-272}, doi = {10.1002/1096-8644(200103)114:3&lt;269::AID-AJPA1025&gt;3.0.CO;2-R}, pmid = {11241191}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical/history ; DNA, Mitochondrial/analysis/*history ; *Fossils ; *Genetics, Population/history ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; }, abstract = {The Mezmaiskaya cave mtDNA is similar in many ways to the Feldhofer cave Neandertal sequence and the more recently obtained Vindija cave sequence. If we accept the contention that the Mezmaiskaya cave specimen is a Neandertal infant, its mtDNA provides no new information about the fate of the European Neandertals. However, there is reason to believe that the Mezmaiskaya cave infant is not a Neandertal, and this places its importance in another light, because it delimits the possible hypotheses of Neandertal and recent human genetic relationships. One possibility is a that the pattern found in ancient mtDNA results from the replacement of an isolated gene pool (Neandertals) by one of its contemporaries (modern humans). A second possibility is natural selection expressed as the substitution of an advantageous mtDNA variant within a single large species, including both Neandertals and modern humans. The geologic, archaeological, and dating evidence shows the Mezmaiskaya cave infant to be a burial from a level even more recent than the Upper Paleolithic preserved at the site, and its anatomy does not contradict the assessment that the Mezmaiskaya cave infant is not a Neandertal. Therefore, the second pattern can be favored over the first.}, }
@article {pmid11150054, year = {2001}, author = {Rosas, A}, title = {Occurrence of neanderthal features in mandibles from the Atapuerca-SH site.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {114}, number = {1}, pages = {74-91}, doi = {10.1002/1096-8644(200101)114:1&lt;74::AID-AJPA1007&gt;3.0.CO;2-U}, pmid = {11150054}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Anthropometry ; *Biological Evolution ; Female ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Analysis of variation and distribution of evolutionary novelties is meaningful in understanding evolutionary processes. The mandible, as a morphological complex, comprises a large number of derived Neanderthal features. The present study investigates whether the features usually considered as European lineage apomorphies evolved independently; the occurrence of these features is studied in the mandibles from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) site (Atapuerca, Spain). For comparative purposes, a large sample of Neanderthal mandibles as well as older fossil Homo specimens have been used for the study. Chi-square tests were employed to test for independence. The SH mandibles present a set of features that clearly show the basic architecture of the Neanderthal mandible. A highly significant association is detected in the variation of the position of the mental foramen, the lateral prominence, and the anterior marginal tubercle, as well as in the development of retromolar space. However, a much weaker association is detected in the features of the internal aspect of the mandible, with a few exceptions. Features of the external aspect of the mandible occur chronologically earlier than those observed in the internal aspect. The hypothesis that two distinct and consecutive morphological processes have driven the emergence of the European lineage throughout the Middle Pleistocene is proposed. A first transformation affects the mandible by means of backwards displacement of the structures located at the external aspect, as well as the position of the condyle. A second process would modify the features of the internal aspect of the mandible, in which the relief of the masseteric and pterygoid fossae are affected, in association with a spatial rearrangement of the corpus and ramus. Analyzed individually, some of the considered features may be questioned as Neanderthal apomorphies (Trinkaus,1993; Franciscus and Trinkaus, 995); however, the joint occurrence of many of them suggests that the complex is an evolutionary novelty.}, }
@article {pmid11115383, year = {2001}, author = {Geigl, EM}, title = {Inadequate use of molecular hybridization to analyze DNA in Neanderthal fossils.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {68}, number = {1}, pages = {287-291}, pmid = {11115383}, issn = {0002-9297}, mesh = {Animals ; *Artifacts ; Blotting, Southern/*methods ; DNA/analysis/blood/chemistry/genetics ; DNA, Bacterial/analysis/blood/chemistry/genetics ; Equipment Contamination ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Weight ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization/*methods ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reindeer/genetics ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Soil/analysis ; Species Specificity ; }, }
@article {pmid11017066, year = {2000}, author = {Krings, M and Capelli, C and Tschentscher, F and Geisert, H and Meyer, S and von Haeseler, A and Grossschmidt, K and Possnert, G and Paunovic, M and Pääbo, S}, title = {A view of Neandertal genetic diversity.}, journal = {Nature genetics}, volume = {26}, number = {2}, pages = {144-146}, doi = {10.1038/79855}, pmid = {11017066}, issn = {1061-4036}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; *Genetic Variation ; Geography ; Gorilla gorilla/*genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Pan troglodytes/*genetics ; *Phylogeny ; }, }
@article {pmid10852955, year = {2000}, author = {Richards, MP and Pettitt, PB and Trinkaus, E and Smith, FH and Paunović, M and Karavanić, I}, title = {Neanderthal diet at Vindija and Neanderthal predation: the evidence from stable isotopes.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {97}, number = {13}, pages = {7663-7666}, pmid = {10852955}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Diet ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; Predatory Behavior ; }, abstract = {Archeological analysis of faunal remains and of lithic and bone tools has suggested that hunting of medium to large mammals was a major element of Neanderthal subsistence. Plant foods are almost invisible in the archeological record, and it is impossible to estimate accurately their dietary importance. However, stable isotope (delta(13)C and delta(15)N) analysis of mammal bone collagen provides a direct measure of diet and has been applied to two Neanderthals and various faunal species from Vindija Cave, Croatia. The isotope evidence overwhelmingly points to the Neanderthals behaving as top-level carnivores, obtaining almost all of their dietary protein from animal sources. Earlier Neanderthals in France and Belgium have yielded similar results, and a pattern of European Neanderthal adaptation as carnivores is emerging. These data reinforce current taphonomic assessments of associated faunal elements and make it unlikely that the Neanderthals were acquiring animal protein principally through scavenging. Instead, these findings portray them as effective predators.}, }
@article {pmid10835260, year = {2000}, author = {Grine, FE and Henshilwood, CS and Sealy, JC}, title = {Human remains from Blombos Cave, South Africa: (1997-1998 excavations).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {38}, number = {6}, pages = {755-765}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1999.0379}, pmid = {10835260}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Bicuspid/anatomy &amp; histology/ultrastructure ; Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Paleodontology ; South Africa ; Tooth Crown/anatomy &amp; histology/ultrastructure ; Tooth, Deciduous/anatomy &amp; histology/ultrastructure ; }, abstract = {The Middle Stone Age (MSA) layers at Blombos Cave contain abundant bifacial Still Bay points, formal and ad hoc bone artefacts, and an intentionally incised bone piece. These artefacts add weight to arguments that some aspects of modern human behavior developed earlier in sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere. Four human teeth were recovered from the MSA strata at Blombos during the 1997-1998 excavations. Two are heavily worn deciduous teeth, and two are incomplete permanent premolar crowns. The Blombos di(1)is comparatively large in relation to modern African homologues, falling within the lower part of the observed Neandertal range. The dm(1)and P(3)are comparable to modern teeth and smaller than most Neandertal crowns. The premolars preserve horizontal circum-cervical striae that suggest palliative toothpick use. The di(1)evinces labial scratches that resemble neither the "cutmarks" that have been observed on Neandertal incisors, nor the striae that have been recorded on modern human teeth.}, }
@article {pmid10813706, year = {2000}, author = {Churchill, SE and Smith, FH}, title = {A modern human humerus from the early aurignacian of Vogelherdhöhle (Stetten, Germany).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {112}, number = {2}, pages = {251-273}, doi = {10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(2000)112:2&lt;251::AID-AJPA10&gt;3.0.CO;2-G}, pmid = {10813706}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Diaphyses/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Germany ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Humerus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Implicit in much of the discussion of the cultural and population biological dynamics of modern human origins in Europe is the assumption that the Aurignacian, from its very start, was made by fully modern humans. The veracity of this assumption has been challenged in recent years by the association of Neandertal skeletal remains with a possibly Aurignacian assemblage at Vindija Cave (Croatia) and the association of Neandertals with distinctly Upper Paleolithic (but non-Aurignacian) assemblages at Arcy-sur-Cure and St. C¿esaire (France). Ideally we need human fossil material that can be confidently assigned to the early Aurignacian to resolve this issue, yet in reality there is a paucity of well-provenanced human fossils from early Upper Paleolithic contexts. One specimen, a right humerus from the site of Vogelherd (Germany), has been argued, based on its size, robusticity, and muscularity, to possibly represent a Neandertal in an Aurignacian context. The morphological affinities of the Vogelherd humerus were explored by univariate and multivariate comparisons of humeral epiphyseal and diaphyseal shape and strength measures relative to humeri of Neandertals and Early Upper Paleolithic (later Aurignacian and Gravettian) modern humans. On the basis of diaphyseal cross-sectional geometry, deltoid tuberosity morphology, and distal epiphyseal morphology, the specimen falls clearly and consistently with European early modern humans and not with Neandertals. Along with the other Vogelherd human remains, the Vogelherd humerus represents an unequivocal association between the Aurignacian and modern human morphology in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid10788336, year = {2000}, author = {Scholz, M and Bachmann, L and Nicholson, GJ and Bachmann, J and Giddings, I and Rüschoff-Thale, B and Czarnetzki, A and Pusch, CM}, title = {Genomic differentiation of Neanderthals and anatomically modern man allows a fossil-DNA-based classification of morphologically indistinguishable hominid bones.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {66}, number = {6}, pages = {1927-1932}, pmid = {10788336}, issn = {0002-9297}, mesh = {Animals ; Blotting, Southern ; Bone and Bones/*chemistry ; Clavicle/chemistry ; Croatia ; DNA/genetics/*isolation &amp; purification ; DNA Probes/genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; Femur/chemistry ; *Fossils ; Germany ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Humerus/chemistry ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Reindeer/genetics ; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid/genetics ; Stereoisomerism ; }, abstract = {Southern blot hybridizations of genomic DNA were introduced as a relatively simple fossil-DNA-based approach to classify remains of Neanderthals. When hybridized with genomic DNA of either human or Neanderthal origin, DNA extracted from two Neanderthal finds-the Os parietale, from Warendorf-Neuwarendorf, Germany, and a clavicula, from Krapina, Croatia-was shown to yield hybridization signals that differ by at least a factor of two compared to the signals obtained with the use of fossil DNA of an early Homo sapiens from the Vogelherd cave (Stetten I), Germany. When labeled chimpanzee DNA was used as a probe, Neanderthal and human DNA, however, revealed hybridization signals of similar intensity. Thus, the genome of Neanderthals is expected to differ significantly from the genome of anatomically modern man, because of the contrasting composition of repetitive DNA. These data support the hypothesis that Neanderthals were not ancestors of anatomically modern man.}, }
@article {pmid10761915, year = {2000}, author = {Ovchinnikov, IV and Götherström, A and Romanova, GP and Kharitonov, VM and Lidén, K and Goodwin, W}, title = {Molecular analysis of Neanderthal DNA from the northern Caucasus.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {404}, number = {6777}, pages = {490-493}, doi = {10.1038/35006625}, pmid = {10761915}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones ; *DNA, Mitochondrial ; Europe ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Infant ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, abstract = {The expansion of premodern humans into western and eastern Europe approximately 40,000 years before the present led to the eventual replacement of the Neanderthals by modern humans approximately 28,000 years ago. Here we report the second mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis of a Neanderthal, and the first such analysis on clearly dated Neanderthal remains. The specimen is from one of the eastern-most Neanderthal populations, recovered from Mezmaiskaya Cave in the northern Caucasus. Radiocarbon dating estimated the specimen to be approximately 29,000 years old and therefore from one of the latest living Neanderthals. The sequence shows 3.48% divergence from the Feldhofer Neanderthal. Phylogenetic analysis places the two Neanderthals from the Caucasus and western Germany together in a clade that is distinct from modern humans, suggesting that their mtDNA types have not contributed to the modern human mtDNA pool. Comparison with modern populations provides no evidence for the multiregional hypothesis of modern human evolution.}, }
@article {pmid10761902, year = {2000}, author = {Höss, M}, title = {Neanderthal population genetics.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {404}, number = {6777}, pages = {453-454}, doi = {10.1038/35006551}, pmid = {10761902}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones ; DNA/*isolation &amp; purification ; DNA, Mitochondrial/isolation &amp; purification ; Europe ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Fossils ; Hominidae/classification/*genetics ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; }, }
@article {pmid10724146, year = {2000}, author = {Tiedemann, MW}, title = {The song of the Neanderthal.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {404}, number = {6774}, pages = {127}, doi = {10.1038/35004676}, pmid = {10724146}, issn = {1476-4687}, }
@article {pmid10715194, year = {2000}, author = {Gaudzinski, S and Roebroeks, W}, title = {Adults only. Reindeer hunting at the middle palaeolithic site salzgitter lebenstedt, northern Germany.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {38}, number = {4}, pages = {497-521}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1999.0359}, pmid = {10715194}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Arctic Regions ; Bone Density ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Feeding Behavior ; Germany ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Mammals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology/methods ; *Reindeer/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The Middle Palaeolithic site Salzgitter Lebenstedt (northern Germany), excavated in 1952, is well known because of its well-preserved faunal remains, dominated by adult reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). The archaeological assemblage accumulated in an arctic setting in an earlier part of the last (Weichsel) glacial (OIS5-3). The site is remarkable because of the presence of unique Middle Palaeolithic bone tools and the occurrence of the northernmost Neanderthal remains, but this paper focuses on an analysis of its reindeer assemblage. The results indicate autumn hunting of reindeer by Middle Palaeolithic hominids. After the hunt, carcasses were butchered and in subsequent marrow processing of the bones a selection against young and sub-adult animals occurred. Adults were clearly preferred, and from their bones, again, poorer marrow bones were neglected. This focus on primeness of resources has been documented in other domains of Neanderthal behaviour, but Salzgitter Lebenstedt is the best example yet known in terms of systematic and routinized processing of game. The Salzgitter Lebenstedt assemblage displays some remarkable similarities to the Late Glacial reindeer assemblages from the Ahrensburg tunnel valley sites. The subsequent review of the evidence on subsistence strategies from earlier periods of the European Palaeolithic shows that hunting of large mammals may have been a part of the behavioural repertoire of the Middle Pleistocene occupants of Europe from the earliest occupation onwards. At the same time, it is suggested that these early hunting strategies were incorporated in ways of moving through landscapes ("settlement systems") which were different from what we know from the middle parts of the Upper Palaeolithic onwards.}, }
@article {pmid10715193, year = {2000}, author = {Thompson, JL and Nelson, AJ}, title = {The place of Neandertals in the evolution of hominid patterns of growth and development.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {38}, number = {4}, pages = {475-495}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1999.0364}, pmid = {10715193}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Africa ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Europe ; Female ; Gorilla gorilla/genetics/growth &amp; development ; Hominidae/genetics/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Paleodontology ; Paleontology ; }, abstract = {This study uses the two developmental fields of dental maturation and femoral growth to determine if the pattern of growth and development in Neandertals (archaic Homo sapiens) was intermediate between that of Homo erectus and recent modern humans. Specimens used in the analysis included Neandertals and Upper Palaeolithic early modern Homo sapiens from Europe and individuals from two recent modern human populations. Ontogenetic data for the H. erectus adolescent KNM-WT 15000 and for Gorilla gorilla were included for comparison. Previous reports have indicated that H. erectus demonstrates a pattern of ontogeny characterized by earlier and more rapid linear growth than in modern humans. Results reported here demonstrate that Upper Paleolithic early modern Homo sapiens display a growth trajectory indistinguishable from that of recent modern humans. The pattern of Neandertal ontogeny is not intermediate between the pattern displayed in H. erectus and the derived pattern seen in the modern reference samples and the early modern H. sapiens sample. The Neandertal growth trajectory is consistent with either slow linear growth or advanced dental development.}, }
@article {pmid10715192, year = {2000}, author = {Kondo, O and Dodo, Y and Akazawa, T and Muhesen, S}, title = {Estimation of stature from the skeletal reconstruction of an immature Neandertal from Dederiyeh cave, Syria.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {38}, number = {4}, pages = {457-473}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1999.0347}, pmid = {10715192}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical/methods ; *Body Height ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Pelvic Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Sex Characteristics ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Spine/anatomy &amp; histology ; Syria ; }, abstract = {Skeletal reconstruction of a child Neandertal unearthed at Dederiyeh Cave, Syria in 1993, is undertaken and the acquired stature discussed. Although the skeletal remains were well preserved, the reconstruction required several assumptions to be made because of the immature status of the specimen. The assumptions were mainly concerned with distances between bones in the inter-vertebral spaces and in the joints of the hip, knee, and ankle. These were estimated from X-ray films of modern children and data from previous studies. Stature was directly measured on the reconstruction, and found to be 79.2 cm. After corrections for soft tissue thickness and shrinkage of the casts, the stature became 81.7 cm. This estimate is consistent with estimates based on regression equations of long bone lengths, especially from those of the lower extremity. In comparison with longitudinal data for white American boys, the assessment of stature for Dederiyeh varied according to the estimated age. For a younger estimated age, the stature falls in the lower half of the white American range of variation, but with an older estimated age, it falls below the lower limit of the range of variation. Other immature Neandertals including two European specimens, Roc de Marsal and La Ferrassie 6, fall below the lower limit of the 5th to 95th percentile range based on the estimated statures from their long bone lengths. More comprehensive age assessment covering both fossil and modern humans is required before accurate conclusions in relation to Neandertal growth can be drawn.}, }
@article {pmid10685039, year = {2000}, author = {Minugh-Purvis, N and Radovcic, J and Smith, FH}, title = {Krapina 1: a juvenile Neandertal from the early late Pleistocene of Croatia.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {111}, number = {3}, pages = {393-424}, doi = {10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(200003)111:3&lt;393::AID-AJPA7&gt;3.0.CO;2-U}, pmid = {10685039}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; Child ; Croatia ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*classification ; Humans ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The juvenile A Skull from Krapina, Croatia (Krapina 1) has been the subject of considerable debate since B. Skerlj first suggested that it might not be a Neandertal. Although widely known by its original designation, the Krapina A Skull was recatalogued, along with all of the Krapina hominids, in the 1980's (Radovcic, et al., [1988]. The Krapina Hominids: An Illustrated Catalog of Skeletal Collection. Zagreb; Mladost). It is now catalogued as Krapina 1 in the archives of the Hrvatski Prirodoslovni Muzej, Zagreb, Croatia. We present a detailed, morphometric analysis of this specimen, comparing it to other Krapina specimens, juvenile late Pleistocene hominids (including Neandertals), and subadult recent humans. This analysis demonstrates that Krapina 1 possesses morphological features that are primitive retentions; others that represent derived Neandertal specializations; and still others that are typical for all European late Pleistocene humans. Morphological features associated with the browridges are intermediate between Neandertal and early modern European form. Nevertheless, a thorough analysis of the morphology of this specimen, in ontogenetic and regional contexts, leads to the conclusion that it cannot be excluded from the Neandertal range of variation. We conclude that the most parsimonious explanation for this 130 ka specimen is that it should be regarded as a Neandertal.}, }
@article {pmid10683308, year = {2000}, author = {Manzi, G and Gracia, A and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {Cranial discrete traits in the middle pleistocene humans from Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). Does hypostosis represent any increase in "ontogenetic stress" along the Neanderthal lineage?.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {38}, number = {3}, pages = {425-446}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1999.0362}, pmid = {10683308}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Bone Development ; *Cephalometry ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Hyperostosis/*pathology ; *Paleopathology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Cranial discrete traits may be regarded as markers of dynamic responses to general and local perturbations of the morphogenetic pattern, particularly when they are viewed and examined in terms of hypostosis vs. hyperostosis. There are indications, in fact, that the variation between these two opposite conditions relates to mechanical stress suffered by the bony structures during early stages of growth and development. In a previous comparison between Neanderthals and modern humans, variable degrees and contrasting distribution patterns of hypostosis were found [Manzi et al. (1996), JHE30: 511-527]. In the present paper, the occurrence, expression and cranial distribution of 20 hypo-hyperostotic traits are examined in the Middle Pleistocene sample from Atapuerca - Sima de los Huesos (Spain), with the principal aim being to test whether or not the degree of cranial hypostosis increases during the evolution of the Neanderthals. Other Middle Pleistocene representatives of the genus Homo (Kabwe and Petralona), the Italian Neanderthals, and a large recent European sample are also considered. A general consistency between the gradual appearance and stabilization of the Neanderthal cranial features and the results of the present analysis is found and is interpreted as an indication that hypostosis does mark the occurrence of "ontogenetic stress". As suggested more than half a century ago by S. Sergi, an increase in "ontogenetic stress" in the Neanderthal lineage could result from the relationship between intracranial pressures and other (heterochronic) effects produced by the growth of a large brain (encephalization) and the ossification of an archaic (platycephalic) cranial vault.}, }
@article {pmid10683305, year = {2000}, author = {Marchal, F}, title = {A new morphometric analysis of the hominid pelvic bone.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {38}, number = {3}, pages = {347-365}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1999.0360}, pmid = {10683305}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Female ; Gorilla gorilla/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Pan paniscus/anatomy &amp; histology ; Pan troglodytes/anatomy &amp; histology ; Pelvic Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {This study is based upon a new morphometric technique providing both size and shape variables. It has been applied to 189 pelvic bones of extant humans and African apes as well as to 13 hominid pelvic bones of various taxonomic status. The main aim of this work is to include such fossil bones in the same study in order to set a synthetic comparison of their shape in the light of the yardstick given by the African ape/human pelvic bone comparison. To do so, ratio diagrams are chosen because they are simple and very expressive tools with which to present such comparisons. Shape differences are very well illustrated and quantified by this technique. The ilium appears to be the most different of the three parts of the pelvic bone. Compared to these differences, discrepancies between fossil hominid and extant human bones are of a totally different scale. This shows the architectural unity related to the acquisition of bipedalism by hominids. It is nonetheless possible to detect two levels of difference. The first separates Australopithecus from Homo and could be seen as reflecting locomotor differences between both genera. The second splits both Homo erectus and Neanderthal from modern human pelvic bones. It appears from the hominid fossil record of pelvic bones that two periods of stasis exist and are separated by a period of very rapid evolution corresponding to the emergence of the genus Homo. We are of the opinion that the same could be true for the split between African ape and hominid lineages at the end of the Miocene.}, }
@article {pmid10646215, year = {1999}, author = {Recheis, W and Macchiarelli, R and Seidler, H and Weaver, DS and Schäfer, K and Bondioli, L and Weber, GW and zur Nedden, D}, title = {Re-evaluation of the endocranial volume of the Guattari 1 Neandertal specimen (Monte Circeo).}, journal = {Collegium antropologicum}, volume = {23}, number = {2}, pages = {397-405}, pmid = {10646215}, issn = {0350-6134}, mesh = {Animals ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Paleontology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The endocranial capacity of Guattari 1 originally was estimated by Sergi as approximately 1.550 cm3. Using three different approaches, a physical endocast, a stereolithographic model, and a virtual endocast, we have estimated the endocranial capacity of Guattari 1 as approximately 1.350 cm3. This paper explains our revision of the estimated endocranial volume of Guattari 1, provides a cautionary case concerning other estimates of endocranial volume, and demonstrates and encourages the use of recent advances in imaging, modeling, and analysis of endocranial volume.}, }
@article {pmid10626565, year = {1999}, author = {Poinar, HN}, title = {DNA from fossils: the past and the future.}, journal = {Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992). Supplement}, volume = {88}, number = {433}, pages = {133-140}, doi = {10.1111/j.1651-2227.1999.tb14423.x}, pmid = {10626565}, issn = {0803-5326}, mesh = {DNA/*analysis ; *Fossils ; History, 20th Century ; History, Medieval ; Humans ; Influenza, Human/history ; Tuberculosis/history ; }, abstract = {The recovery of DNA from archaeological and palaeontological remains has intrigued scientists for many years. The DNA molecule is a relatively weak molecule compared with other biomacromolecules in tissues, but the sequence of its bases holds insights into questions that cannot be resolved by standard palaeontological methods. Recent advances in the field, such as the recovery of DNA sequences from coprolites found in the southwestern USA, as well as from the Neanderthal-type specimen, have shed new light on populations that are now extinct. A better understanding of how DNA is preserved in fossils, as well as the use of novel agents that can release the DNA from archaeological and palaeontological materials, will likely lead to new successes in the field. The analysis of ancient DNA may provide new clues about human evolution and answer questions, for example, relating to the diversity of the Neanderthals and the mammoths.}, }
@article {pmid10620751, year = {1999}, author = {Bookstein, F and Schäfer, K and Prossinger, H and Seidler, H and Fieder, M and Stringer, C and Weber, GW and Arsuaga, JL and Slice, DE and Rohlf, FJ and Recheis, W and Mariam, AJ and Marcus, LF}, title = {Comparing frontal cranial profiles in archaic and modern homo by morphometric analysis.}, journal = {The Anatomical record}, volume = {257}, number = {6}, pages = {217-224}, doi = {10.1002/(SICI)1097-0185(19991215)257:6&lt;217::AID-AR7&gt;3.0.CO;2-W}, pmid = {10620751}, issn = {0003-276X}, mesh = {Biometry/*methods ; Frontal Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; }, abstract = {Archaic and modern human frontal bones are known to be quite distinct externally, by both conventional visual and metric evaluation. Internally this area of the skull has been considerably less well-studied. Here we present results from a comparison of interior, as well as exterior, frontal bone profiles from CT scans of five mid-Pleistocene and Neanderthal crania and 16 modern humans. Analysis was by a new morphometric method, Procrustes analysis of semi-landmarks, that permits the statistical comparison of curves between landmarks. As expected, we found substantial external differences between archaic and modern samples, differences that are mainly confined to the region around the brow ridge. However, in the inner median-sagittal profile, the shape remained remarkably stable over all 21 specimens. This implies that no significant alteration in this region has taken place over a period of a half-million years or more of evolution, even as considerable external change occurred within the hominid clade spanning several species. This confirms that the forms of the inner and outer aspects of the human frontal bone are determined by entirely independent factors, and further indicates unexpected stability in anterior brain morphology over the period during which modern human cognitive capacities emerged. Anat Rec (New Anat): 257:217-224, 1999.}, }
@article {pmid10618592, year = {2000}, author = {Nagar, Y and Arensburg, B}, title = {Brief communication: bilateral aplasia of the condyles in a 1,400-year-old mandible from Israel.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {111}, number = {1}, pages = {135-139}, doi = {10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(200001)111:1&lt;135::AID-AJPA8&gt;3.0.CO;2-C}, pmid = {10618592}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; *Facial Asymmetry ; Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Israel ; Mandibular Condyle/*abnormalities ; Mastication ; }, abstract = {A rare pathological mandible, manifesting bilateral absence of the condyles, is discussed. The pathology was identified as hemifacial microsomia. The mandible, dated to the Byzantine period in Israel, manifests bilateral aplasia of the condyles and extreme shortness, but normal width, of the body. The extremely well-developed coronoid process, the grooved masseter insertion area, and the manifestation of a medial pterygoid tubercle (MPT) suggest hypertrophy of the occlusal muscles. The presence of a large MPT is considered a Neanderthal autapomorphy. Studying the biomechanic forces acting on the deformed mandible in hemifacial microsomia patients may shed light on the mastication process in Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid10600322, year = {1999}, author = {Trinkaus, E and Rhoads, ML}, title = {Neandertal knees: power lifters in the Pleistocene?.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {37}, number = {6}, pages = {833-859}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1999.0317}, pmid = {10600322}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Body Weight ; Europe ; Female ; Femur/physiology ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Knee/*physiology ; Male ; Middle East ; Muscle, Skeletal/*physiology ; New Mexico ; Patella/*physiology ; Pelvis/physiology ; Tibia/physiology ; }, abstract = {It has been proposed (Trinkaus, 1983 a; Miller &amp; Gross, 1998) that the marked thickness of Neandertal patellae and/or the posterior displacement of their tibial condyles increased their relative M. quadriceps femoris moment arms, thereby making their legs powerful in extension. However, it is necessary to compare these reflections of muscle moment arm length to appropriate measures of the body weight moment arm and body mass estimates, both of which are influenced by ecogeographically determined body proportions. Reassessment of tibial condylar displacement and patellar thickness, as well as patellar height, relative to an appropriate measure of the moment arm for the baseline load on the knee (body weight), to that moment arm times estimated body mass, and to that moment arm times a skeletal reflection of body mass (femoral head diameter) rejects the hypothesis that the Neandertals had exceptionally powerful knee extension. Relative tibial condylar displacement remains above that of a modern industrial society sample, but similar to that of the Broken Hill tibia, Late Pleistocene early modern humans and a recent human nonindustrial sample. Relative patellar thickness is similar to that of early modern humans, who have relatively thick patellae compared to the late Holocene human samples. Consequently, once body proportions are taken into account, there is little difference between the Neandertals and other later Pleistocene humans in knee extensor mechanical advantage, and all of these fossil hominids are similar in the more important proximal tibial proportions to those of nonindustrial recent humans.}, }
@article {pmid10535913, year = {1999}, author = {Smith, FH and Trinkaus, E and Pettitt, PB and Karavanic, I and Paunovic, M}, title = {Direct radiocarbon dates for Vindija G(1) and Velika Pecína late Pleistocene hominid remains.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {96}, number = {22}, pages = {12281-12286}, pmid = {10535913}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {New accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dates taken directly on human remains from the Late Pleistocene sites of Vindija and Velika Pecina in the Hrvatsko Zagorje of Croatia are presented. Hominid specimens from both sites have played critical roles in the development of current perspectives on modern human evolutionary emergence in Europe. Dates of approximately 28 thousand years (ka) before the present (B.P.) and approximately 29 ka B.P. for two specimens from Vindija G(1) establish them as the most recent dated Neandertals in the Eurasian range of these archaic humans. The human frontal bone from Velika Pecina, generally considered one of the earliest representatives of modern humans in Europe, dated to approximately 5 ka B.P., rendering it no longer pertinent to discussions of modern human origins. Apart from invalidating the only radiometrically based example of temporal overlap between late Neandertal and early modern human fossil remains from within any region of Europe, these dates raise the question of when early modern humans first dispersed into Europe and have implications for the nature and geographic patterning of biological and cultural interactions between these populations and the Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid10516568, year = {1999}, author = {Trinkaus, E and Ruff, CB and Conroy, GC}, title = {The anomalous archaic Homo femur from Berg Aukas, Namibia: a biomechanical assessment.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {110}, number = {3}, pages = {379-391}, doi = {10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199911)110:3&lt;379::AID-AJPA9&gt;3.0.CO;2-J}, pmid = {10516568}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Climate ; Femur/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Weight-Bearing ; }, abstract = {The probably Middle Pleistocene human femur from Berg Aukas, Namibia, when oriented anatomically and analyzed biomechanically, presents an unusual combination of morphological features compared to other Pleistocene Homo femora. Its midshaft diaphyseal shape is similar to most other archaic Homo, but its subtrochanteric shape aligns it most closely with earlier equatorial Homo femora. It has an unusually low neck shaft angle. Its relative femoral head size is matched only by Neandertals with stocky hyperarctic body proportions. Its diaphyseal robusticity is modest for a Neandertal, but reasonable compared to equatorial archaic Homo femora. Its gluteal tuberosity is relatively small. Given its derivation from a warm climatic region, it is best interpreted as having had relatively linear body proportions (affecting proximal diaphyseal proportions, shaft robusticity, and gluteal tuberosity size) combined with an elevated level of lower limb loading during development (affecting femoral head size and neck shaft angle).}, }
@article {pmid10508573, year = {1999}, author = {Disotell, TR}, title = {Human evolution: origins of modern humans still look recent.}, journal = {Current biology : CB}, volume = {9}, number = {17}, pages = {R647-50}, doi = {10.1016/s0960-9822(99)80414-x}, pmid = {10508573}, issn = {0960-9822}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Child, Preschool ; DNA/genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; Europe ; Evolution, Molecular ; Female ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Biological ; Pan troglodytes/genetics ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; Time Factors ; X Chromosome/genetics ; }, abstract = {That modern humans have a relatively ancient origin has been suggested on the basis of fossil and genetic evidence. But DNA sequences from an extinct neanderthal, and phylogenetic analyses of hundreds of human and ape sequences, continue to support a recent origin for modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid10506562, year = {1999}, author = {Defleur, A and White, T and Valensi, P and Slimak, L and Crégut-Bonnoure, E}, title = {Neanderthal cannibalism at Moula-Guercy, Ardèche, France.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {286}, number = {5437}, pages = {128-131}, doi = {10.1126/science.286.5437.128}, pmid = {10506562}, issn = {0036-8075}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Cannibalism/*history ; Deer ; *Fossils ; France ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; }, abstract = {The cave site of Moula-Guercy, 80 meters above the modern Rhone River, was occupied by Neanderthals approximately 100,000 years ago. Excavations since 1991 have yielded rich paleontological, paleobotanical, and archaeological assemblages, including parts of six Neanderthals. The Neanderthals are contemporary with stone tools and faunal remains in the same tightly controlled stratigraphic and spatial contexts. The inference of Neanderthal cannibalism at Moula-Guercy is based on comparative analysis of hominid and ungulate bone spatial distributions, modifications by stone tools, and skeletal part representations.}, }
@article {pmid10494005, year = {1999}, author = {Edmeads, J}, title = {History of migraine treatment.}, journal = {The Canadian journal of clinical pharmacology = Journal canadien de pharmacologie clinique}, volume = {6 Suppl A}, number = {}, pages = {5A-8A}, pmid = {10494005}, issn = {1198-581X}, mesh = {History, Ancient ; History, Medieval ; History, Modern 1601- ; Humans ; Migraine Disorders/*drug therapy/history/physiopathology ; }, abstract = {The history of the treatment of headache in general, and migraine in particular, spans the millennia, from the Neanderthal era to the Space Age. Beginning with a magical hypothesis of the cause of headache, which spawned a magical therapy, rational treatment for this ancient complaint evolved slowly and tortuously. Now, in the age of molecular medicine, a knowledge of where headache treatment began, and how it got to its current stage, aids in the continuing quest for the safe, effective treatment of migraine.}, }
@article {pmid10444349, year = {1999}, author = {Maureille, B and Bar, D}, title = {The premaxilla in Neandertal and early modern children: ontogeny and morphology.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {37}, number = {2}, pages = {137-152}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1999.0312}, pmid = {10444349}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; *Bone Development ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Fetus ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Maxilla/*anatomy &amp; histology/embryology/growth &amp; development ; *Osteogenesis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {This comparative study of maxillae in Neandertals, Qafzeh, and extant children examines two specific traits: the premaxillary suture (sutura incisiva) and the interincisive sinuses, proposing a new hypothesis about some features of the Neandertal mid-face. Morphologic study of the premaxillary suture at its different borders (i.e. the nasal aspect of the frontal process, nasal and palatal aspects of the palatal process of the maxilla) indicates a persistence of the suture among very young Neandertal children in comparison to the condition in extant ones. This suggests a longer independence of some parts of the premaxilla in Neandertals. To further examine this possibility, CT scans of two Neandertal children were analyzed: Roc de Marsal, estimated to be about 3 years, and Engis 2, estimated to be about 5-6 years. The results are quite different between the fossils. In the older, the premaxillary suture is represented only by a deep groove. In the younger it extends deep to the surface of the nasal process reaching the Parinaud's canal. Synostosis of the premaxillary suture was found to occur later in Neandertal children than in modern ones. Moreover, we observed the existence of two interincisive sinuses in the fossil children, whereas this is rare in modern children (present on only 2% of our sample of 0-6 year-old infants, n = 247). Persistence of an open premaxillary suture represents the potential for an extended period of growth of the Neandertal mid-face. Although no trace of the premaxillary suture remains in adult Neandertals, Neandertals present many features classically considered as consequences of this persistence. The two interincisive sinuses could be a consequence of the labio-lingual diameter of the incisors. The results presented here can be further investigated by additional studies on the cranial sutural system and by precise morphologic observations and CT scans of the mid-face of a larger sample of fossil children.}, }
@article {pmid10411891, year = {1999}, author = {Poinar, HN and Stankiewicz, BA}, title = {Protein preservation and DNA retrieval from ancient tissues.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {96}, number = {15}, pages = {8426-8431}, pmid = {10411891}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Amino Acids/analysis ; Animals ; Archaeology ; DNA/*chemistry ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Hydantoins/analysis ; Mass Spectrometry ; Paleontology ; Proteins/*chemistry ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; *Tissue Preservation ; }, abstract = {The retrieval of DNA from fossils remains controversial. To substantiate claims of DNA recovery, one needs additional information on the preservation of other molecules within the same sample. Flash pyrolysis with GC and MS was used to assess the quality of protein preservation in 11 archaeological and paleontological remains, some of which have yielded ancient DNA sequences authenticated via a number of criteria and some of which have consistently failed to yield any meaningful DNA. Several samples, including the Neanderthal-type specimen from which DNA sequences were recently reported, yielded abundant pyrolysis products assigned to 2,5-diketopiperazines of proline-containing dipeptides. The relative amounts of these products provide a good index of the amount of peptide hydrolysis and DNA preservation. Of these samples, four stem from arctic or subarctic regions, emphasizing the importance of cooler temperatures for the preservation of macromolecules. Flash pyrolysis with GC and MS offers a rapid and effective method for assessing fossils for the possibility of DNA preservation.}, }
@article {pmid10400365, year = {1999}, author = {Trinkaus, E}, title = {Neandertal knees and ankles: a comment on Miller and Gross.}, journal = {Journal of biomechanics}, volume = {32}, number = {7}, pages = {751-754}, doi = {10.1016/s0021-9290(99)00093-7}, pmid = {10400365}, issn = {0021-9290}, mesh = {Animals ; Ankle/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Humans ; Knee/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Male ; *Paleontology ; Range of Motion, Articular/physiology ; }, }
@article {pmid10377462, year = {1999}, author = {Duarte, C and Maurício, J and Pettitt, PB and Souto, P and Trinkaus, E and van der Plicht, H and Zilhão, J}, title = {The early Upper Paleolithic human skeleton from the Abrigo do Lagar Velho (Portugal) and modern human emergence in Iberia.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {96}, number = {13}, pages = {7604-7609}, pmid = {10377462}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology ; *Biological Evolution ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Portugal ; }, abstract = {The discovery of an early Upper Paleolithic human burial at the Abrigo do Lagar Velho, Portugal, has provided evidence of early modern humans from southern Iberia. The remains, the largely complete skeleton of a approximately 4-year-old child buried with pierced shell and red ochre, is dated to ca. 24,500 years B.P. The cranium, mandible, dentition, and postcrania present a mosaic of European early modern human and Neandertal features. The temporal bone has an intermediate-sized juxtamastoid eminence. The mandibular mentum osseum and the dental size and proportions, supported by mandibular ramal features, radial tuberosity orientation, and diaphyseal curvature, as well as the pubic proportions align the skeleton with early modern humans. Body proportions, reflected in femorotibial lengths and diaphyseal robusticity plus tibial condylar displacement, as well as mandibular symphyseal retreat and thoracohumeral muscle insertions, align the skeleton with the Neandertals. This morphological mosaic indicates admixture between regional Neandertals and early modern humans dispersing into southern Iberia. It establishes the complexities of the Late Pleistocene emergence of modern humans and refutes strict replacement models of modern human origins.}, }
@article {pmid10342152, year = {1999}, author = {Goudot, P}, title = {The mandibular canal of a Neanderthal: the La Chapelle-aux-Saints man anatomical-radiological study.}, journal = {Journal of cranio-maxillo-facial surgery : official publication of the European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery}, volume = {27}, number = {2}, pages = {134-139}, doi = {10.1016/s1010-5182(99)80027-4}, pmid = {10342152}, issn = {1010-5182}, mesh = {Animals ; Chin/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Dental Arch/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Fossils ; France ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Middle Aged ; *Paleontology ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {The radiological study by panoramic and CT scan methods of the Neanderthal La Chapelle-aux-Saints mandible shows us that the mandibular canal very closely resembles that which we can see in modern man. The images obtained are of good quality and can be utilized for the analysis of the internal structure of fossils.}, }
@article {pmid10318927, year = {1999}, author = {Krings, M and Geisert, H and Schmitz, RW and Krainitzki, H and Pääbo, S}, title = {DNA sequence of the mitochondrial hypervariable region II from the neandertal type specimen.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {96}, number = {10}, pages = {5581-5585}, pmid = {10318927}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Fossils ; Gene Pool ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Paleontology ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; }, abstract = {The DNA sequence of the second hypervariable region of the mitochondrial control region of the Neandertal type specimen, found in 1856 in central Europe, has been determined from 92 clones derived from eight overlapping amplifications performed from four independent extracts. When the reconstructed sequence is analyzed together with the previously determined DNA sequence from the first hypervariable region, the Neandertal mtDNA is found to fall outside a phylogenetic tree relating the mtDNAs of contemporary humans. The date of divergence between the mtDNAs of the Neandertal and contemporary humans is estimated to 465,000 years before the present, with confidence limits of 317,000 and 741,000 years. Taken together, the results support the concept that the Neandertal mtDNA evolved separately from that of modern humans for a substantial amount of time and lends no support to the idea that they contributed mtDNA to contemporary modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid10222173, year = {1999}, author = {Millard, AR and Pike, AW}, title = {Uranium-series dating of the Tabun Neanderthal: a cautionary note.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {36}, number = {5}, pages = {581-585}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1999.0302}, pmid = {10222173}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Age Determination by Skeleton/*methods ; Animals ; Hominidae/*physiology ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; *Uranium ; }, }
@article {pmid10203255, year = {1999}, author = {Ponce de León, MS and Zollikofer, CP}, title = {New evidence from Le Moustier 1: computer-assisted reconstruction and morphometry of the skull.}, journal = {The Anatomical record}, volume = {254}, number = {4}, pages = {474-489}, doi = {10.1002/(sici)1097-0185(19990401)254:4&lt;474::aid-ar3&gt;3.3.co;2-v}, pmid = {10203255}, issn = {0003-276X}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Fossils ; Germany, West ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/*methods ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {In this study, we present a new computerized reconstruction of the Le Moustier 1 Neanderthal skull and discuss its significance for Neanderthal growth and variability. Because of the precarious state of preservation of the original material, we applied entirely noninvasive methods of fossil reconstruction and morphometry, using a combination of computed tomography, computer graphics, and stereolithography. After electronic restoration, the isolated original pieces were recomposed on the computer screen using external and internal anatomical clues to position the bone fragments and mirror images to complete missing parts. The inferred effects of general compressive deformation that occurred during fossilization were corrected by virtual decompression of the skull. The resulting new reconstruction of the Le Moustier 1 skull shows morphologic features close to the typical Neanderthal adult state. Residual asymmetry of skeletal parts can be traced to in vivo skeletal modification: the left mandibular joint shows signs of a healed condylar fracture, and the anatomy of the occipital region suggests mild plagiocephaly. Using micro-CT analysis, the left incus could be recovered from the matrix filling of the middle ear cavity. Its morphometric dimensions are similar to those of the La Ferrassie III incus. The morphometric characteristics of the inner ear deviate substantially from the condition reported as typical for Neanderthals and fall within the range of modern human variability.}, }
@article {pmid10074385, year = {1999}, author = {Pike-Tay, A and Cabrera Valdés, V and Bernaldo de Quirós, F}, title = {Seasonal variations of the middle-upper paleolithic transition at El castillo, Cueva Morín and El pendo (Cantabria, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {36}, number = {3}, pages = {283-317}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1998.0271}, pmid = {10074385}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Age Determination by Teeth ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Environment ; *Fossils ; Hominidae ; Humans ; Longevity ; Mammals ; Paleontology ; *Seasons ; Spain ; Time ; Tooth ; }, abstract = {With debate escalating in regard to the prolonged contemporaneity of neandertal and modern human groups in the Franco-Cantabrian region on the one hand, and the late persistence of neandertals (until ca. 28-30,000 B.P.) and Mousterian industries in southern Iberia on the other; sites with Mousterian-Upper Paleolithic sequences from northern Spain play a pivotal role in the ongoing investigation of the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition in western Europe. An important line of inquiry into the nature of social and economic change from the Middle to Upper Paleolithic is the monitoring of shifts in land use and resource procurement patterns. The recognition of short-term, seasonal patterning in settlement and resource provisioning may provide insights into changes in mobility, territoriality, and social organization that might otherwise be missed. This paper presents results of a seasonality study of fauna from archaeological levels spanning the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition from the sites of El Castillo, El Pendo, and Cueva Morín in Cantabrian Spain. Data concerning season of death and age at death of prey animals presented here are derived from dental growth mark (increment, annuli) analysis. These data, along with other artifactual and faunal evidence suggest to us that: (1) economic strategies and technologies pervasive in the Upper Paleolithic are rooted in the Cantabrian Middle Paleolithic; and, (2) the apparent increase in deposits from the Middle through Upper Paleolithic may be the signature of a gradual increase in logistical economic strategies including the heightened level of social organization required for their implementation.}, }
@article {pmid10052921, year = {1999}, author = {Trinkaus, E}, title = {Neandertal knees and ankles: a comment on Miller and Gross.}, journal = {Journal of biomechanics}, volume = {32}, number = {2}, pages = {163-164}, doi = {10.1016/s0021-9290(98)00163-8}, pmid = {10052921}, issn = {0021-9290}, mesh = {Animals ; Ankle Joint/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Biological Evolution ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Humans ; Knee Joint/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Male ; Movement/physiology ; Paleontology ; Range of Motion, Articular/physiology ; }, }
@article {pmid9990106, year = {1999}, author = {Franciscus, RG}, title = {Neandertal nasal structures and upper respiratory tract "specialization".}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {96}, number = {4}, pages = {1805-1809}, pmid = {9990106}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus/anatomy &amp; histology ; Mammals/anatomy &amp; histology ; Nasal Cavity/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Nose/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology ; Racial Groups ; }, abstract = {Schwartz and Tattersall [Schwartz, J. H. &amp; Tattersall, I. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 10852-10854] have argued for a previously unrecognized suite of autapomorphies in the internal nasal region of Neandertals that make them unique, not only among hominids, but possibly among all other terrestrial mammals. These purported autapomorphies include (i) the development of an internal nasal margin bearing a well developed and vertically oriented medial projection; (ii) a pronounced medial swelling of the lateral nasal wall into the posterior nasal cavity; and (iii) the lack of an ossified roof over the lacrimal groove. In addition, Laitman et al. [Laitman, J. T., Reidenberg, J. S., Marquez, S. &amp; Gannon, P. J. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 10543-10545] pointed to these features as evidence for upper respiratory tract specializations among the Neandertals, indicating potential differences in behavior compared with modern humans. Critically reviewing the anatomical basis for Schwartz and Tattersall's contentions reveals several serious problems with their analysis, including (i) reliance on specimens with damaged, incomplete, or, in some cases, entirely absent relevant anatomy; (ii) failure to consider primary vs. secondary spatial consequences in nasal trait conceptualization; and (iii) failure to consider actual ranges of variation in these traits in both fossil and recent humans. Accordingly, the unique phylogenetic and adaptive "specializations" attributed to Neandertal internal nasal structures are unwarranted.}, }
@article {pmid9929174, year = {1998}, author = {Thompson, JL and Illerhaus, B}, title = {A new reconstruction of the Le Moustier 1 skull and investigation of internal structures using 3-D-muCT data.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {35}, number = {6}, pages = {647-665}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1998.0261}, pmid = {9929174}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Cephalometry ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods ; }, abstract = {Using the non-destructive technique of 3-D micro computed tomography (3-D-microCT), we present a new, virtual reconstruction of the Le Moustier 1 Neandertal skull. This new reconstruction corrects defects found in earlier reconstruction attempts by repositioning misaligned cranial fragments, addressing the problem of asymmetry caused by pressure during the fossilization process, and placing the basioccipital in its proper anatomical position. Metric comparisons between Le Moustier 1 and juvenile and adult Neandertals demonstrate that facial height proceeded at a faster rate of growth than facial prognathism at the beginning of the adolescent period. They also confirm the anterior placement of the basioccipital. A compound painted to match the colour of the fossilized bone was used in previous reconstruction attempts and the aim of this analysis was to remove the false material to reveal to what extent the fossilized bone was preserved. The areas with the most artificial material and glue include the palate, areas around the mandibular teeth, the left frontal, and parts of the right parietal and temporal bones. The microCT data were also used to examine internal structures of the skull including the frontal sinus and the labyrinth of the inner ear. An investigation of the frontal sinus reveals morphology similar to that found in adult Neandertals, although the structure does not extend to mid-orbit. The dimension of the radius of curvature of the lateral semicircular canal falls within one standard deviation, and the anterior and posterior canals within two standard deviations, of the published Neandertal mean. As in other Neandertals, the posterior semicircular canal is in an inferior position relative to the plane of the lateral canal.}, }
@article {pmid9929173, year = {1998}, author = {Schwarcz, HP and Simpson, JJ and Stringer, CB}, title = {Neanderthal skeleton from Tabun: U-series data by gamma-ray spectrometry.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {35}, number = {6}, pages = {635-645}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1998.0252}, pmid = {9929173}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Age Determination by Skeleton/*methods ; Animals ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ; Femur ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Israel ; *Protactinium ; *Spectrometry, Gamma ; *Thorium ; *Uranium ; }, abstract = {The Neanderthal hominid Tabun C1, found in Israel by Garrod &amp; Bate, was attributed to either layer B or C of their stratigraphic sequence. We have used gamma-ray spectrometry to determine the 230Th/234U and 231Pa/235U ratios of two bones from this skeleton, the mandible and a femur. The ages calculated from these ratios depend on the uranium uptake history of the bones. Assuming a model of early U (EU) uptake the age of the Tabun C1 mandible is 34+/-5 ka. The EU age of the femur is 19+/-2 ka. The femur may have experienced continuous (linear) U uptake which would give an age of 33+/-4 ka, in agreement with the mandible's EU age, but implies marked inhomogeneity in U uptake history at the site. These new age estimates for the skeleton suggest that it was younger than deposits of layer C. This apparent age is less than those of other Neanderthals found in Israel, and distinctly younger than the ages of the Skhul and Qafzeh burials. This suggests that Neanderthals did not necessarily coexist with the earliest modern humans in the region. All of the more complete Neanderthal fossils from Israel are now dated to the cool period of the last glacial cycle, suggesting that Neanderthals may have arrived in this region as a result of the southward expansion of their habitable range. The young age determined for the Tabun skeleton would suggest that Neanderthals survived as late in the Levant as they did in Europe.}, }
@article {pmid9929171, year = {1998}, author = {Ogilvie, MD and Hilton, CE and Ogilvie, CD}, title = {Lumbar anomalies in the Shanidar 3 Neandertal.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {35}, number = {6}, pages = {597-610}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1998.0249}, pmid = {9929171}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adult ; Age Determination by Skeleton ; Animals ; Congenital Abnormalities/history ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Iraq ; Lumbar Vertebrae/abnormalities/*pathology ; Lumbosacral Region/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Paleopathology ; }, abstract = {Recent examination of the Shanidar 3 remains revealed the presence of anomalous bilateral arthroses in the lumbar region. This paper describes this developmental anomaly, as well as several degenerative changes and offers potential etiologies. The Shanidar 3 remains represent an adult male Neandertal, approximately 35-50 years of age, dating to the Last Glacial. Although the partial skeleton is fragmentary, preserved elements include an almost complete set of ribs, portions of all thoracic vertebrae, all lumbar vertebrae, and the sacrum. Vertebral articulations from S1-T1 can be confidently assigned. The vertebra designated L1 is well preserved but lacks transverse processes. Instead, well defined bilateral articular surfaces, rather than transverse processes, are located on the pedicles. The skeletal elements associated with the anomalous L1 articulations were not recovered. The most likely interpretation is that the arthroses in question represent the facets for a 13th pair of ribs, a rare condition in modern hominid populations. Such lumbar developmental anomalies are an infrequent expression of a larger complex of cranial-caudal border shifting seen in the vertebral column. These shifts result in a change in the usual boundaries between the distinctive vertebral regions and are responsible for the majority of variability present in the vertebral column.}, }
@article {pmid9881525, year = {1998}, author = {Lahr, MM and Foley, RA}, title = {Towards a theory of modern human origins: geography, demography, and diversity in recent human evolution.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {Suppl 27}, number = {}, pages = {137-176}, doi = {10.1002/(sici)1096-8644(1998)107:27+&lt;137::aid-ajpa6&gt;3.0.co;2-q}, pmid = {9881525}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Demography ; *Geography ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Models, Biological ; Paleontology/*history ; }, abstract = {The origins of modern humans have been the central debate in palaeoanthropology during the last decade. We examine the problem in the context of the history of anthropology, the accumulating evidence for a recent African origin, and evolutionary mechanisms. Using a historical perspective, we show that the current controversy is a continuation of older conflicts and as such relates to questions of both origins and diversity. However, a better fossil sample, improved dates, and genetic data have introduced new perspectives, and we argue that evolutionary geography, which uses spatial distributions of populations as the basis for integrating contingent, adaptive, and demographic aspects of microevolutionary change, provides an appropriate theoretical framework. Evolutionary geography is used to explore two events: the evolution of the Neanderthal lineage and the relationship between an ancestral bottleneck with the evolution of anatomically modern humans and their diversity. We argue that the Neanderthal and modern lineages share a common ancestor in an African population between 350,000 and 250,000 years ago rather than in the earlier Middle Pleistocene; this ancestral population, which developed mode 3 technology (Levallois/Middle Stone Age), dispersed across Africa and western Eurasia in a warmer period prior to independent evolution towards Neanderthals and modern humans in stage 6. Both lineages would thus share a common large-brained ancestry, a technology, and a history of dispersal. They differ in the conditions under which they subsequently evolved and their ultimate evolutionary fate. Both lineages illustrate the repeated interactions of the glacial cycles, the role of cold-arid periods in producing fragmentation of populations, bottlenecks, and isolation, and the role of warmer periods in producing trans-African dispersals.}, }
@article {pmid9850627, year = {1998}, author = {Helmuth, H}, title = {Body height, body mass and surface area of the Neanderthals.}, journal = {Zeitschrift fur Morphologie und Anthropologie}, volume = {82}, number = {1}, pages = {1-12}, pmid = {9850627}, issn = {0044-314X}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Body Constitution ; Female ; Femur/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Humerus/anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Radius/anatomy &amp; histology ; Sex Characteristics ; Tibia/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Body size, expressed as height or stature, is an important determinant of many other biological variables. Thus, it is surprising that many textbooks portray a wrong picture of Neanderthal height as being "very short" or "just over 5 feet". Based on 45 long bones from maximally 14 males and 7 females, Neanderthals' height averages between 164 and 168 (males) resp. 152 to 156 cm (females). This height is indeed 12-14 cm lower than the height of post-WWII Europeans, but compared to Europeans some 20,000 or 100 years ago, it is practically identical or even slightly higher. Considering the body build of Neanderthals, new body weight estimates show that they are only slightly above the cm/weight or the Body Mass Index of modern Americans or Canadians. The calculation of the relative surface area (approximately 240-244 cm2/kg) is very low and supports earlier findings of a morphological and anatomical thermoregulatory adaptation to a cold climate in the Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid9758610, year = {1998}, author = {Nordborg, M}, title = {On the probability of Neanderthal ancestry.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {63}, number = {4}, pages = {1237-1240}, doi = {10.1086/302052}, pmid = {9758610}, issn = {0002-9297}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Consanguinity ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; }, }
@article {pmid9680469, year = {1998}, author = {Grine, FE and Pearson, OM and Klein, RG and Rightmire, GP}, title = {Additional human fossils from Klasies River Mouth South Africa.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {35}, number = {1}, pages = {95-107}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1998.0225}, pmid = {9680469}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; South Africa ; Temporal Bone/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {A fragmentary temporal bone and partial atlas from the Middle Stone Age (MSA) at Klasies River Mouth (KRM) are described and analyzed. The atlas (SAM-AP 6268) is comparable to Levantine "Early Modern", Neandertal and recent human vertebrae. The temporal (SAM-AP 6269) is similar to recent African homologues except that the posteromedial wall of the glenoid fossa is composed entirely of the squamous temporal, a situation that appears to be infrequent among other Pleistocene fossils. The KRM glenoid fossa is also mediolateraly broad and anteroposteriorly short in comparison with many, but not, all recent specimens. Nevertheless, the KRM temporal is decidedly modern, both morphologically and metrically, by comparison with other Pleistocene specimens. The limited evidence provided by this bone is consistent with that of other MSA cranial remains from this site in suggesting an overall, if somewhat ambiguous pattern of morphological modernity.}, }
@article {pmid9672089, year = {1998}, author = {Miller, JA and Gross, MM}, title = {Locomotor advantages of Neandertal skeletal morphology at the knee and ankle.}, journal = {Journal of biomechanics}, volume = {31}, number = {4}, pages = {355-361}, doi = {10.1016/s0021-9290(98)00031-1}, pmid = {9672089}, issn = {0021-9290}, mesh = {Animals ; Ankle Joint/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Biological Evolution ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Humans ; Knee Joint/*anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Models, Biological ; Motor Activity/*physiology ; Muscle, Skeletal/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Paleontology ; }, abstract = {We quantified Neandertal knee extensor and ankle plantarflexor moments to determine whether differences between Neandertal and recent human skeletal morphology represent important functional differences. Neandertal skeletal differences in the patella, tibial tuberosity, and calcaneus were used to modify a computer model of recent humans to calculate the moment arms and moments of Neandertal knee extensor and ankle plantarflexor muscles. We also conducted sensitivity studies on the effect of musculotendon parameters on the Neandertal moments. As expected, we found that Neandertal moment arms were greater than recent humans at the ankle (122-141%); however, the magnitude of the increase was not well-predicted from measurements of size differences between Neandertal and recent human skeletons. At the knee, Neandertal moment arms were greater than those of recent humans in the locomotor range (108%) but less so at more flexed knee angles (102%). Not all Neandertal skeletal adaptations at the knee contributed to increased moment arm. Knee extensor moments were enhanced in the Neandertal models in the locomotor range (111%), regardless of musculotendon parameters. At the ankle, however, Neandertal plantarflexor moment was greater than that of recent humans (149-200%) at all joint angles only if muscle fiber length increased proportionately with moment arm. Our results demonstrate that Neandertal skeletal morphology, compared to that of recent humans, generated greater moments at both the knee and ankle in the locomotor range but not at higher angles of knee flexion or ankle plantarflexion.}, }
@article {pmid9631569, year = {1998}, author = {Flores, JC}, title = {A mathematical model for Neanderthal extinction.}, journal = {Journal of theoretical biology}, volume = {191}, number = {3}, pages = {295-298}, doi = {10.1006/jtbi.1997.0581}, pmid = {9631569}, issn = {0022-5193}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Environment ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; }, abstract = {A simple mathematical homogeneous model of competition is used to describe Neanderthal extinction in Europe. It considers two interacting species, Neanderthals and Early Modern Men, in the same ecological niche. Using paleontological data we claim that the parameter of similarity, between both species, fluctuates between 0.992 and 0.997. An extension of the model including migration (diffusion) is also discussed; nevertheless, extinction of Neanderthal seems unavoidable. Numerical analysis of travelling wave solutions (fronts) confirms the extinction. The wave-front-velocity is estimated from linear analysis and numerical simulations confirm this estimation. We conjecture a mathematical formulation for the principle of exclusion between competitive interacting species (Gause).}, }
@article {pmid9614635, year = {1998}, author = {Dean, D and Hublin, JJ and Holloway, R and Ziegler, R}, title = {On the phylogenetic position of the pre-Neandertal specimen from Reilingen, Germany.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {34}, number = {5}, pages = {485-508}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1998.0214}, pmid = {9614635}, issn = {0047-2484}, support = {1R01DE09560-01A1/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Brain/anatomy &amp; histology ; Cephalometry ; Germany ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Humans ; Meninges/anatomy &amp; histology ; Occipital Lobe/anatomy &amp; histology ; Parietal Lobe/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Phylogeny ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Temporal Lobe/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {This paper describes the morphology and phylogenetic significance of a well-preserved fossil human cranium found near Reilingen, Germany in 1978. The specimen consists of two complete parietals, most of the right temporal, and 70% of the occipital. The specimen displays several features characteristic of early "archaic" Homo sapiens: maximum breadth at the supramastoid crests, roughly pentagonal occipital view, an angular torus, superoinferiorly elongate/ anteroposterior shortened squamous temporal, strong mastoid, and separation of the tympanic and mastoid temporal portions. Other features align the Reilingen cranium with the "classic" Neandertals: developed suprainiac fossa, bilaterally protuberant occipital torus, strong juxtamastoid eminence, a highly convex occipital plane, and lambdoid flattening. This morphology and our cephalometric analysis support the assignment of this specimen to a Stage 2 "pre-Neandertal" group (e.g., Steinheim, Swanscombe, and Atapuerca [SH site]). Following an "Accretion Model" of European hominid evolution, Stage 2 succeeds Stage 1 European "early-pre-Neandertals" (e.g., Mauer and Petralona), and precedes both the Saale-Eem Stage 3 "early Neandertals" (e.g., Biache 1), which present greater platycephaly, a reduced mastoid process, an enlarged juxtamastoid eminence, and true "en-bombe" (parieto-occipital form), and Weichsel Stage 4 "Neandertals" (sensu stricto, i.e., "classic" Neandertals).}, }
@article {pmid9614634, year = {1998}, author = {Ziegler, R and Dean, D}, title = {Mammalian fauna and biostratigraphy of the pre-Neandertal site of Reilingen, Germany.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {34}, number = {5}, pages = {469-484}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1998.0213}, pmid = {9614634}, issn = {0047-2484}, support = {1R01DE09560-01A1/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Artiodactyla ; Carnivora ; *Fossils ; Germany ; Hominidae ; Humans ; *Mammals ; Paleontology ; Perissodactyla ; Rodentia ; Skull ; }, abstract = {In 1978 three well-preserved pieces of a fossil human cranium (i.e., fused parietals, occipital and temporal) were found in a gravel pit near the southwest German town of Reilingen. It was recovered, with an accompanying mammalian fauna, as a side-product of commercial gravel mining. The sample was sorted from the dredgings of a boat-mounted crane reaching to a depth of 28 m below the surface. Here we present the mammalian fauna and discuss its biostratigraphical relevance. The fauna represents a mixture of Holstein interglacial to Würm glacial species. The occurrence of Holsteinian faunal components is indicated by presence of the extinct beaver, Trogontherium. Given the good preservation of specimens found at the lowest levels we can rule out reworking. The accompanying fauna indicates a Holstein to Würm time span bracketing the fossil hominid population.}, }
@article {pmid9614633, year = {1998}, author = {Stefan, VH and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Discrete trait and dental morphometric affinities of the Tabun 2 mandible.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {34}, number = {5}, pages = {443-468}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1997.0210}, pmid = {9614633}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Dentition ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Evolutionary scenarios of Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic hominids depend to an extent upon whether the terminal Middle Pleistocene Tabun 2 mandible has its primary affinities with the late archaic (Neandertal sensu lato) or early modern (Qafzeh-Skhul) human lineage in the region. Since the specimen has been assigned to each group or seen as bridging them, we have re-examined its morphological affinities relative to these two samples, as well as to European samples of later Pleistocene hominids. This has been done with respect to posterior corporeal and ramal discrete traits, symphyseal morphology, and proportional morphometric patterns along the dental arcade. Taking within and between sample ranges of variation into account, the lateral corporeal and ramal discrete characters are either ambiguous or suggest Neandertal affinities. Anterior symphyseal morphology is largely unknown, but a mentum osseum is indicated by a moderate incisura mandibulare anterior, and the tuber symphyseos did not extend superiorly toward the alveoli, a non-modern arrangement. The lingual symphysis presents the largest planum alveolare known for a Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic hominid. Morphometric analysis of proportions along the dental arcade separate Tabun 2 from Near Eastern and European early modern humans and place it among the late archaic humans. It is dentally closest to the Near Eastern late archaic human lineage and the Krapina sample. These analyses therefore indicate that it is best seen as part of the Near Eastern late archaic human lineage with only the mentum osseum and incisure shape indicating any approach to the Qafzeh-Skhul humans within the Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic.}, }
@article {pmid9576971, year = {1998}, author = {Trinkaus, E and Ruff, CB and Churchill, SE and Vandermeersch, B}, title = {Locomotion and body proportions of the Saint-Césaire 1 Châtelperronian Neandertal.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {95}, number = {10}, pages = {5836-5840}, pmid = {9576971}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropometry ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Europe ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; *Locomotion ; Paleontology ; }, abstract = {The initial Upper Paleolithic (Châtelperronian) of western Europe was associated with late European Neandertals, best known through the Saint-Césaire 1 partial skeleton. Biomechanical cross-sectional analysis of the Saint-Césaire 1 femoral diaphysis at the subtrochanteric and midshaft levels, given the plasticity of mammalian diaphyseal cortical bone, provides insights into the habitual levels and patterns of loading on the lower limbs from body mass, proportions, and locomotion. The overall robustnesses of the femoral diaphyses of European Neandertals and early modern humans are similar once contrasts in body proportions are incorporated into the body size scaling. Saint-Césaire 1 matches these samples only if it is provided with Neandertal-like hyperarctic body proportions. And the rounded proximal femoral diaphysis of Saint-Césaire 1 is similar to those of earlier Neandertals, likely also reflecting similar cold-adapted broad pelvic regions. However, although morphologically similar to those of archaic Homo, the Saint-Césaire 1 femoral midshaft exhibits the anteroposterior reinforcement characteristic of early modern humans. Consequently, Saint-Césaire 1 appears as a morphological Neandertal with hyperarctic body proportions who nonetheless had shifted locomotor patterns to more closely resemble those of other Upper Paleolithic humans.}, }
@article {pmid9520599, year = {1998}, author = {Cavalli-Sforza, LL}, title = {The DNA revolution in population genetics.}, journal = {Trends in genetics : TIG}, volume = {14}, number = {2}, pages = {60-65}, doi = {10.1016/s0168-9525(97)01327-9}, pmid = {9520599}, issn = {0168-9525}, mesh = {*DNA ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Forecasting ; Genetic Markers ; Genetics, Population ; Humans ; Y Chromosome ; }, abstract = {Unprecedental clarity has come to our understanding of genetic variation by the analysis of DNA sequences. It is not surprising that the new DNA technologies are leading to a resurgence of interest in population genetics. In this review, I discuss recent progress and future directions towards reconstructing the history of human populations. There is increasing consensus on a recent 'Out of Africa' origin of modern humans, which explains why the greatest fraction of genetic diversity is found within populations, rather than between them. The comparison of Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA data shows remarkable sex differences in geographic variation. The analysis of Neanderthal DNA has been a major breakthrough in the study of fossil DNA. Among major hopes for the future are application to polygenic diseases.}, }
@article {pmid9503587, year = {1998}, author = {Cooper, A and Wayne, R}, title = {New uses for old DNA.}, journal = {Current opinion in biotechnology}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, pages = {49-53}, doi = {10.1016/s0958-1669(98)80083-9}, pmid = {9503587}, issn = {0958-1669}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/analysis/*genetics ; *Fossils ; *Genome, Human ; Humans ; Paleontology/*methods ; Phylogeny ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Several years have elapsed since the last report of million-year-old DNA, coinciding with increased standards for experimental procedures in ancient DNA research. Whereas many earlier studies are now regarded as erroneous, the recent successful characterisation of Neanderthal DNA has set new standards for the field. Researchers continue to find new ways to exploit preserved genetic information in studies of more recent remains, widening the utility of ancient DNA.}, }
@article {pmid9499941, year = {1997}, author = {Léonetti, G and Signoli, M and Hershkovitz, I and Latimer, B and Tervé, JP and Jellema, L and Cianfarani, F and Dutour, O}, title = {[Variation of sphenoidal angle of human skull in the course of aging].}, journal = {Comptes rendus de l'Academie des sciences. Serie III, Sciences de la vie}, volume = {320}, number = {11}, pages = {943-947}, doi = {10.1016/s0764-4469(97)80880-3}, pmid = {9499941}, issn = {0764-4469}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Africa/ethnology ; Age Determination by Skeleton ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; *Aging ; Anthropology ; Europe/ethnology ; Female ; Humans ; Language ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sphenoid Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The degree of the cranial base flexion is a major parameter in the study of the evolution of verbal communication in mankind. The variability of this area among modern humans has received little attention. In the present study, a sample of 330 modern human skulls have been used to characterize the changes in the angle of the cranial base flexion with age, and its possible relationships with gender and ethnic origin. Statistical analysis of the results show significant changes with age. Two conclusions emerged: i) the debate regarding Neanderthal speech should also consider the effect of age on the cranial base; and ii) the sphenoidal angle can be used as an ageing criterion in forensic and anthropological studies.}, }
@article {pmid9468796, year = {1997}, author = {Templeton, AR}, title = {Out of Africa? What do genes tell us?.}, journal = {Current opinion in genetics &amp; development}, volume = {7}, number = {6}, pages = {841-847}, doi = {10.1016/s0959-437x(97)80049-4}, pmid = {9468796}, issn = {0959-437X}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Genetic Variation ; Haplotypes ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; }, abstract = {Genetic diversity patterns in nuclear versus mitochondrial systems and in low versus high mutation rate systems do not support the hypothesis of a recent African origin for all of humanity following a split between Africans and non-Africans 100,000 years ago, nor do genetic distance data. Geographical analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial gene trees do not support the hypothesis of a recent global replacement of humans coming out of Africa, although a local replacement event in Europe is indicated by these analyses and recent studies on Neandertal DNA. The gene tree analyses instead indicate that genetic interchanges have ensured that all of humanity has evolved as a single evolutionary lineage with no major splits.}, }
@article {pmid9467776, year = {1997}, author = {Seidler, H and Falk, D and Stringer, C and Wilfing, H and Müller, GB and zur Nedden, D and Weber, GW and Reicheis, W and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {A comparative study of stereolithographically modelled skulls of Petralona and Broken Hill: implications for future studies of middle Pleistocene hominid evolution.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {33}, number = {6}, pages = {691-703}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1997.0163}, pmid = {9467776}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Australia ; *Biological Evolution ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Humans ; *Models, Anatomic ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Spain ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {Computer generated three-dimensional stereolithographic models of middle Pleistocene skulls from Petralona and Broken Hill are described and compared. The anterior cranial fossae of these models are also compared with that of another middle Pleistocene skull, Arago 21. Stereolithographic modelling reproduces not only the outer surfaces of skulls, but also features within the substance of the bones, and details of the internal braincase. The skulls of Petralona and, to a somewhat lesser degree, Broken Hill are extremely pneumatized. Previously undescribed features associated with pneumatization are detailed, along with their possible functional significance, polarity, and potential for understanding hominid cranial variation. Petralona and Broken Hill also exhibit a dramatic suite of cerebral features that is probably related to extensive pneumatization of the skull, namely frontal lobes that are tilted and located behind rather than over the orbits, laterally flared temporal lobes, marked occipital projection, and basal location of the cerebellum. Comparison of the anterior cranial fossae of Petralona, Broken Hill, and Arago 21 suggests that external resemblance of skulls may not always correlate with endocranial similarity. We believe that stereolithographic reconstructions have the potential for helping to resolve difficult questions about the origins of Neanderthal and anatomically modern people.}, }
@article {pmid9467774, year = {1997}, author = {Mallegni, F and Trinkaus, E}, title = {A reconsideration of the Archi 1 Neandertal mandible.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {33}, number = {6}, pages = {651-668}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1997.0159}, pmid = {9467774}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Age Factors ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Italy ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleodontology ; Paleontology ; Tooth, Deciduous/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {A reassessment of the early last glacial immature Neandertal mandibular corpus from Archi indicates a series of features in which it closely resembles other pre-adolescent Neandertal mandibles and contrasts with those of similarly aged recent humans. These are in the context of a re-aging of the specimen to ca. 3 years on the basis of deciduous dental eruption and attrition and permanent dental calcification. The Archi 1 mandible resembles other immature. Neandertals in having a "retreating" symphyseal profile in the context of moderate development of mental trigone features. It is relatively robust in the development of lateral and basilar corpus features and some increased symphyseal and lateral corpus thickness. And it exhibits, along with other Middle Paleolithic immature mandibles, anteriorly wide dental arcades, probably due to large developing anterior permanent tooth crowns.}, }
@article {pmid9304194, year = {1997}, author = {Wong, K}, title = {Neanderthal notes. Did ancient humans play modern scales?.}, journal = {Scientific American}, volume = {277}, number = {3}, pages = {28, 30}, pmid = {9304194}, issn = {0036-8733}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA/analysis ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae/genetics ; Humans ; *Music ; }, }
@article {pmid9289844, year = {1997}, author = {Clark, GA}, title = {Neandertal genetics.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {277}, number = {5329}, pages = {1024-1025}, pmid = {9289844}, issn = {0036-8075}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Fossils ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; }, }
@article {pmid9289843, year = {1997}, author = {Cooper, A and Poinar, HN and Pääbo, S and Radovcić, J and Debénath, A and Caparros, M and Barroso-Ruiz, C and Bertranpetit, J and Nielsen-Marsh, C and Hedges, RE and Sykes, B}, title = {Neandertal genetics.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {277}, number = {5329}, pages = {1021-1024}, doi = {10.1126/science.277.5329.1021b}, pmid = {9289843}, issn = {0036-8075}, mesh = {Animals ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; Europe ; Haplotypes ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Temperature ; }, }
@article {pmid9300347, year = {1997}, author = {Carretero, JM and Arsuaga, JL and Lorenzo, C}, title = {Clavicles, scapulae and humeri from the Sima de los Huesos site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {33}, number = {2-3}, pages = {357-408}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1997.0128}, pmid = {9300347}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Axilla/anatomy &amp; histology ; Clavicle/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Europe ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Humerus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Longevity ; Male ; Paleontology ; Scapula/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Sex Characteristics ; Spain ; Time ; }, abstract = {The scapulae, clavicles and humeri recovered from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) site between 1976 and 1994 are studied. All elements are briefly described anatomically with metrics and compared with other fossil hominids in order to establish the morphological pattern of the SH hominids. A minimum of 13 individuals are represented by the humeri in the SH sample. Almost all of them can be classified as adolescents and young adults. The morphology of the SH hominid shoulder girdle and humeri indicates that much of the shoulder morphology recognized in the later true Neandertal was present in Europe long before they appeared. Thus, this morphological pattern is not exclusive to Neandertals alone. The SH clavicles, scapulae and humeri share with the Neandertals many traits usually considered to be Neandertal specializations. The comparative analysis of the SH evidence suggests that most of the SH and Neandertal shared traits are either primitive features within the genus Homo or even for all hominids, or display high variability within different hominid samples. These traits must be used with caution, or not used at all, in phylogenetic analysis. There are, however, traits that to date have only been detected in the SH hominids and the Neanderials, which could be exclusive to the European phyletic lineage (clade) of Homo.}, }
@article {pmid9300344, year = {1997}, author = {Martínez, I and Arsuaga, JL}, title = {The temporal bones from Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). A phylogenetic approach.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {33}, number = {2-3}, pages = {283-318}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1997.0155}, pmid = {9300344}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Humans ; Male ; Paleontology ; *Phylogeny ; Portugal ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; Temporal Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Time ; }, abstract = {Three well-preserved crania and 22 temporal bones were recovered from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site up to and including the 1994 field season. This is the largest sample of hominid temporal bones known from a single Middle Pleistocene site and it offers the chance to characterize the temporal bone morphology of an European Middle Pleistocene population and to study the phylogenetic relationships of the SH sample with other Upper and Middle Pleistocene hominids. We have carried out a cladistic analysis based on nine traits commonly used in phylogenetic analysis of Middle and Late Pleistocene hominids: shape of the temporal squama superior border, articular eminence morphology, contribution of the sphenoid bone to the median glenoid wall, postglenoid process projection, tympanic plate orientation, presence of the styloid process, mastoid process projection, digastric groove morphology and anterior mastoid tubercle. We have found two autapomorphies on the Home erectus temporal bone: strong reduction of the postglenoid process and absence of the styloid process. Modern humans, Neandertals and the Middle Pleistocene fossils from Europe and Africa constitute a clade characterized by a convex superior border of the temporal squama. The European Middle Pleistocene fossils from Sima de los Huesos, Petralona, Steinheim, Bilzingsleben and Castel di Guido share a Neandertal apomorphy: a relatively flat articular eminence. The fossils from Ehringsdorf, La Chaise Suardi and Biache-Saint-Vaast also display another Neandertal derived trait: an anteriorly obliterated digastric groove. Modern humans and the African Middle Pleistocene fossils share a synapomorphy: a sagittally orientated tympanic plate.}, }
@article {pmid9300343, year = {1997}, author = {Arsuaga, JL and Martínez, I and Gracia, A and Lorenzo, C}, title = {The Sima de los Huesos crania (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). A comparative study.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {33}, number = {2-3}, pages = {219-281}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1997.0133}, pmid = {9300343}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Cephalometry/methods ; Child ; Dentition ; Face/anatomy &amp; histology ; Facial Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Humans ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Paleodontology ; Paleontology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca) cranial remains found up to and including the 1995 field season are described and compared with other fossils in order to assess their evolutionary relationships. The phenetic affinities of the Sima de los Huesos crania and a large sample of Homo fossils are investigated through principal component analyses. Metrical comparisons of the Sima de los Huesos and other European and African Middle Pleistocene fossils with Neandertals are performed using Z-scores relative to the Neandertal sample statistics. The most relevant cranial traits are metrically and morphologically analyzed and cladistically evaluated. The Sima de los Huesos crania exhibit a number of primitive traits lost in Upper Pleistocene Neandertals (especially in the braincase, but also in the facial skeleton), as well as other traits that are transitional to the Neandertal morphology (particularly in the occipital bone), and features close to what is found in Neandertals (as the supraorbital morphology and midfacial prognathism). Different combinations of primitive and derived traits (shared with Neandertals) are also displayed by the other European Middle Pleistocene fossils. In conclusion, the Sima de los Huesos sample is evolutionarily related to Neandertals as well as to the other European Middle Pleistocene fossils. In our opinion, all the European Middle Pleistocene fossils belong to the Neandertal lineage, and none can be included in an Afroeuropean common ancestor of Neandertals and modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid9292168, year = {1997}, author = {Mann, A and Vandermeersch, B}, title = {An adolescent female Neandertal mandible from Montgaudier Cave, Charente, France.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {103}, number = {4}, pages = {507-527}, doi = {10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199708)103:4&lt;507::AID-AJPA8&gt;3.0.CO;2-J}, pmid = {9292168}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adolescent ; *Age Determination by Teeth ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Female ; *Fossils ; France ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Sex Characteristics ; Tooth Abrasion ; Tooth Eruption ; }, abstract = {In 1974, an incomplete human mandible was discovered in the site of Montgaudier Cave, along the Tardoire (Charente), France. The mandible was found in association with stone tools and animal bones in geological deposits referable to the very end of the Middle Pleistocene or the beginning of the Upper Pleistocene. The mandible preserves much of the anterior part of the body and three permanent teeth: left lateral incisor, canine and first molar. Estimates based on tooth eruption of modern humans, as well as occlusal wear and root development, suggest an age at death of between 12.5 and 14.5 years. Morphologically, the fossil possesses features, such as a lack of a chin and multiple mental foramina, which have been observed on immature Neandertal mandibular specimens from Europe. Comparison with these immature European Neandertals indicates that the jaw and teeth of the Montgaudier mandible are small for its chronological age, suggesting it was that of a female.}, }
@article {pmid9230299, year = {1997}, author = {Krings, M and Stone, A and Schmitz, RW and Krainitzki, H and Stoneking, M and Pääbo, S}, title = {Neandertal DNA sequences and the origin of modern humans.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {90}, number = {1}, pages = {19-30}, doi = {10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80310-4}, pmid = {9230299}, issn = {0092-8674}, mesh = {Animals ; Base Sequence ; Bone and Bones/*chemistry ; Cloning, Molecular/methods ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*chemistry/genetics/isolation &amp; purification ; *Evolution, Molecular ; *Fossils ; Genetic Variation ; Germany ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Humerus/chemistry ; Molecular Sequence Data ; *Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; }, abstract = {DNA was extracted from the Neandertal-type specimen found in 1856 in western Germany. By sequencing clones from short overlapping PCR products, a hitherto unknown mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequence was determined. Multiple controls indicate that this sequence is endogenous to the fossil. Sequence comparisons with human mtDNA sequences, as well as phylogenetic analyses, show that the Neandertal sequence falls outside the variation of modern humans. Furthermore, the age of the common ancestor of the Neandertal and modern human mtDNAs is estimated to be four times greater than that of the common ancestor of human mtDNAs. This suggests that Neandertals went extinct without contributing mtDNA to modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid9259974, year = {1997}, author = {Bocherens, H}, title = {Isotopic biogeochemistry as a marker of Neandertal diet.}, journal = {Anthropologischer Anzeiger; Bericht uber die biologisch-anthropologische Literatur}, volume = {55}, number = {2}, pages = {101-120}, pmid = {9259974}, issn = {0003-5548}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones/*chemistry ; Carbon Isotopes ; Collagen/analysis/*history ; Diet/*history ; Europe ; Feeding Behavior ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Nitrogen Isotopes ; }, abstract = {Natural abundances in 13C and 15N of bone collagen are linked to those of the diet. This isotopic signal can thus be linked to the dietary parameters of a given individual, such as the plants at the beginning of his food web and his position in the trophic web. In order to use this approach to study the diet of ancient humans, it is crucial to be sure that the original isotopic abundances of fossil collagen are preserved. This is done by controlling the biochemical purity of the organic matter extracted from fossil bones, and by checking that the isotopic differences observed in modern environments between herbivorous and carnivorous species are indeed measured in the fossil samples. Upper Pleistocene sites with a good isotopic preservation of collagen have been recognized in temperate and arctic environments. The isotopic signatures measured in such sites highlight particularities of the "mammoth steppe" fauna, and improve our knowledge of the diet of Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid9210019, year = {1997}, author = {Pearson, OM and Grine, FE}, title = {Re-analysis of the hominid radii from Cave of Hearths and Klasies River Mouth, South Africa.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {32}, number = {6}, pages = {577-592}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1996.0127}, pmid = {9210019}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Paleontology ; Radius/*anatomy &amp; histology ; South Africa ; }, abstract = {Two of the few postcranial fragments from the late Early Stone Age and/or the Middle Stone Age of southern Africa are the proximal radii from the Cave of Hearths and Klasies River Mouth. The Cave of Hearths fossil is metrically indistinguishable from both archaic (e.g., Neandertals) and recent humans, and presents a mosaic of primitive and modern features. The primitive include a relatively slender neck and thick cortical bone (the latter of which distinguishes recent humans from archaic, Early Modern, and Upper Paleolithic hominids); the modern includes an anteromedially (rather than medially) facing radial tuberosity. Its extreme collo-diaphyseal angle is unusual, although it can be matched by modern homologues. The neck-shaft angle of some Neandetral and Early Modern radii also appears to match that of the Cave of Hearths specimen. The Klasies River Mouth radius also has thick cortical bone of the neck. It is morphologically indistinguishable from Early Modern and Neandertal homologues. These, and other fossils, suggest a mosaic pattern of evolution in the postcranial skeleton of the late Early Stone Age and/or Middle Stone Age inhabitants of sub-Saharan Africa.}, }
@article {pmid9210018, year = {1997}, author = {Simek, JF and Smith, FH}, title = {Chronological changes in stone tool assemblages from Krapina (Croatia).}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {32}, number = {6}, pages = {561-575}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1996.0129}, pmid = {9210018}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {*Anthropology ; Bone and Bones ; Croatia ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Work ; }, abstract = {This study presents the results of the first recent analysis of stone tool assemblages from Krapina (Croatia). All assemblages are Pleistocene in age and many are associated with human remains, the Krapina Neandertals. The assemblages are described typologically and technologically, and subtle chronological changes in raw material selection and technology of tool blank production are observed. These changes involve increasingly sophisticated and selective use of lithic materials. Changing artefact assemblages are considered in light of variability in the hominids from Krapina, and are interpreted as reflecting behavioral change among Neandertals rather than between Neandertal and modern human populations.}, }
@article {pmid9209579, year = {1997}, author = {Niewoehner, WA and Weaver, AH and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Neandertal capitate-metacarpal articular morphology.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {103}, number = {2}, pages = {219-233}, doi = {10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199706)103:2&lt;219::AID-AJPA7&gt;3.0.CO;2-O}, pmid = {9209579}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Cartilage, Articular/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Metacarpus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Models, Theoretical ; Multivariate Analysis ; Paleontology ; Phylogeny ; Sex Characteristics ; Wrist Joint/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Neandertal capitate-metacarpal 2 and 3 articulations have been observed to differ in orientation and shape from those of more recent humans. To evaluate this, we tested for differences in capitate-metacarpal 2 (MC2) and MC2-capitate facet orientations and MC2 and MC3 robusticity indices, and for multivariate shape equivalence of the capitate-MC2/MC3 facets and the MC3 diaphysis and styloid process between samples of Neandertals and recent humans. Canonical discriminant functions of log size- and-shape and log shape transformed measurements were run on variables of the capitate-MC2 and MC3 facets, and these plus MC3 diaphysis and styloid process variables. The null hypothesis of shape equivalence is rejected for both variable sets. Modern human capitate-MC morphology results from nonallometric increases in distal capitate breadth and the projection of the MC3 styloid process, and reductions in MC2 facet height and MC3 facet breadth. These shape changes are associated with a significantly less parasagittal orientation of the capitate-MC2 facets in recent humans, but are only trivially correlated with MC 2 and 3 robusticity indices. The recent human capitate-MC 2 and 3 morphology may reflect a shift in habitual joint reaction forces from more axial to more oblique forces while maintaining similar pronation/supination of the MC2. However, the full behavioral implications of these contrasts remain unclear.}, }
@article {pmid9169993, year = {1997}, author = {Turbón, D and Pérez-Pérez, A and Stringer, CB}, title = {A multivariate analysis of Pleistocene hominids: testing hypothesis of European origins.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {32}, number = {5}, pages = {449-468}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1996.0119}, pmid = {9169993}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; Europe ; Face/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Genetic Variation ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Multivariate analysis of intra- and inter-group variability in Middle and Upper Pleistocene human remains, based on facial traits, show close affinities between Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic samples, which are clearly distinct from Lower Palaeolithic and Neanderthal samples. The between-group differences observed were significant, although no sexual differentiation was considered. This allowed the classification of the fossil remains by discriminant analysis. A modern metrical pattern can be recognized for the Upper Palaeolithic sample, falling within the variability of anatomically modern humans. The samples from Skhul and Qafzeh, although exhibiting some plesiomorphous traits, also show modern-like metrical traits. The analysis strongly support a monophyletic origin for modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid9169991, year = {1997}, author = {Ungar, PS and Fennell, KJ and Gordon, K and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Neandertal incisor beveling.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {32}, number = {5}, pages = {407-421}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1996.0109}, pmid = {9169991}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Incisor/*pathology ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Paleopathology ; Tooth Attrition ; }, abstract = {In discussions of the Neandertals, there has been repeated emphasis on the accelerated rate of attrition and the frequent presence of labial beveling of their incisors. Interpretations of this dental attrition have related it to paramasticatory and dietary uses of their anterior teeth as well as to aspects of their facial morphology. In light of this, we examined the rate of beveling (the angle between the labial and incisal surfaces) of central incisors relative to tooth wear in samples of Neandertals, Inuits and Puebloan Amerindians. I1s show little change in the beveling angle with wear and no significant differences between the samples. I1s, however, exhibit a consistent pattern of increased beveling with dental attrition, progressing rapidly until the crown height approximates its labiolinguinal cervical diameter, and then proceeding at a slower rate. All three samples exhibit a similar pattern. However, the Neandertals have significantly greater beveling in more worn teeth than either recent human sample, and the Inuits have nonsignificantly increased beveling relative to the Puebloans in these more worn I1s. In this, it is the degree of development of beveling, not the pattern of beveling, which differentiates the Neandertals. It is hypothesized that the differences between the Neandertals and recent samples could be the product of: (1) contrast in initial incisor procumbency, (2) a labial separation of the maxillary and mandibular incisal occlusal surfaces during edge-to-edge bite, and/or (3) a greater degree of interproximal wear promoting increased "posterior tipping" of the maxillary incisors. The last appears most likely.}, }
@article {pmid9140541, year = {1997}, author = {Antón, SC}, title = {Developmental age and taxonomic affinity of the Mojokerto child, Java, Indonesia.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {102}, number = {4}, pages = {497-514}, doi = {10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199704)102:4&lt;497::AID-AJPA6&gt;3.0.CO;2-P}, pmid = {9140541}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; *Age Determination by Skeleton ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*classification/growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Infant ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {An increasing number of claims place hominids outside Africa and deep in Southeast Asia at about the same time that Homo erectus first appears in Africa. The most complete of the early specimens is the partial child's calvaria from Mojokerto (Perning I), Java, Indonesia. Discovered in 1936, the child has been assigned to Australopithecus and multiple species of Homo, including H. modjokertensis, and given developmental ages ranging from 1-8 years. This study systematically assesses Mojokerto relative to modern human and fossil hominid growth series and relative to adult fossil hominids. Cranial base and vault comparisons between Mojokerto and H. sapiens sapiens (Hss) (n = 56), Neandertal (n = 4), and H. erectus (n = 4) juveniles suggest a developmental age range between 4 and 6 years. This range is based in part on new standards for assessing the relative development of the glenoid fossa. Regression analyses of vault arcs and chords indicate that H. erectus juveniles have more rounded frontals and less angulated occipitals than their adult counterparts, whereas Hss juveniles do not show these differences relative to adults. The growth of the cranial superstructures and face appear critical to creating differences in vault contours between H. erectus and Hss. In comparison with adult H. erectus and early Homo (n = 27) and adult Hss (n = 179), the Mojokerto child is best considered a juvenile H. erectus on the basis of synapomorphies of the cranial vault, particularly a metopic eminence and occipital torus, as well as a suite of characters that describe but do not define H. erectus, including obelion depression, supratoral gutter, postorbital constriction, mastoid fissure, lack of sphenoid contribution to glenoid fossa, and length and breadth ratios of the temporomandibular joint. Mojokerto is similar to other juvenile H. erectus in the degree of development of its cranial superstructures and its vault contours relative to adult Indonesian specimens. The synapomorphies which Mojokerto shares with H. erectus are often considered autapomorphies of Asian H. erectus and confirm the early establishment and long-term continuity of the Asian H. erectus bauplan. This continuity does not, however, necessarily reflect on the pattern of origin of modern humans in the region.}, }
@article {pmid9085188, year = {1997}, author = {Stringer, CB and Humphrey, LT and Compton, T}, title = {Cladistic analysis of dental traits in recent humans using a fossil outgroup.}, journal = {Journal of human evolution}, volume = {32}, number = {4}, pages = {389-402}, doi = {10.1006/jhev.1996.0112}, pmid = {9085188}, issn = {0047-2484}, mesh = {Africa ; Asia ; Australia ; Europe ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Incisor/anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/anatomy &amp; histology ; Museums ; *Paleodontology ; *Phylogeny ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The relationships between a range of modern human samples are assessed from cladistic analyses of the published population frequencies of tooth crown characters, using new data on the Krapina Neanderthal sample as an outgroup. All of the most parsimonious trees show an early divergence of African and Australasian groups. This result is compared with an alternative dendrogram proposed by Turner (1992). Reconstruction of a hypothetical dental ancestor suggests that the similarities between the African and Australasian groups result from the retention of symplesiomorphous dental traits. Additionally, despite expectations from multiregional evolution, recent Europeans are dentally less like the Krapina Neanderthals than are Africans and Australians.}, }
@article {pmid9131941, year = {1997}, author = {Oberlin, C and Sakka, M and Vacher, C}, title = {[Morphology of the Neanderthal thumb. Apropos of 6 cases and a review of the literature].}, journal = {Annales de chirurgie de la main et du membre superieur : organe officiel des societes de chirurgie de la main = Annals of hand and upper limb surgery}, volume = {16}, number = {1}, pages = {58-65}, doi = {10.1016/s0753-9053(97)80020-8}, pmid = {9131941}, issn = {1153-2424}, mesh = {Animals ; Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Metacarpus/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Paleontology ; Thumb/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, }
@article {pmid8855270, year = {1996}, author = {Schwartz, JH and Tattersall, I}, title = {Significance of some previously unrecognized apomorphies in the nasal region of Homo neanderthalensis.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {93}, number = {20}, pages = {10852-10854}, pmid = {8855270}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Child, Preschool ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Maxilla/anatomy &amp; histology ; Maxillary Sinus/anatomy &amp; histology ; Nose/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {For many years, the Neanderthals have been recognized as a distinctive extinct hominid group that occupied Europe and western Asia between about 200,000 and 30,000 years ago. It is still debated, however, whether these hominids belong in their own species, Homo neanderthalensis, or represent an extinct variant of Homo sapiens. Our ongoing studies indicate that the Neanderthals differ from modern humans in their skeletal anatomy in more ways than have been recognized up to now. The purpose of this contribution is to describe specializations of the Neanderthal internal nasal region that make them unique not only among hominids but possibly among terrestrial mammals in general as well. These features lend additional weight to the suggestion that Neanderthals are specifically distinct from Homo sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid8855213, year = {1996}, author = {Laitman, JT and Reidenberg, JS and Marquez, S and Gannon, PJ}, title = {What the nose knows: new understandings of Neanderthal upper respiratory tract specializations.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {93}, number = {20}, pages = {10543-10545}, pmid = {8855213}, issn = {0027-8424}, mesh = {Fossils ; Humans ; Nose/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology ; Phylogeny ; }, }
@article {pmid8842328, year = {1996}, author = {Churchill, SE}, title = {Particulate versus integrated evolution of the upper body in late pleistocene humans: a test of two models.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {100}, number = {4}, pages = {559-583}, doi = {10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199608)100:4&lt;559::AID-AJPA9&gt;3.0.CO;2-L}, pmid = {8842328}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Body Constitution ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Joints/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Models, Biological ; Paleontology ; Thorax/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Evolutionary biologists are largely polarized in their approaches to integrating microevolutionary and macroevolutionary processes. Neo-Darwinians typically seek to identify population-level selective and genetic processes that culminate in macroevolutionary events. Epigeneticists and structuralists, on the other hand, emphasize developmental constraints on the action of natural selection, and highlight the role of epigenetic shifts in producing evolutionary change in morphology. Accordingly, the ways in which these paradigms view and address morphological contrasts between classes of related organisms differ. These paradigms, although seldomly explicitly stated, emerge in paleoanthropology as well. Considerations of postcranial morphological contrasts between archaic and modern humans typically fall into one of two broad interpretive models. The first derives from the neo-Darwinian perspective and holds that evolution in the postcranial skeleton was largely mosaic (operating in a particulate manner), and that temporal change in specific traits informs us about behavioral shifts or genetic evolution affecting isolated anatomical regions (i.e., adaptive behavioral inferences can be made from comparative studies of individual trait complexes). The alternative model follows from the epigeneticist paradigm and sees change in specific postcranial traits as correlated responses to change in overall body form (involving shifts in regulation of skeletal growth, or selective and developmental responses to broad adaptive shifts). By this view, integration of functional systems both constrains and directs evolution of various traits, and morphological contrasts inform us about overall change in body form related to change in such things as overall growth patterns, climatic adaptation, and technological dependency. These models were tested by confirmatory factor analysis using measures of upper body form and upper limb morphological traits in Eurasian Neandertal and early modern fossils and recent human samples. Results indicate (1) a model of morphological integration fits the data better than a model of no integration, but (2) this integration accounts for less than half of the variance in upper limb traits, suggesting a high degree of tolerance for particulate evolution in the context of an integrated upper body plan. Significant relationships were detected between joint shapes and body size, between humeral shaft shape and body size and chest shape, and between measures of biomechanical efficiency and robusticity. The observed morphological differences between late archaic and early modern humans reflect particulate evolution in the context of constraints imposed by genetic and morphological integration. While particulate approaches to interpreting the fossil record appear to be justified, attention must also be paid to delineating the nature and extent of morphological integration and its role in both constraining and producing observed patterns of variation between groups. Confirmatory factor analysis provides a means of examining trait covariance matrices, and serves as a useful method of identifying patterns of integration in morphology.}, }
@article {pmid8798994, year = {1996}, author = {Lalueza, C and Pérez-Pérez, A and Turbón, D}, title = {Dietary inferences through buccal microwear analysis of middle and upper Pleistocene human fossils.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {100}, number = {3}, pages = {367-387}, doi = {10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199607)100:3&lt;367::AID-AJPA5&gt;3.0.CO;2-R}, pmid = {8798994}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Analysis of Variance ; *Dentition ; *Diet ; Female ; *Fossils ; Geography ; Humans ; *Life Style ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; *Paleodontology ; Phylogeny ; Sex Characteristics ; Tooth/*ultrastructure ; }, abstract = {Buccal microwear has been studied in a sample of 153 molar teeth from different modern hunter-gatherer, pastoralist, and agriculturalist groups, with different diets (Inuit, Fueguians, Bushmen, Australian aborigines, Andamanese, Indians from Vancouver, Veddahs, Tasmanians, Lapps, and Hindus), preserved at museum collections. Molds of an area of the buccal surface have been obtained and observed at 100x magnification in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The length and orientation of each striation have been determined with a semiautomatic program of an image analyzer system (IBAS). Results show that intergroup variability is significantly higher than the intragroup variability. There exists a tendency toward fewer striations and a higher proportion of vertical striations in the carnivorous groups than in the vegetarian ones. This microwear pattern is concordant with biomechanics (predominantly vertical mandible movements in meat eaters) and phytolith content in plants (more abrasive particles in vegetarian diets). The variability found has been used in a multivariate analysis as a base to compare the microwear pattern of a sample of 20 Middle and Upper Pleistocene fossils, mainly from Europe, analyzed with the same methodology. The sample includes specimens usually classified as archaic H. sapiens (Broken Hill, Banyoles, Montmaurin, La Chaise-Suard, La Chaise-Bourgeios et Delaunay), Neanderthal (La Quina V, Gibraltar 2, Tabun 1 and 2, Amud 1, Malarnaud, St. Cesaire, Marillac), and anatomically modern H. sapiens (Skhül 4, Qafzeh 9, Cro-Magnon 4, Abri-Pataud, Veyrier, La Madelaine, Rond-du-Barry). Results indicate that some of the Neanderthal specimens have a microwear pattern close to that of the carnivorous groups (such as Inuit and Fueguians), suggesting that these individuals follow a hunter strategy. In contrast, archaic H. sapiens and H. sapiens sapiens seem to have a more abrasive diet, probably more depending on vegetable materials, than the Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid8659525, year = {1996}, author = {Richards, M and Côrte-Real, H and Forster, P and Macaulay, V and Wilkinson-Herbots, H and Demaine, A and Papiha, S and Hedges, R and Bandelt, HJ and Sykes, B}, title = {Paleolithic and neolithic lineages in the European mitochondrial gene pool.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {59}, number = {1}, pages = {185-203}, pmid = {8659525}, issn = {0002-9297}, support = {//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; }, mesh = {Agriculture/history ; Archaeology ; Base Sequence ; DNA Primers/genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics/*history ; Europe ; *Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Variation ; Haplotypes ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Middle East ; Models, Genetic ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {Phylogenetic and diversity analysis of the mtDNA control region sequence variation of 821 individuals from Europe and the Middle East distinguishes five major lineage groups with different internal diversities and divergence times. Consideration of the diversities and geographic distribution of these groups within Europe and the Middle East leads to the conclusion that ancestors of the great majority of modern, extant lineages entered Europe during the Upper Paleolithic. A further set of lineages arrived from the Middle East much later, and their age and geographic distribution within Europe correlates well with archaeological evidence for two culturally and geographically distinct Neolithic colonization events that are associated with the spread of agriculture. It follows from this interpretation that the major extant lineages throughout Europe predate the Neolithic expansion and that the spread of agriculture was a substantially indigenous development accompanied by only a relatively minor component of contemporary Middle Eastern agriculturalists. There is no evidence of any surviving Neanderthal lineages among modern Europeans.}, }
@article {pmid8622762, year = {1996}, author = {Hublin, JJ and Spoor, F and Braun, M and Zonneveld, F and Condemi, S}, title = {A late Neanderthal associated with Upper Palaeolithic artefacts.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {381}, number = {6579}, pages = {224-226}, doi = {10.1038/381224a0}, pmid = {8622762}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Animals ; Ear, Inner/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; France ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/classification ; Humans ; Species Specificity ; Temporal Bone/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The French site of Arcy-sur-Cure is a key locality in documenting the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in Europe. Reliable attribution of the fragmentary hominid fossils associated with its early Upper Palaeolithic Châtelperronian industry has not been possible. Here we report the first conclusive identification of one of these fossils as Neanderthal on the basis of newly discovered derived features of the bony labyrinth. Dated at about thirty-four thousand years (34 kyr) ago, the fossil is representative of the youngest known Neanderthal populations, and its archaeological context indicates that these hominids used a rich bone industry as well as personal ornaments. The evidence supports the hypothesis of a long term coexistence with technocultural interactions between the first modern humans and the last Neanderthals in Europe. However, the complete absence of the derived Neanderthal traits in labyrinths of modern Upper Palaeolithic specimens from western Europe argues against phylogenetic continuity between the two populations in this region.}, }
@article {pmid8859957, year = {1996}, author = {Walrath, DE and Glantz, MM}, title = {Sexual dimorphism in the pelvic midplane and its relationship to Neandertal reproductive patterns.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {100}, number = {1}, pages = {89-100}, doi = {10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199605)100:1&lt;89::AID-AJPA9&gt;3.0.CO;2-8}, pmid = {8859957}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Female ; Femur/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Humans ; Labor, Obstetric ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pelvic Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Pregnancy ; Regression Analysis ; Reproduction ; *Sex Characteristics ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {The fragmentary nature of the fossil record has limited the analysis of the Neandertal pelvis to the superior pubic ramus and the pelvic inlet. From an obstetric viewpoint, the pelvic midplane or "plane of least dimensions," defined by the distance between the ischial spines, must be considered in the analysis of hominid reproduction. We examined the relationship between BSD and weight in a mixed sex hospital population undergoing diagnostic computed tomography (CT) scans (41 females and 40 males). Because femoral head diameter squared (FH(2)) has been used as a proxy for weight in skeletal populations, it was also analyzed with respect to BSD and weight. Bivariate regression analysis of BSD with other body dimensions indicates the presence of significant sex differences. In females, but not in males, weight is a statistically significant predictor of BSD. FH(2) is an even better predictor of BSD in females while nonsignificant in males. Although weight and FH(2) are significantly correlated with BSD in females, FH(2) does not predict weight in females as well as it does in males. The positive correlation between skeletal frame size and BSD in females is indicative of an evolutionary pattern that must take into account the pressures of reproduction. Our results indicate that critical dimensions of the pelvis must increase as the maternal skeleton becomes larger. These results provide a context for the interpretation of the reproductive patterns of a relatively robust hominid population like the Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid8928714, year = {1996}, author = {Tompkins, RL}, title = {Relative dental development of Upper Pleistocene hominids compared to human population variation.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {99}, number = {1}, pages = {103-118}, doi = {10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199601)99:1&lt;103::AID-AJPA6&gt;3.0.CO;2-1}, pmid = {8928714}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Black People ; Europe/ethnology ; Female ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Male ; North America ; *Paleodontology ; *Population ; South Africa ; Tooth/*growth &amp; development ; Tooth Calcification ; White People ; }, abstract = {The relative development of permanent teeth in samples of Neandertal/archaic Homo and Early Modern/Upper Paleolithic hominids is compared to the range of variability found in three recent human samples. Both fossil hominid samples are advanced in relative M2 and M3 development compared to white French-Canadians, but only the Neandertal/archaic Homo M3 sample is advanced when compared to black southern Africans. Both fossil hominid samples are delayed in relative I1 and P3 development compared to the recent human samples. Two hypotheses concerning the significance of the advanced M3 and M2 development found in both hominid groups and southern Africans compared to French-Canadians are discussed. The first postulates that the differences in relative molar development are due simply to variation in tooth/jaw size relationships. The second postulates that the relatively advanced M3 and M2 development found in the fossil hominids and southern Africans is a correlate of their potential for advanced skeletal maturation compared to French-Canadians and other European-derived populations. It appears that dental development patterns have continued to evolve from the Upper Pleistocene to present times, and that Neandertals and Early Moderns shared similar patterns of relative dental development.}, }
@article {pmid7566170, year = {1995}, author = {Akazawa, T and Muhesen, S and Dodo, Y and Kondo, O and Mizoguchi, Y}, title = {Neanderthal infant burial.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {377}, number = {6550}, pages = {585-586}, doi = {10.1038/377585a0}, pmid = {7566170}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; *Burial ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Infant ; Skeleton ; Syria ; }, }
@article {pmid7653506, year = {1995}, author = {Grine, FE and Jungers, WL and Tobias, PV and Pearson, OM}, title = {Fossil Homo femur from Berg Aukas, northern Namibia.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {97}, number = {2}, pages = {151-185}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330970207}, pmid = {7653506}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Anthropometry ; Classification ; Femur/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Humans ; Mining ; Namibia ; Reference Values ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {The proximal half of a hominid femur was recovered from deep within a paleokarst feature at the Berg Aukas mine, northern Namibia. The femur is fully mineralized, but it is not possible to place it in geochronological context. It has a very large head, an exceptionally thick diaphyseal cortex, and a very low collodiaphyseal angle, which serve to differentiate it from Holocene homologues. The femur is not attributable to Australopithecus, Paranthropus, or early Homo (i.e., H. habilis sensu lato). Homo erectus femora have a relatively longer and AP flatter neck, and a shaft that exhibits less pilaster than the Berg Aukas specimen. Berg Aukas also differs from early modern femora in several features, including diaphyseal cortical thickness and the degree of subtrochanteric AP flattening. The massive diaphyseal cortex of Berg Aukas finds its closest similarity within archaic H. sapiens (e.g., Castel di Guido) and H. erectus (e.g., KNM-ER 736) samples. It has more cortical bone at midshaft than any other specimen, although relative cortical thickness and the asymmetry of its cross-sectional disposition at this level are comparable with those of other Pleistocene femora. The closest morphological comparisons with Berg Aukas are in archaic (i.e., Middle Pleistocene) H. sapiens and Neandertal samples.}, }
@article {pmid7753190, year = {1995}, author = {Zollikofer, CP and Ponce de León, MS and Martin, RD and Stucki, P}, title = {Neanderthal computer skulls.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {375}, number = {6529}, pages = {283-285}, doi = {10.1038/375283b0}, pmid = {7753190}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Animals ; Child, Preschool ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Skull/*diagnostic imaging ; Software ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, }
@article {pmid17775812, year = {1995}, author = {Klein, RG}, title = {Neanderthal carnivory.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {267}, number = {5205}, pages = {1843-1844}, doi = {10.1126/science.267.5205.1843}, pmid = {17775812}, issn = {0036-8075}, }
@article {pmid7785727, year = {1995}, author = {Bermúdez de Castro, JM and Pérez, PJ}, title = {Enamel hypoplasia in the middle pleistocene hominids from Atapuerca (Spain).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {96}, number = {3}, pages = {301-314}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330960307}, pmid = {7785727}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Age Distribution ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dental Enamel Hypoplasia/epidemiology/*pathology ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Paleopathology ; Prevalence ; Spain ; }, abstract = {The prevalence and chronology of enamel hypoplasias were studied in a hominid dental sample from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) Middle Pleistocene site at the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, northern Spain). A total of 89 permanent maxillary teeth, 143 permanent mandibular teeth, and one deciduous lower canine, belonging to a minimum of 29 individuals, were examined. Excluding the antimeres (16 maxillary and 37 mandibular cases) from the sample, the prevalence of hypoplasias in the permanent dentition is 12.8% (23/179), whereas the deciduous tooth also showed an enamel defect. No statistically significant differences were found between both arcades and between the anterior and postcanine teeth for the prevalence of hypoplasias. In both the maxilla and the mandible the highest frequency of enamel hypoplasias was recorded in the canines. Only one tooth (a permanent upper canine) showed two different enamel defects, and most of the hypoplasias were expressed as faint linear horizontal defects. Taking into account the limitations that the incompleteness of virtually all permanent dentitions imposes, we have estimated that the frequency by individual in the SH hominid sample was not greater than 40%. Most of the hypoplasias occurred between birth and 7 years (N = 18, X = 3.5, SD = 1.3). Both the prevalence and severity of the hypoplasias of the SH hominid sample are significantly less than those of a large Neandertal sample. Furthermore, prehistoric hunter-gatherers and historic agricultural and industrial populations exhibit a prevalence of hypoplasias generally higher than that of the SH hominids. Implications for the survival strategies and life quality of the SH hominids are also discussed.}, }
@article {pmid7785726, year = {1995}, author = {Smith, SL}, title = {Pattern profile analysis of hominid and chimpanzee hand bones.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {96}, number = {3}, pages = {283-300}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330960306}, pmid = {7785726}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; Body Height ; Body Weight ; Carpal Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Metacarpus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Pan troglodytes/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {In a study designed to complement morphological research on hominid hand bones, length and width measurements of the thumb, index, and middle rays were obtained from radiographs of modern human hands. These rays are primary in precision-gripping postures and are therefore the ones most relevant for investigating evolutionary changes in fine manipulation. Pattern profile analysis allows individuals or samples to be plotted against a reference sample in standard deviation units, or Z-scores. It provides an indication of how different measurements are from modern human averages, while taking into consideration the degree of variation present within modern human samples. A pattern profile for chimpanzees is clearly distinct from humans but quite similar to that of a bonobo, demonstrating the promise of pattern analysis. Partial pattern profiles of several of the more complete early hominid bones from Hadar, Swartkrans, and Olduvai (O.H. 7) are presented and compared. Hadar bones are long and wide at midshaft relative to articular widths; both body-size effects and functional differences are likely. Thumb distal phalanges from Swartkrans and Olduvai both have relatively small base widths, but they differ in other proportions. Two first metacarpals from Swartkrans show distinct patterns. The profiles of La Ferrassie I and Shanidar IV show the characteristically large Neanderthal distal phalanges. Profiles of Skhul IV and Predmost III are alike in some regions with reference to modern North American white males, though they are less similar overall than are those of the two Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid7726295, year = {1995}, author = {Villa, G and Giacobini, G}, title = {Subvertical grooves of interproximal facets in Neandertal posterior teeth.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {96}, number = {1}, pages = {51-62}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330960106}, pmid = {7726295}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; France ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Italy ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Molar/*pathology ; Paleodontology ; Tooth Abrasion/*history/pathology ; Tooth Erosion/*history/pathology ; }, abstract = {Subvertical grooves, located on the interproximal facets of most Neandertal posterior teeth, are less frequently noted on the teeth of other hominids, including modern humans. These grooves, 0.1-0.5 mm in width, are strictly localized within the facet area. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examination of grooves present on Neandertal teeth from Caverna delle Fate (Liguria, Italy) and Genay (Côte d'Or, France) demonstrated that they were produced during the life of these individuals. Characteristics of the groove surface suggest an erosion-abrasion mechanism of formation. These grooves, which developed in parts of the dentition exposed to marked stress, originated in areas characterized by changes in the orientation of enamel prism bundles (i.e., Hunter-Schreger bands). Observations carried out on modern human molars showed a subvertical disposition of these bands near interproximal ridges facilitating subvertical microfractures. Possible correlations between enamel structure, masticatory stress, and interproximal groove formation in Neandertals are discussed.}, }
@article {pmid7864065, year = {1994}, author = {Lieberman, P}, title = {Functional tongues and neanderthal vocal tract reconstruction: a reply to Dr. Houghton (1993).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {95}, number = {4}, pages = {443-50; discussion 450-2}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330950408}, pmid = {7864065}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; Glottis/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Speech/*physiology ; Tongue/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; }, }
@article {pmid7942855, year = {1994}, author = {Torroni, A and Lott, MT and Cabell, MF and Chen, YS and Lavergne, L and Wallace, DC}, title = {mtDNA and the origin of Caucasians: identification of ancient Caucasian-specific haplogroups, one of which is prone to a recurrent somatic duplication in the D-loop region.}, journal = {American journal of human genetics}, volume = {55}, number = {4}, pages = {760-776}, pmid = {7942855}, issn = {0002-9297}, support = {GM46915/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; NS21328/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; Asian People/genetics ; Base Sequence ; *Biological Evolution ; Black People/genetics ; Canada ; *Chromosome Aberrations ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Mitochondrial/analysis/*genetics ; *Genetic Variation ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Hominidae/*genetics ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods ; Restriction Mapping ; Time ; United States ; White People/*genetics ; Black or African American ; }, abstract = {mtDNA sequence variation was examined in 175 Caucasians from the United States and Canada by PCR amplification and high-resolution restriction-endonuclease analysis. The majority of the Caucasian mtDNAs were subsumed within four mtDNA lineages (haplogroups) defined by mutations that are rarely seen in Africans and Mongoloids. The sequence divergence of these haplogroups indicates that they arose early in Caucasian radiation and gave raise to modern European mtDNAs. Although ancient, none of these haplogroups is old enough to be compatible with a Neanderthal origin, suggesting that Homo sapiens sapiens displaced H. s. neanderthaliensis, rather than mixed with it. The mtDNAs of one of these haplogroups have a unique homoplasmic insertion between nucleotide pair (np) 573 and np 574, within the D-loop control region. This insertion makes these mtDNAs prone to a somatic mutation that duplicates a 270-bp portion of the D-loop region between np 309 and np 572. This finding suggests that certain nonpathogenic mtDNA mutations could predispose individuals to mtDNA rearrangements.}, }
@article {pmid8296874, year = {1993}, author = {Minugh-Purvis, N}, title = {Reexamination of the immature hominid maxilla from Tangier, Morocco.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {92}, number = {4}, pages = {449-461}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330920404}, pmid = {8296874}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Age Determination by Teeth ; Animals ; Bicuspid/anatomy &amp; histology ; Cephalometry ; Child ; Cuspid/anatomy &amp; histology ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Humans ; Maxilla/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/anatomy &amp; histology ; Morocco ; Odontometry ; *Paleodontology ; *Paleontology ; Reference Values ; Zygoma/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Reexamination of the immature Upper Pleistocene hominid maxilla from Mugharet el-'Aliya (Tangier), Morocco is undertaken in light of new evidence on the growth and development of Upper Pleistocene hominids. Metric and qualitative comparisons were made with 17 immature Upper Pleistocene maxillae, and with a recent Homo sapiens sapiens sample. No unambiguous criteria for aligning the maxilla with Neandertals were found, although one character, the degree of maxillary flexion on the zygoma, strongly suggests that this child could be a representative of H.s. sapiens. The probable lack of a canine fossa in Mugharet el-'Aliya 1, the primary criterion used previously to align it with Neandertals, cannot be accurately extrapolated to its adult form from this juvenile. The present evidence suggests that it is inappropriate to refer to this fossil as "Neandertal-like" or as a North African "neandertaloid." Thus, the Tangier maxilla should not be cited as evidence for the presence of Neandertal facial features in North Africa during the Upper Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid8235638, year = {1993}, author = {Dorozynski, A}, title = {Possible neandertal ancestor found.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {262}, number = {5136}, pages = {991}, doi = {10.1126/science.8235638}, pmid = {8235638}, issn = {0036-8075}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Italy ; }, }
@article {pmid8273825, year = {1993}, author = {Molnar, S and Hildebolt, C and Molnar, IM and Radovcic, J and Gravier, M}, title = {Hominid enamel thickness: I. The Krapina Neandertals.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {92}, number = {2}, pages = {131-138}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330920202}, pmid = {8273825}, issn = {0002-9483}, support = {DE08173/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States ; }, mesh = {Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Croatia ; Dental Enamel/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; *Paleodontology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {Dental x-rays were taken of isolated and in situ adult molar teeth of the Krapina Neandertal (n = 63) and of recent and contemporary molars (n = 423). The radiographs were digitized at high resolution (1,024 x 1,520 x 8 bits) with a 35 mm solid state scanner. Ratios of enamel cap area to the underlying dentinal-pulpal area were determined and comparisons were made between average ratios for the Neandertal and contemporary molars. Neandertal molars had significantly smaller ratios than did contemporary teeth (P < 0.05). It is suggested that the smaller ratios represent relatively thinner enamel for Neandertals and that the thin enamel may have been caused by a metabolic depression that resulted in reduced enamel quantity (hypoplasia). Alternatively, the observed differences may be related to expanded pulps seen in various stages of taurodontism.}, }
@article {pmid8333489, year = {1993}, author = {Sohn, S and Wolpoff, MH}, title = {Zuttiyeh face: a view from the East.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {91}, number = {3}, pages = {325-347}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330910307}, pmid = {8333489}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Facial Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Middle East ; *Paleopathology ; Phylogeny ; }, abstract = {We analyze the phylogenetic position of the frontofacial fragment from Zuttiyeh, Israel. This specimen is dated to the Middle Pleistocene (the latest estimate is between 250 and 350 kyr) and is associated with the Acheulo-Yabrudian, which makes it the oldest cranium from the region. It has been previously regarded as a Neandertal, and early "anatomically modern Homo sapiens," and a generalized specimen ancestral to both. These different phylogenetic interpretations of its features have a historic basis but in our view also result from a confusion of grade and intraspecies clade as valid sources of variation. We show here that generally the differences that distinguish Zuttiyeh from Neandertals are similarities it shares with the Zhoukoudian remains. These similarities involve a unique combination of features, and suggest the possibility of an ancestral relationship. It is less likely that Middle Pleistocene remains from Europe or sub-Saharan Africa are uniquely or significantly ancestral to Zuttiyeh. An accurate understanding of the relationship between populations of eastern and western Asia is important for resolving the more general questions surrounding the position of the Upper Pleistocene Levant populations in human evolution, including (1) whether there are significantly different contemporary Mousterian populations in the Upper Pleistocene, (2) whether Neandertals are clearly intrusive in the region, and (3) whether there is an early appearance of (what many workers call) "anatomically modern Homo sapiens." The hypothesis of a recent unique African ancestry for all modern humans is disproved by our study, which shows Asia as a significant source area for at least some living populations.}, }
@article {pmid8387643, year = {1993}, author = {McDermott, F and Grün, R and Stringer, CB and Hawkesworth, CJ}, title = {Mass-spectrometric U-series dates for Israeli Neanderthal/early modern hominid sites.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {363}, number = {6426}, pages = {252-255}, doi = {10.1038/363252a0}, pmid = {8387643}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Dental Enamel/chemistry ; Dentin/chemistry ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Israel ; Mass Spectrometry ; }, abstract = {The nature of the relationship between Neanderthals and early modern Homo sapiens is controversial, yet it is fundamental to our understanding of early human evolution. The Middle Palaeolithic sites of Israel are critical to this debate, because unlike those of western Europe and Africa they contain both Neanderthal (at Tabun and Kebara for example) and anatomically modern hominids (as at Skhul and Qafzeh). Here we present new mass spectrometric 230Th/234U dates for dental fragments from the Middle Palaeolithic burial sites of Tabun, Qafzeh and Skhul. These data, combined with published ages from electron spin resonance (ESR), provide compelling evidence that the Tabun Neanderthals and Qafzeh early modern Homo sapiens were approximately coeval in the southern Levant some 100 +/- 5 kyr ago, but indicate that some of the Skhul material is younger. The study also shows that combined mass-spectrometric 230Th/234U and ESR dating is an invaluable technique for dating archaeological sites beyond the range of radiocarbon dating.}, }
@article {pmid8512051, year = {1993}, author = {Spencer, MA and Demes, B}, title = {Biomechanical analysis of masticatory system configuration in Neandertals and Inuits.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {91}, number = {1}, pages = {1-20}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330910102}, pmid = {8512051}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adaptation, Physiological ; Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Female ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Humans ; *Indians, North American ; *Inuit ; Male ; Models, Biological ; Stomatognathic System/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; }, abstract = {Considerable debate has surrounded the adaptive significance of Neandertal craniofacial morphology. Numerous unique morphological features of this form have been interpreted as indicating an adaptation to intense anterior tooth use. Conversely, it has been argued that certain features related to muscle position imply a reduced mechanical advantage for producing bite forces on the incisors and canines. In this study, hypotheses about morphological specializations for anterior tooth use have been derived from a biomechanical model of Greaves (1978). These hypotheses were tested by performing separate pairwise comparisons of Neandertals and early Homo sapiens, and Inuits and Native Americans from Utah. Inuits are known to have produced repeated and high magnitude forces on their anterior dentition and therefore serve as a good model for a hominid adapted to intensive anterior tooth use. Biomechanically relevant dimensions of the masticatory system were measured using a computer-driven video analysis system and compared between the two taxa in each comparison. The results of this study reveal a number of similarities between the morphological specializations exhibited by Neandertals and Inuits that can be related to intensified anterior tooth use. The hypothesis that Neandertals were poorly designed for producing masticatory forces is rejected. Specializations that differ between the two groups are interpreted as being the result of differential functional demands placed on the postcanine dentition in Neandertals and Inuits. It is suggested that many of the unique morphological features of the Neandertal face are a response to intensified use of the anterior dentition and the need to retain a sufficiently large postcanine occlusal area necessary for a relatively high attrition diet.}, }
@article {pmid8464493, year = {1993}, author = {Arsuaga, JL and Martínez, I and Gracia, A and Carretero, JM and Carbonell, E}, title = {Three new human skulls from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site in Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {362}, number = {6420}, pages = {534-537}, doi = {10.1038/362534a0}, pmid = {8464493}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Anthropometry ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; Skull ; Spain ; }, abstract = {Three important fossil hominids were found in July 1992 in the Middle Pleistocene cave site called Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Northern Spain). One is a complete calvaria (cranium 4), the second a virtually complete cranium (cranium 5), the third represents a more fragmentary cranium of an immature individual (cranium 6). There is a large difference in size between the two adult specimens (for example endocranial volume 1,125 cm3 versus 1,390 cm3). The Atapuerca human remains are dated to > 300,000 years. The Atapuerca cranial sample fits within the 'archaic Homo sapiens' group, but is well differentiated from the Asian Homo erectus group. The extensive Atapuerca human collection is the most complete sample of Middle Pleistocene humans yet discovered from one site, and appears to document an early stage in Neanderthal evolution.}, }
@article {pmid8430750, year = {1993}, author = {Houghton, P}, title = {Neandertal supralaryngeal vocal tract.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {90}, number = {2}, pages = {139-146}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330900202}, pmid = {8430750}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Cervical Vertebrae/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Humans ; Larynx/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Mouth/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; Speech/*physiology ; }, abstract = {Interpretations of skeletal anatomy claiming to show that Neandertals could not have had a similar supralaryngeal vocal apparatus to that of humans are demonstrated to be flawed. Correction of the errors suggests that the Neandertal vocal apparatus need not have differed from that of recent humans.}, }
@article {pmid1476422, year = {1992}, author = {Zängl-Kumpf, U}, title = {[Hermann Schaaffhausen (1816-1893) and the early history of the profession of anthropology].}, journal = {Anthropologischer Anzeiger; Bericht uber die biologisch-anthropologische Literatur}, volume = {50}, number = {4}, pages = {335-354}, pmid = {1476422}, issn = {0003-5548}, mesh = {Anthropology, Physical/*history ; Germany ; History, 19th Century ; }, abstract = {The most important and best-known merit of Hermann Schaaffhausen is the correct explanation of the Neanderthal man as a fossil human being. Considering his work in the field of paleoanthropology one can designate him as the founder of this anthropological discipline in Germany. Beyond that he was also very active in the "Deutsche Anthropologische Gesellschaft" of the 19th century and played an important role as an editor of the journal "Archiv für Anthropologie". Thus, Hermann Schaaffhausen can be considered as one of the most important founders of Physical Anthropology in Germany. He belongs to those persons to whom German Anthropology owes its acknowledgement as an academic subject in German universities.}, }
@article {pmid1463085, year = {1992}, author = {Crubézy, E and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Shanidar 1: a case of hyperostotic disease (DISH) in the middle Paleolithic.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {89}, number = {4}, pages = {411-420}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330890402}, pmid = {1463085}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Hyperostosis, Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal/*history/pathology ; Iraq ; *Paleopathology ; }, abstract = {The Shanidar 1 Neandertal partial skeleton presents osteophytic lesions on its vertebrae and appendicular skeleton which appear independent of the multiple traumatic and degenerative joint disease lesions on the individual. In particular, the large flowing osteophyte on the L3 body, a smaller one on the L5 body, and enthesopathic osteophytes on both calcaneal tuberosities, both patellae and the left ulnar olecranon, support a diagnosis of hyperostotic disease (DISH). The diagnosis is supported by small enthesopathic osteophytes on the preserved femoral greater trochanter and scapular corocoid process. This diagnosis would make it the oldest hominid specimen clearly presenting this systemic condition.}, }
@article {pmid1303297, year = {1992}, author = {Coppens, Y}, title = {[The first peopling of Europe: the extraordinary history of Neanderthal Man].}, journal = {Bulletin de l'Academie nationale de medecine}, volume = {176}, number = {9}, pages = {1465-1471}, pmid = {1303297}, issn = {0001-4079}, mesh = {Animals ; Europe ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Paleontology/*history ; }, }
@article {pmid1357697, year = {1992}, author = {Mellars, PA}, title = {Archaeology and the population-dispersal hypothesis of modern human origins in Europe.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {337}, number = {1280}, pages = {225-234}, doi = {10.1098/rstb.1992.0100}, pmid = {1357697}, issn = {0962-8436}, mesh = {Animals ; Archaeology ; *Biological Evolution ; Europe ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Industry ; *Population ; Time ; }, abstract = {The transition from anatomically 'archaic' to 'modern' populations would seem to have occurred in most regions of Europe broadly between ca. 40 and 30 ka ago: much later than in most other areas of the world. The archaeological evidence supports the view that this transition was associated with the dispersal of new human populations into Europe, equipped with a new technology ('Aurignacian') and a range of radical behavioural and cultural innovations which collectively define the 'Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition'. In several regions of Europe there is archaeological evidence for a chronological overlap between these populations and the final Neanderthal populations and, apparently, for various forms of contact, interaction and, apparently, 'acculturation' between these two populations. The fundamental behavioural adaptations implicit in the 'Upper Palaeolithic Revolution' (possibly including language) are thought to have been responsible for this rapid dispersal of human populations over the ecologically demanding environments of last-glacial Europe.}, }
@article {pmid1357696, year = {1992}, author = {Stringer, CB}, title = {Reconstructing recent human evolution.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {337}, number = {1280}, pages = {217-224}, doi = {10.1098/rstb.1992.0099}, pmid = {1357696}, issn = {0962-8436}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Fossils ; Geography ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; Multivariate Analysis ; Time ; }, abstract = {The two most distinct models of recent human evolution, the multiregional and the recent African origin models, have different retrodictions concerning specific archaic-recent population relationships. The former model infers multiple regional archaic-modern connections and the ancient establishment of regional characteristics, whereas the latter model implies only an African archaic-all modern relationship, with recent (late Pleistocene) development of regionality. In this paper, four late archaic groups from Europe, southwest Asia, Africa and East Asia are compared with various fossil and recent Homo sapiens crania or cranial samples. The results of Penrose shape comparisons narrowly favour a late archaic African-modern special relationship over an East Asian-modern one, with European and southwest Asian Neanderthal groups much more distant. No specific archaic-recent regional relationships are indicated in the shape analyses, nor in separate examinations of patterns of regionality, which indicate a recent origin for present day regionality. The Skhul-Qafzeh sample provides an excellent shape intermediate between the archaic and recent samples.}, }
@article {pmid1357693, year = {1992}, author = {Hublin, JJ}, title = {Recent human evolution in northwestern Africa.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {337}, number = {1280}, pages = {185-191}, doi = {10.1098/rstb.1992.0096}, pmid = {1357693}, issn = {0962-8436}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*classification ; Humans ; Morocco ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Time ; }, abstract = {The first modern humans in the Maghreb are said to be associated with the Aterian industries which appeared at least 40 ka BP in the northwest. Their predecessors are mainly represented by the Jebel Irhoud (Morocco) specimens. Palaeontological evidence, as well as electron spin resonance (ESR) dating, suggests that this series is older than previously published, and should belong to oxygen isotope stage 5 or even 6. There is no evidence of any Neanderthal apomorphy in this group which can no longer be considered as 'African Nanderthals'. Clear synapomorphies with modern man combined with some plesiomorphic retentions indicate a slightly more primitive (and older?) grade than the Qafzeh-Skhul sample in southwestern Asia. The Northwestern evidence demonstrates that the mediterranean sea was a major biological barrier during the upper Middle and lower Upper Pleistocene and that the rise of anatomically modern features cannot be restricted to a sub-Saharan of eastern African area.}, }
@article {pmid1510108, year = {1992}, author = {Tague, RG}, title = {Sexual dimorphism in the human bony pelvis, with a consideration of the Neandertal pelvis from Kebara Cave, Israel.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {88}, number = {1}, pages = {1-21}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330880102}, pmid = {1510108}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Black People ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Indians, North American ; Israel ; Male ; Pelvic Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Sex Characteristics ; White People ; }, abstract = {Sexual dimorphism of the human pelvis is inferentially related to obstetrics. However, researchers disagree in the identification and obstetric significance of pelvic dimorphisms. This study addresses three issues. First, common patterns in dimorphism are identified by analysis of pelvimetrics from six independent samples (Whites and Blacks of known sex and four Amerindian samples of unknown sex). Second, an hypothesis is tested that the index of pelvic dimorphism (female mean x 100/male mean) is inversely related to pelvic variability. Third, the pelvic dimensions of the Neandertal male from Kebara cave, Israel are compared with those of the males in this study. The results show that the pelvic inlet is the plane of least dimorphism in humans. The reason that reports often differ in the identification of dimorphisms for this pelvic plane is that both the length of the pubis and the shape of the inlet are related to nutrition. The dimensions of the pelvis that are most dimorphic (that is, female larger than male) are the measures of posterior space, angulation of sacrum, biischial breadth, and subpubic angle. Interestingly, these dimensions are also the most variable. The hypothesis that variability and dimorphism are inversely related fails to be supported. The factors that influence pelvic variability are discussed. The Kebara 2 pelvis has a spacious inlet and a confined outlet relative to modern males, though the circumferences of both planes in the Neandertal are within the range of variation of modern males. The inference is that outlet circumference in Neandertal females is also small in size, but within the range of variation of modern females. Arguments that Neandertal newborns were larger in size than those of modern humans necessarily imply that birth was more difficult in Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid1566057, year = {1992}, author = {Gibbons, A}, title = {Paleoanthropology. Neandertal language debate: tongues wag anew.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {256}, number = {5053}, pages = {33-34}, doi = {10.1126/science.1566057}, pmid = {1566057}, issn = {0036-8075}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; *Language ; Paleontology ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, }
@article {pmid1580351, year = {1992}, author = {Corruccini, RS}, title = {Metrical reconsideration of the Skhul IV and IX and Border Cave 1 crania in the context of modern human origins.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {87}, number = {4}, pages = {433-445}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330870405}, pmid = {1580351}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Africa ; Animals ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Middle East ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The "out-of-Africa" models for origins of modern Homo sapiens incorporate Skhul as one site documenting that early origination. However, only Skhul V is usually considered in the comparative craniology of the question, neglecting the other substantial crania, Skhul IV and IX. Craniometric comparison demonstrates that IV and IX amplify the picture of continuous gradations of Neandertal-to-modern variations throughout the Levant; much variation is thus represented within this one site, raising serious questions about Neandertals and moderns being discrete and long-separated species. Qafzeh 6 too is craniophenetically closer to Neandertals than to the true anatomically modern people of the European Upper Paleolithic. Proper distance analysis of Border Cave 1 cranium shows it is actually far removed from modern African populations. References to Qafzeh, Skhul, and Border Cave as "fully anatomically modern" require reconsideration.}, }
@article {pmid1552939, year = {1992}, author = {Wolpoff, MH and Frayer, DW}, title = {Neanderthal dates debated.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {356}, number = {6366}, pages = {200-201}, doi = {10.1038/356200b0}, pmid = {1552939}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Europe ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Paleontology ; Time Factors ; }, }
@article {pmid1548898, year = {1992}, author = {Lietava, J}, title = {Medicinal plants in a Middle Paleolithic grave Shanidar IV?.}, journal = {Journal of ethnopharmacology}, volume = {35}, number = {3}, pages = {263-266}, doi = {10.1016/0378-8741(92)90023-k}, pmid = {1548898}, issn = {0378-8741}, mesh = {Humans ; *Paleontology ; *Plants, Medicinal ; }, abstract = {This paper deals with phytopharmacological evaluation of the therapeutic potential of the plants found in the Neanderthal grave of a Shanidar IV individual (Iraq), where the palynological analysis of some other authors discovered the following flowers: Achillea-type, Centaurea solstitialis, Senecio-type, Muscari-type, Ephedra altissima, Althea-type. The purpose of our theoretical analysis was to evaluate the objective healing activity of the flowers. The result of the research revealed that Shanidar IV flowers possess considerable therapeutic effects with marked medical activity, which could be an intentional reason for the selection of the flowers in Middle Paleolithic Shanidar Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid1928319, year = {1991}, author = {Goodman, AH}, title = {Paleoepidemiological inference and Neanderthal dental enamel hypoplasias: a reply to Neiburger.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {85}, number = {4}, pages = {461-2; discussion 462-4}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330850410}, pmid = {1928319}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Dental Enamel Hypoplasia/etiology/*history ; Eating ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Nutritional Status ; *Paleodontology ; Terminology as Topic ; }, }
@article {pmid2062366, year = {1991}, author = {Mercier, N and Valladas, H and Joron, JL and Reyss, JL and Lévêque, F and Vandermeersch, B}, title = {Thermoluminescence dating of the late Neanderthal remains from Saint-Césaire.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {351}, number = {6329}, pages = {737-739}, doi = {10.1038/351737a0}, pmid = {2062366}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology ; *Archaeology ; Carbon Radioisotopes ; France ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Thermoluminescent Dosimetry ; Time Factors ; }, abstract = {Anatomically modern humans have long been thought to have been responsible for the Aurignacian and Châtelperronian industries of the early Upper Palaeolithic of Western Europe, whereas the Middle Palaeolithic Mousterian industry has been attributed to Neanderthals. The presence of both Middle and Upper Palaeolithic strata at Saint-Césaire in France offers an excellent opportunity for studying the cultural transition between the two. Saint-Césaire is the only Châtelperronian site that has yielded really diagnostic hominid fossils, and the discovery there of Neanderthal remains alongside Châtelperronian tools cast doubt on the exclusive association between industries and taxon. We report thermoluminescence dates for 20 burnt flints from the site. Those found near the Neanderthal remains were dated at 36,300 +/- 2,700 years BP (before present), making this specimen the youngest Neanderthal dated so far. This date places the stratum close in age to several French but much younger than some Spanish Aurignacian sites believed to have been occupied by modern humans. The possibility of contact between the West European Neanderthals and the intrusive modern humans who replaced them cannot therefore be excluded.}, }
@article {pmid2024713, year = {1991}, author = {Trinkaus, E and Villemeur, I}, title = {Mechanical advantages of the Neanderthal thumb in flexion: a test of an hypothesis.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {84}, number = {3}, pages = {249-260}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330840303}, pmid = {2024713}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; *Fossils ; Hand/physiology ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Humans ; Muscles/physiology ; Thumb/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; }, abstract = {It has been proposed that the pollical phalangeal length proportions of the Neanderthals provided them with a greater mechanical advantage relative to recent humans for their pollical flexor muscles in power grips across the interphalangeal (IP) joint at the expense of the mechanical advantage of those pollical flexor muscles in precision grips at the finger tip. To test these related hypotheses, we compared the pollical load arm dimensions (phalanx lengths) to power arm dimensions (dorsopalmar articular heights) for the European and Near Eastern Neanderthals and for European and Amerindian samples of recent humans. It was found, initially, that the proximal articular height of the pollical distal phalanx is a poor predictor of the power arm at the IP articulation, even though the proximal articular height of the pollical proximal phalanx was an adequate indicator of the power arm size at the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint. In addition, differences in distal pollical ulnar deviation at the IP joint appeared to make little difference in the mechanical advantage comparisons. More importantly, the relative shortness of Neanderthal proximal pollical phalanges and the relative lengthening of their distal pollical phalanges was confirmed, and it was determined that, despite some minor differences in articular dimensions between Neanderthals and recent humans, these pollical phalangeal length contrasts translated into significant differences in mechanical advantages for the flexor muscles across the MCP and IP articulations.}, }
@article {pmid1859196, year = {1991}, author = {Claassen, H}, title = {[Neanderthal markers of the frontal bone--a conspicuous Hallstatt cranium of the burial field Dietfurt/Oberpfalz].}, journal = {Anthropologischer Anzeiger; Bericht uber die biologisch-anthropologische Literatur}, volume = {49}, number = {1-2}, pages = {3-21}, pmid = {1859196}, issn = {0003-5548}, mesh = {Adult ; *Anthropology, Physical ; *Cephalometry ; Female ; Fossils ; Frontal Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Germany ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; }, abstract = {Between the skulls from early Iron Age cemeteries of the Hallstatt period (Beilngries, Dietfurt, Schirndorf and some other localities) in the Upper Palatinate (Bavaria) the skull Dietfurt 13/1 attracted attention because of its archaic traits at the viscerocranium and because of its extraordinarily large cranial capacity (1654 cm3). Such large cranial capacities were well known from Neandertals. Therefore this skull was examined for other neandertaloid traits: It was shown that the values for the angle of inclination and the vault-angle of the frontal bone fell into the neandertaloid range. With regard to the traits of the frontal bone Dietfurt 13/1 takes a more intermediate position between Homo sapiens sapiens and the Neandertals than the frontal bone from Hahnöfersand, which is dated about 36.300 +/- 600 years B.P. (Bräuer 1980). It is discussed, whether the specific traits of the frontal bone of Dietfurt 13/1 could fall within the variability of the subfossil Homo sapiens sapiens without postulating a phase of hybridization between Neandertals and anatomically modern man. Consequently, in the compilation of prehistorical skeleton-series more attention should be given to measures of the frontal bone.}, }
@article {pmid1720086, year = {1991}, author = {Valladas, H and Valladas, G and Bar-Yosef, O and Vandermeersch, B}, title = {Thermoluminescence dating of Neanderthal and early modern humans in the Near East.}, journal = {Endeavour}, volume = {15}, number = {3}, pages = {115-119}, doi = {10.1016/0160-9327(91)90154-4}, pmid = {1720086}, issn = {0160-9327}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology ; *Archaeology ; Carbon Radioisotopes ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Iraq ; Israel ; }, abstract = {Archaeological excavations in Europe provide no evidence for the first modern humans pre-dating Neanderthal man. In the Near East, however, a quite different sequence seems to have pertained. Thermoluminescence dating indicates that at some sites the modern humans were settled some 30,000 years before the Neanderthals. This raises the possibility of two lines of descent from a common ancestor.}, }
@article {pmid1710561, year = {1991}, author = {Arensburg, B and Tillier, AM}, title = {Speech and the Neanderthals.}, journal = {Endeavour}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, pages = {26-28}, doi = {10.1016/0160-9327(91)90084-o}, pmid = {1710561}, issn = {0160-9327}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/anatomy &amp; histology/*physiology ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Speech ; }, abstract = {The ability to communicate by speech was a crucial step in human evolution and there has been much controversy concerning the point at which it occurred. The recent discovery at Kebara of a well-preserved hyoid bone some 60,000 years old suggests that Neanderthal man had developed the anatomical structures necessary to articulate words. This in itself does not prove that such articulation occurred. But contributory evidence, such as endocranial casts indicates that the necessary brain differentiation had also developed. Further, what we know of the social organisation of Neanderthals suggests that some form of communication by speech was necessary.}, }
@article {pmid2252082, year = {1990}, author = {Feldesman, MR and Kleckner, JG and Lundy, JK}, title = {Femur/stature ratio and estimates of stature in mid- and late-Pleistocene fossil hominids.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {83}, number = {3}, pages = {359-372}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330830309}, pmid = {2252082}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; *Body Height ; Ethnicity ; Female ; Femur/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Regression Analysis ; Sex Characteristics ; }, abstract = {In previous limited investigations of the human femur/stature ratio we (Feldesman and Lundy: Journal of Human Evolution 17:583-596, 1988; Feldesman et al.: American Journal of Physical Anthropology 79:219-220, 1989) have shown it to be remarkably stable across ethnic and gender boundaries. In this study we evaluate the femur/stature ratio in 51 different "populations" of contemporary humans (n = 13,149) sampled from all over the world. We find that the mean ratio of femur length to stature in these populations is 26.74%, with a very restricted range of variation. When we compare mean femur/stature ratios of males and females, there are no statistically significant differences. ANOVA performed on a naive grouping of samples into "whites," "blacks," and "Asians" indicates that there are significant racial differences (P less than 0.001). When we subject these groups to Tukey's HSD procedure (a post-hoc test), we find that "blacks" are responsible for the significant ANOVA, being significantly (P less than 0.005) different from the other ethnic groups. "Whites" and "Asians" are not significantly different (P = 0.067) under the conditions of this analysis, although all these racial comparisons may be suspect given the small sample sizes. We tested the efficacy of the ratio in three situations: predicting stature of repatriated white Vietnam veterans; predicting stature in a random sample of South African blacks (of known stature), and predicting the stature of a single Akka pygmy. In the first and third cases, the femur/stature ratio does better than the traditionally recommended regression equation, while in the second case the predictions from the femur/stature ratio are less accurate than from the appropriate regression equation. These results encouraged us to apply this ratio to mid- and late-Pleistocene fossil hominids, where the choice of reference population for stature estimates continues to trouble workers. We estimated stature for a sizeable number of Homo erectus (HE), early Neanderthal (EN), Near Eastern Neanderthal (NEN), and early anatomically modern Homo sapiens (EAMHS) by using the simple relationship: stature (cm) = femur length (cm) * 100/26.74. Our results show that HE fossils are slightly taller on average than either EN or NEN samples, which do not differ significantly in stature, while EAMHS fossils are significantly taller than all three earlier groups. While these results are not surprising, our stature estimates for these fossils differ from currently published estimates based on sample-specific regression-based formulae.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)}, }
@article {pmid2248374, year = {1990}, author = {Churchill, SE and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Neandertal scapular glenoid morphology.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {83}, number = {2}, pages = {147-160}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330830203}, pmid = {2248374}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Female ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Male ; Regression Analysis ; Scapula/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Sex Characteristics ; }, abstract = {Analysis of Neandertal and recent human scapular glenoid fossae reveals that the former had long, narrow, and flat glenoid articular surfaces relative to those of modern humans. Comparison of glenoid length, breadth, and curvature to humeral articular dimensions demonstrates that Neandertal glenoid length and curvature scale to proximal and distal humeral articular dimensions in the same manner as those of modern humans. The remaining contrast is in the relatively greater glenoid fossa width seen in modern humans. This difference in morphology implies differences in the habitual degree of dorsoventral glenohumeral movement between Neandertals and modern humans. This in turn may be related to contrasts in tool use, especially with respect to throwing and projectile use.}, }
@article {pmid2365247, year = {1990}, author = {Rüddel, H}, title = {[Stress and hypertension: greetings from Neanderthal].}, journal = {Fortschritte der Medizin}, volume = {108}, number = {13}, pages = {253-254}, pmid = {2365247}, issn = {0015-8178}, mesh = {Adult ; Arousal/*physiology ; Child ; Humans ; Hypertension/*physiopathology ; Risk Factors ; Stress, Psychological/*complications ; Sympathetic Nervous System/physiopathology ; }, }
@article {pmid2327476, year = {1990}, author = {Rak, Y}, title = {On the differences between two pelvises of Mousterian context from the Qafzeh and Kebara caves, Israel.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {81}, number = {3}, pages = {323-332}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330810302}, pmid = {2327476}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Israel ; Male ; *Paleontology ; Pelvic Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Two pelvises from a similar archaeological context have been discovered in recent years in two different caves in Israel. The pelvis from the Qafzeh cave (Qafzeh 9) was dated by means of thermoluminescence at approximately 95 kyr BP. All available measurement values, the most significant being those of the diagnostic obturator region, fall within those of the modern range. The other pelvis emanates from the Kebara cave and differs fundamentally from modern pelvises and from the Qafzeh specimen, although the Kebara pelvis is 30,000 years younger than the latter. As in other remains of Neandertal pelvises, the superior pubic ramus of the Kebara hominid is extremely long and slender and exhibits a cross section unlike that of modern humans. The absolute height of the obturator region is very small. It is these measurements and proportions that set the Kebara pelvis apart from both modern pelvises and the specimen from Qafzeh. The morphological differences and the chronological relationship between the two fossil pelvises support the concept of two distinct evolutionary lineages for these hominids.}, }
@article {pmid2672830, year = {1989}, author = {Mallegni, F and Ronchitelli, AT}, title = {Deciduous teeth of the Neandertal mandible from Molare Shelter, near Scario (Salerno, Italy).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {79}, number = {4}, pages = {475-482}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330790404}, pmid = {2672830}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Child, Preschool ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Italy ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Paleodontology ; Tooth, Deciduous/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Excavations at hearth levels at the Molare Shelter in 1985 yielded the mandible of a 3-4-year-old child. The associated lithic artifacts recovered with it are Mousterian. Its features, although quite archaic, are within the known range of variation of Neandertals. Four deciduous molars are still preserved in the mandible. They were compared with other known specimens, which date to the Middle and Upper Pleistocene. The metrical characteristics are surprisingly primitive, within the range of variation of Homo erectus, or at least within that of European Pre-Neandertals, more so than within the variability of typical Neandertal specimens. On the other hand, the morphological characteristics, except for a few that are decidedly plesiomorph, are predominantly Neandertal.}, }
@article {pmid2665513, year = {1989}, author = {Ogilvie, MD and Curran, BK and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Incidence and patterning of dental enamel hypoplasia among the Neandertals.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {79}, number = {1}, pages = {25-41}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330790104}, pmid = {2665513}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Age Factors ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dental Enamel/pathology ; Dental Enamel Hypoplasia/epidemiology/etiology/*history ; Diet ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Infant ; *Paleodontology ; *Paleontology ; Stress, Physiological/complications/history ; Tooth, Deciduous/pathology ; }, abstract = {Dental enamel hypoplasia (DEH), as an indicator of nonspecific stress during development, provides an assessment of the relative morbidity of past human populations. An investigation of 669 Neandertal dental crowns yielded an overall DEH frequency of 36.0% by tooth (41.9% for permanent teeth; 3.9% for deciduous teeth) and about 75% by individual. These incidences place the Neandertals at the top of recent human ranges of variation in DEH frequencies, indicating high levels of stress during development. The paucity of deciduous tooth DEH and M1 DEH, combined with generally increasing levels of DEH through later calcifying teeth, suggests that the stress was primarily nutritional, beginning at weaning and continuing through adolescence. This supports paleontological and archeological interpretations implying significantly lower effectiveness for Neandertal foraging compared to that of modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid2716823, year = {1989}, author = {Arensburg, B and Tillier, AM and Vandermeersch, B and Duday, H and Schepartz, LA and Rak, Y}, title = {A Middle Palaeolithic human hyoid bone.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {338}, number = {6218}, pages = {758-760}, doi = {10.1038/338758a0}, pmid = {2716823}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Israel ; Larynx/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Paleontology ; *Speech ; }, abstract = {The origin of human language, and in particular the question of whether or not Neanderthal man was capable of language/speech, is of major interest to anthropologists but remains an area of great controversy. Despite palaeoneurological evidence to the contrary, many researchers hold to the view that Neanderthals were incapable of language/speech, basing their arguments largely on studies of laryngeal/basicranial morphology. Studies, however, have been hampered by the absence of unambiguous fossil evidence. We now report the discovery of a well-preserved human hyoid bone from Middle Palaeolithic layers of Kebara Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel, dating from about 60,000 years BP. The bone is almost identical in size and shape to the hyoid of present-day populations, suggesting that there has been little or no change in the visceral skeleton (including the hyoid, middle ear ossicles, and inferentially the larynx) during the past 60,000 years of human evolution. We conclude that the morphological basis for human speech capability appears to have been fully developed during the Middle Palaeolithic.}, }
@article {pmid2541339, year = {1989}, author = {Stringer, CB and Grün, R and Schwarcz, HP and Goldberg, P}, title = {ESR dates for the hominid burial site of Es Skhul in Israel.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {338}, number = {6218}, pages = {756-758}, doi = {10.1038/338756a0}, pmid = {2541339}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy ; Fossils ; *Hominidae ; Humans ; Israel ; *Paleontology ; Tooth/analysis ; }, abstract = {The Middle East has been critical to our understanding of recent human evolution ever since the recovery of Neanderthal and early anatomically modern fossils from the caves of Tabun and Skhul (Mount Carmel) over 50 years ago. It was generally believed, on archaeological and morphological grounds, that middle eastern Neanderthals (such as those from Tabun, Amud and Kebara) probably dated from more than 50,000 years ago, whereas the earliest anatomically modern specimens (from Skhul and Qafzeh) probably dated from about 40,000 years. Recent thermoluminescence and electron spin resonance (ESR) determinations, however, have supported biostratigraphy in dating the Qafzeh deposits to an earlier part of the late Pleistocene, probably more than 90,000 years ago. These dates have been questioned on unspecified technical grounds, and it has also been argued that they create explanatory problems by separating the morphologically similar Qafzeh and Skhul samples by some 50,000 years, thus implying a long-term coexistence of early modern humans and Neanderthals in the area. Here we report the first radiometric dating analysis for Skhul, using ESR on bovine teeth from the hominid burial levels. Early uptake and linear uptake ages average 81 +/- 15 and 101 +/- 12 kyr respectively. These analyses suggest that the Skhul and Qafzeh samples are of a similar age and therefore it is possible that the presence of early modern humans in the area was episodic, rather than long-term during the early late Pleistocene.}, }
@article {pmid2684063, year = {1989}, author = {Oberlin, C and Sakka, M}, title = {[The most ancient case of synostosis of the carpal bones: pyramido-lunate synostosis in La Ferrassie man].}, journal = {Annales de chirurgie de la main : organe officiel des societes de chirurgie de la main}, volume = {8}, number = {3}, pages = {269-272}, doi = {10.1016/s0753-9053(89)80066-3}, pmid = {2684063}, issn = {0753-9053}, mesh = {*Carpal Bones ; France ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Lunate Bone ; *Paleopathology ; Synostosis/*history ; }, abstract = {Re-examining the Neandertal skeleton La Ferrassie II, the authors found a synostosis of the right carpus with fusion of the lunate and the triquetrum. This congenital abnormality had never been noticed before. Reconstruction of the right carpus of the Man of La Ferrassie II is now complete.}, }
@article {pmid3124631, year = {1988}, author = {Trinkaus, E and Churchill, SE}, title = {Neandertal radial tuberosity orientation.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {75}, number = {1}, pages = {15-21}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330750103}, pmid = {3124631}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Child ; Europe ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Indians, North American ; *Paleontology ; Radius/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Examination of adult and immature Neandertal radii demonstrates that the medial versus anterior orientations of their radial tuberosities fall within recent human ranges of variation, but on the average their radial tuberosities are significantly more medially, as opposed to anteromedially, oriented. This more posterior positioning of their radial tuberosities implies a maintenance of an effective moment arm for M. biceps brachii through the full range of supination, an interpretation which fits with the hypertrophy of and increased moment arms for their forearm pronator muscles. It is an additional indication of the muscular hypertrophy evident elsewhere in Neandertal upper limbs.}, }
@article {pmid3322035, year = {1987}, author = {Frayer, DW and Russell, MD}, title = {Artificial grooves on the Krapina Neanderthal teeth.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {74}, number = {3}, pages = {393-405}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330740311}, pmid = {3322035}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {*Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Paleodontology ; *Paleontology ; Tooth/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tooth Abrasion/*history ; Yugoslavia ; }, abstract = {Gross and microscopic examination of the Krapina Neanderthal dental remains reveals the presence of artificial grooves along the cemento-enamel junction of 14 teeth representing ten different individuals. The grooves display distinct morphological features including their consistent location (primarily on the mesial and/or distal root walls), their troughlike appearance, striations and/or polishing in the channel, and the ridges of reactive cementum bordering the groove. These grooves occur only on erupted, permanent teeth, and except for a single occurrence on a lower I2, all are located on mandibular or maxillary P4-M3. The morphological nature of the grooves is distinct and has been used to distinguish these grooves from root caries and other pathological or natural causes. Based on the close resemblance between artificial grooves at Krapina and those which have been attributed to toothpick use in other fossil and recent populations, we argue the Krapina Neanderthals were habitually probing the interproximal dental spaces with tools.}, }
@article {pmid3303957, year = {1987}, author = {Tompkins, RL and Trinkaus, E}, title = {La Ferrassie 6 and the development of Neandertal pubic morphology.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {73}, number = {2}, pages = {233-239}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330730210}, pmid = {3303957}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Child, Preschool ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Infant ; *Paleontology ; *Paleopathology ; Pubic Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Functional interpretations of the mediolateral elongation and superoinferior flattening of the superior pubic ramus of Neandertals require knowledge of its ontogeny. Metric comparisons between the La Ferrassie 6 Neandertal infant, aged 3-5 years, and a sample of modern infants reveal that the acetabulosymphyseal length of La Ferrassie 6, relative to femoral length and iliac breadth, falls at the limits of the range of variation of the modern infants, while the relative height of its superior pubic ramus is indistinguishable from that of the modern sample. It appears that acetabulosymphyseal elongation of the Neandertal pubis is a feature which is expressed quite early in ontogeny, well before puberty. Superoinferior flattening and ventral margin thinning of the superior ramus probably appear later in Neandertal ontogeny.}, }
@article {pmid3113264, year = {1987}, author = {Rak, Y and Arensburg, B}, title = {Kebara 2 Neanderthal pelvis: first look at a complete inlet.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {73}, number = {2}, pages = {227-231}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330730209}, pmid = {3113264}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Female ; *Fossils ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Israel ; Male ; *Paleontology ; *Paleopathology ; Pelvic Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The renewed excavations at the Kebara Cave revealed a Neanderthal skeleton dated at about 50-55,000 years B.P. The pelvis of this individual is the most intact Neanderthal pelvis yet discovered, presenting for the first time a complete inlet. Although the superior pubic ramus is extremely long, as typically seen in the Neanderthals, the size of the pelvic inlet is comparable to that of modern Homo sapiens. The length of the superior pubic ramus is found to stem from a more externally rotated innominate bone and not, as generally assumed, from the larger pelvic inlet. It is suggested that the uniqueness of the Neanderthal pelvis may be attributable to locomotion and posture-related biomechanics rather than to obstetric requirements.}, }
@article {pmid3111268, year = {1987}, author = {Mallegni, F and Piperno, M and Segre, A}, title = {Human remains of Homo sapiens neanderthalensis from the pleistocene deposit of Santa [corrected] Croce Cave, Bisceglie (Apulia), Italy.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {72}, number = {4}, pages = {421-429}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330720402}, pmid = {3111268}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Femur/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Italy ; *Paleontology ; }, abstract = {The paper deals with a Neanderthal human femur, recovered during excavations in Santa [corrected] Croce Cave, Bisceglie. The cave also yielded Mousterian lithic industry and fauna indicating a paleoclimate condition with dry-warm tendency and savannah landscape. Metrical, morphometrical, and morphological analysis, and the comparison with Neanderthal specimens show that the femur belonged to an adult individual. It particularly shows great affinities with the analogous specimens from La Ferrassie 1 and 2, Spy 2, and Fond de Forêt, which are similar in size and, above all, show similar archaic morphological traits.}, }
@article {pmid3107399, year = {1987}, author = {Russell, MD}, title = {Mortuary practices at the Krapina Neandertal site.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {72}, number = {3}, pages = {381-397}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330720311}, pmid = {3107399}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adult ; Animals ; Bone and Bones/*pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fetus ; *Haplorhini ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; *Mortuary Practice ; Yugoslavia ; }, abstract = {It has often been reported that the Krapina Neandertal remains bear incised linear striations which appear to be cutmarks. Here, the plausibility of the striations as cutmarks is tested by comparing them to Mousterian butchery marks on large fauna and to cutmarks on modern human skeletons known to have been defleshed with stone tools. The anatomical location, gross appearance, and frequency of occurrence of the striations on the Krapina material do not resemble Mousterian butchery marks on reindeer. The Krapina striations do closely match authenticated cutmarks on 22 modern human skeletons defleshed with stone tools after partial decomposition, preparatory to secondary burial. Data are presented supporting the hypothesis that the striations on the Krapina Neandertal remains are consistent with postmortem processing of corpses with stone tools, probably in preparation for burial of cleaned bones.}, }
@article {pmid3107398, year = {1987}, author = {Russell, MD}, title = {Bone breakage in the Krapina hominid collection.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {72}, number = {3}, pages = {373-379}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330720310}, pmid = {3107398}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology ; Bone and Bones/*anatomy &amp; histology/pathology ; Cannibalism ; Fossils ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Yugoslavia ; }, abstract = {The fragmentary condition of the Krapina Neandertal remains has been offered as one line of evidence for the hypothesis that these hominids were the victims of cannibals seeking marrow and brains. Two other hypotheses regarding the causes of the framentation have been raised: a substantial portion of the breakage in the Krapina collection is attributable to excavation damage; and the rest of the breakage is attributable to sedimentary pressure and to natural rock falls that occurred during the site's prehistory. The purpose of this paper is report on tests of these three hypotheses concerning the cause of breakage in the Krapina material. Microscopic inspection of all Krapina hominid specimens showed that 23% of the material was inadvertantly broken during excavation or during quarrying that took place at the end of the last century. The morphology of the prehistoric breakage is inconsistent with the cannibalism hypothesis and supports the hypothesis that prehistoric breakage was caused by sedimentary pressure and/or roof falls.}, }
@article {pmid3103459, year = {1987}, author = {Trinkaus, E and Thompson, DD}, title = {Femoral diaphyseal histomorphometric age determinations for the Shanidar 3, 4, 5, and 6 Neandertals and Neandertal longevity.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {72}, number = {1}, pages = {123-129}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330720115}, pmid = {3103459}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Adult ; Age Determination by Skeleton ; Animals ; Femur/*growth &amp; development/pathology ; Haplorhini/*growth &amp; development ; Humans ; Iraq ; *Longevity ; Middle Aged ; Paleontology ; }, abstract = {Histomorphometric analysis of femoral diaphyseal fragments from the Shanidar 3, 4, 5, and 6 Neandertals provide age at death estimates of 41 (+/- 6.7), 36 (+/- 6.7), 40 (+/- 6.7), and 24 (+/- 6.7) years. These determinations are in agreement with previous macroscopic age assessments. Since the Shanidar 3, 4, and 5 (and slightly younger Shanidar 1) individuals are among the oldest known Neandertals, these age determinations suggest that significant postreproductive survival was rare among the Neandertals and a phenomenon primarily of anatomically modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid3330671, year = {1986}, author = {Vanneuville, G and Sakka, M and Goudot, P and Viallet, JF and Scheye, T and Mondie, JM}, title = {[Contribution of radiological technics to the study of the mandibular canal. Application to human fossils and comparison with modern man and Pongidae].}, journal = {Bulletin de l'Association des anatomistes}, volume = {70}, number = {211}, pages = {49-54}, pmid = {3330671}, issn = {0376-6160}, mesh = {Animals ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Hominidae/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology/*diagnostic imaging ; *Paleontology ; *Paleopathology ; Pongo pygmaeus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {Fossil mandibles from the "La Chapelle-aux-Saints" Man and Cro-Magnon "old man" are considered to be representative of Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon era. Radiographic studies of such mandibles - including C. T. Scan and panoramic views in common use in maxillofacial surgery - allowed the authors to make useful comments: the mandibular canals are nearly similar to those in Modern Man and quite different from those in Pongidae; the imaging was of adequate quality for a good evaluation of fossil internal structures.}, }
@article {pmid3752228, year = {1986}, author = {Dean, MC and Stringer, CB and Bromage, TG}, title = {Age at death of the Neanderthal child from Devil's Tower, Gibraltar and the implications for studies of general growth and development in Neanderthals.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {70}, number = {3}, pages = {301-309}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330700305}, pmid = {3752228}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Age Determination by Teeth ; *Aging ; Child, Preschool ; Death ; *Fossils ; Gibraltar ; Humans ; Incisor/*growth &amp; development ; *Maxillofacial Development ; *Paleodontology ; *Paleontology ; }, abstract = {This study combines traditional methods of assessing dental developmental status based upon modern human standards with new techniques based upon histological observations in order to reassess the age at death of the Gibraltar child from Devil's Tower. The results indicate that the most likely age of this individual at death was 3 years of age. This result is in agreement with an independent assessment of the age of the temporal bone of this specimen (Tillier, AM [1982] Z. Morphol. Anthropol. 73:125-148) and is concordant with dental developmental ages given for modern humans. Moreover, the fact that this specimen appears at the low end of the age scale for calcification stages in modern humans is also supportive of the findings of Legoux (Legoux, P [1970] Arch. Inst. Paleontol. Hum. Mem. 33:53-87) and Wolpoff (Wolpoff, MH [1979] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 50:67-114) that dental eruption schedules in Neanderthals were also accelerated. If the cranial bones from Devil's Tower are associated with the dental material, as we believe, they indicate a remarkably precocious brain growth in this individual, which is consistent with what is known about general growth and development in Neanderthals.}, }
@article {pmid3740249, year = {1986}, author = {Bonfiglio, L and Cassoli, PF and Mallegni, F and Piperno, M and Solano, A}, title = {Neanderthal parietal, vertebrate fauna, and stone artifacts from the Upper Pleistocene deposits of Contrada Ianní di San Calogero (Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy).}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {70}, number = {2}, pages = {241-250}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330700210}, pmid = {3740249}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {*Archaeology ; Child, Preschool ; *Fossils ; Humans ; Italy ; *Paleontology ; Parietal Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Human skeletal remains recovered at a new archaeological site, dating back to the Italian Mousterian age are analyzed. The finds consist of a left parietal of a child about 2-3 years old. The metrical, morphometrical, and morphological traits of this parietal are compared to those of other Neanderthal children. The geological features of the site, its fauna, and stone artifacts recovered there during quarry operations are also analyzed.}, }
@article {pmid3090933, year = {1986}, author = {Kieser, JA and Groeneveld, HT}, title = {The assessment of fluctuating odontometric asymmetry from incomplete hominid fossil data.}, journal = {Anthropologischer Anzeiger; Bericht uber die biologisch-anthropologische Literatur}, volume = {44}, number = {2}, pages = {175-182}, pmid = {3090933}, issn = {0003-5548}, mesh = {Animals ; *Dentition ; *Fossils ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; *Paleodontology ; *Paleontology ; }, abstract = {Problems of small sample size and incompleteness of fossil data in the evaluation of metric asymmetry may be overcome by the application of cluster sampling techniques together with factorial analyses of variance. Degrees of fluctuating odontometric asymmetry are reported in Australopithecus, Homo erectus and Homo neanderthalensis. In all three populations mesiodistal dimensions were shown to be more asymmetric than buccolingual dimensions, with maxillary teeth exhibiting significantly greater degrees of asymmetry than mandibular teeth. Neanderthal teeth were significantly more metrically asymmetric than those of either Australopithecus or H. erectus, with population differences in asymmetry centered in the maxillary teeth.}, }
@article {pmid3086751, year = {1986}, author = {Singhvi, AK and Sauer, W and Wagner, GA and Kröger, K}, title = {Thermoluminescence dating of loess deposits at Plaidter Hummerich and its implications for the chronology of Neanderthal man.}, journal = {Die Naturwissenschaften}, volume = {73}, number = {4}, pages = {205-207}, doi = {10.1007/BF00417724}, pmid = {3086751}, issn = {0028-1042}, mesh = {Animals ; Anthropology/methods ; Germany, West ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Luminescence ; Paleontology/*methods ; }, }
@article {pmid3518479, year = {1986}, author = {Russell, MD and LeMort, F}, title = {Cutmarks on the Engis 2 calvaria?.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {69}, number = {3}, pages = {317-323}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330690304}, pmid = {3518479}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Child, Preschool ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Paleopathology ; Skull/*pathology ; }, abstract = {An examination of the surface morphology of the juvenile Neandertal calvaria, Engis 2, has resulted in the discovery of several series of incised striations. The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss these striations. A preliminary interpretation of at least some of the striations as cutmarks, made at or near the time of the child's death, is offered.}, }
@article {pmid3511731, year = {1986}, author = {Skinner, MF}, title = {An enigmatic hypoplastic defect of the deciduous canine.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {69}, number = {1}, pages = {59-69}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330690108}, pmid = {3511731}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {British Columbia ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cuspid/*abnormalities ; Dental Enamel Hypoplasia/*epidemiology ; Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; India ; *Paleodontology ; Tooth, Deciduous/*abnormalities ; }, abstract = {A roughly circular hypoplastic defect restricted to the labial enamel surface of the deciduous canine is described. This pathology is quite common in available samples of Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic children and a cadaver sample of recent Calcuttans, affecting 44% to 70% of individuals. It is rare in a Neanderthal sample and in children from a clinical practice in Vancouver. The lesion occurs twice as commonly in the lower jaw. The defect appears to commence at or after birth owing to localized pressure on thin or nonexistent alveolar bone overlying the bulging crypt of the deciduous canine. Population differences in the incidence of the pathology probably reflect innate and acquired variation in hard and soft tissue thicknesses in this region.}, }
@article {pmid17809667, year = {1985}, author = {Straus, LG}, title = {Stone age prehistory of northern Spain.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {230}, number = {4725}, pages = {501-507}, doi = {10.1126/science.230.4725.501}, pmid = {17809667}, issn = {0036-8075}, abstract = {The Vasco-Cantabrian region of Spain is one of the few areas of the world where a large sample of archeological sites has yielded a detailed record of the changes in the human condition in the period spanning Neanderthal times from about 125,000 years ago until the adoption of food production, less than 6000 years ago in this area. During this time, human adaptations underwent a series of crucial transformations involving profound changes in cultural systems and perthaps also in aspects of the biological basis for culture.}, }
@article {pmid3904472, year = {1985}, author = {Tappen, NC}, title = {The dentition of the "old man" of La Chapelle-aux-Saints and inferences concerning Neandertal behavior.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {67}, number = {1}, pages = {43-50}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330670106}, pmid = {3904472}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {*Altruism ; *Dentition ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Male ; *Mastication ; Middle Aged ; *Paleopathology ; }, abstract = {It has been suggested that the fossil Neandertal from La Chapelle-aux-Saints was so toothless that he would have had to have his food pre-chewed or otherwise prepared for him. This has also led to the inference that a high level of altruistic social behavior was characteristic of Neandertals. This appears to be in keeping with a current trend among anthropologists to upgrade the cultural and evolutionary status of Neandertals. Close examination of the recovered teeth and the condition of the alveoli indicates that the "old man" of La Chapelle-aux-Saints had upper and lower incisor, canine and premolar teeth on the left side intact and probably in occlusion, and that the same was true of these teeth in the right maxilla. Mandibular incisors, canine, and first premolar had probably been lost to a tumor or abscessing on the right side, but this pathology may have developed near the time of death. The right mandibular second premolar was probably functional, although tilted similarly to the intact premolar on the left. It is very unlikely that the individual was unable to chew food. The dentition thus gives no reliable evidence of altruistic behavior by his cohorts. This study may also relate to hypotheses concerning the ancestry of anatomically modern humans.}, }
@article {pmid3904471, year = {1985}, author = {Trinkaus, E}, title = {Pathology and the posture of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neandertal.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {67}, number = {1}, pages = {19-41}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330670105}, pmid = {3904471}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Arm/abnormalities ; Bone and Bones/*abnormalities/pathology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Jaw Abnormalities ; Joint Diseases/pathology ; Leg/abnormalities ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Paleopathology ; *Posture ; Ribs/pathology ; Skull/abnormalities ; Spinal Diseases/pathology ; Temporomandibular Joint/abnormalities ; Tooth Abnormalities ; }, abstract = {The depiction of the Neandertals as incompletely erect was based primarily on Boule's (1911, 1912a, 1913) analysis of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 partial skeleton. The inaccurate aspects of Boule's postural reconstruction were corrected during the 1950s. However, it has come to be believed, following Straus and Cave (1957), that Boule's errors of reconstruction were due to the diseased condition of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 remains, rather than to Boule's misinterpretation of morphology. The abnormalities on the La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 postcranium include: lower cervical, upper thoracic, and lower thoracic intervertebral degenerative joint disease (DJD), a distal fracture of a mid-thoracic rib, extensive DJD of the left hip, DJD of the right fifth proximal interphalangeal articulation, bilateral humeral head eburnation, and minor exostosis formation on the right humerus, ulna, and radius. These were associated with extensive alveolar inflammation including apical abscesses and antemortem tooth loss, some temporomandibular DJD, bilateral auditory exostoses, and minimal occipital condyle DJD. None of these abnormalities significantly affected Boule's Neandertal postural reconstruction, and a review of his analysis indicates that early twentieth century interpretations of skeletal morphology (primarily of the cranium, cervical vertebrae, lumbar and sacral vertebrae, proximal femora and tibiae, posterior tarsals, and hallucial tarsometatarsal joint), combined with Boule's evolutionary preconceptions, were responsible for his mistaken view of Neandertal posture.}, }
@article {pmid6409716, year = {1983}, author = {Trinkaus, E}, title = {Functional aspects of Neandertal pedal remains.}, journal = {Foot &amp; ankle}, volume = {3}, number = {6}, pages = {377-390}, doi = {10.1177/107110078300300606}, pmid = {6409716}, issn = {0198-0211}, mesh = {Adaptation, Biological ; Animals ; Anthropology, Physical ; *Foot/anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; *Fossils ; *Haplorhini ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; }, abstract = {The fossil foot remains of the Neandertals (immediate predecessors of anatomically modern humans in Europe and western Asia between about 100,000 and 35,000 to 40,000 years ago) indicate an overall pedal configuration for these prehistoric humans that was largely indistinguishable from that of modern humans. They had fully adducted halluces, longitudinal and transverse pedal arches, compact posterior tarsal regions, slight valgus deviation of the hallux, and abbreviation of the lateral toes. Their pedal remains differed from those of modern humans only in their tendency to be more robust and their relatively short proximal hallucial phalanges and associated elongated distal hallucial phalanges. The former is related to their habitual levels of physical activity, which were greater than those of modern humans, and the latter is a pleiotropic effect of a biomechanical adaptation in the pollex for strength during manipulation.}, }
@article {pmid7148099, year = {1982}, author = {Tillier, A}, title = {[The Neanderthal children from Devil's Tower (Gibraltar)].}, journal = {Zeitschrift fur Morphologie und Anthropologie}, volume = {73}, number = {2}, pages = {125-148}, pmid = {7148099}, issn = {0044-314X}, mesh = {Child, Preschool ; Fossils ; Gibraltar ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; }, }
@article {pmid6820617, year = {1982}, author = {Laborier, C and Joly, J and Chaline, J and Nossintchouk, R}, title = {[Comparison of the enamel structure of the incisor of the Genay (Cote-d'Or) Neanderthal to those of Homo sapiens].}, journal = {Actualites odonto-stomatologiques}, volume = {36}, number = {140}, pages = {541-551}, pmid = {6820617}, issn = {0001-7817}, mesh = {Dental Enamel/*anatomy &amp; histology ; France ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Incisor/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Odontometry ; *Paleodontology ; }, }
@article {pmid6799843, year = {1982}, author = {Boaz, NT and Ninkovich, D and Rossignol-Strick, M}, title = {Paleoclimatic setting for Homo sapiens neanderthalensis.}, journal = {Die Naturwissenschaften}, volume = {69}, number = {1}, pages = {29-33}, pmid = {6799843}, issn = {0028-1042}, mesh = {Africa, Northern ; Animals ; Asia, Western ; Biological Evolution ; *Climate ; Europe ; *Haplorhini ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; }, abstract = {A paleoclimatic hypothesis is presented to account for the evolution and eventual replacement of Homo sapiens neanderthalensis. Neandertal populations in the European Late Pleistocene were largely isolated by geographic barriers. Populations of modern Homo sapiens replaced Neandertals at 34000 years ago, near the end of the relatively cold oxygen isotope stage 3. These population were pushed into Europe by conditions brought on by increasing aridity affecting North Africa and southwestern Asia, and their dispersal was facilitated by lowered sea level.}, }
@article {pmid6791506, year = {1981}, author = {Holloway, RL}, title = {Volumetric and asymmetry determinations on recent hominid endocasts: Spy I and II, Djebel Ihroud I, and the Sale Homo erectus specimens, with some notes on Neanderthal brain size.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {55}, number = {3}, pages = {385-393}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330550312}, pmid = {6791506}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Body Composition ; Brain/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Fossils ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Organ Size ; *Paleontology ; Skull/analysis ; }, abstract = {Full brain endocast reconstructions of the Neanderthals, Spy I and II, Djebel Ihroud I, and the Homo erectus specimen from Sale, Morocco have yielded accurate volumes. Spy I = 1,305 ml; Spy II = 1,553 ml; Djebel ihroud I = 1,305 ml; Sale = 880 ml. While there are no remarkable gyral and sulcal patterns one can delineate, the brain endocasts do show evidence of left-occipital, right-frontal petalias, suggesting right-handedness, and possibly human cognitive specialization, involving symbol processing and visuospatial integration. Some speculations regarding Neanderthal brain size are also offered, in which it is suggested that their possibly larger brain sizes were related to greater muscularity than in modern Homo sapiens.}, }
@article {pmid6167997, year = {1981}, author = {Lowenstein, JM}, title = {Immunological reactions from fossil material.}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences}, volume = {292}, number = {1057}, pages = {143-149}, doi = {10.1098/rstb.1981.0022}, pmid = {6167997}, issn = {0962-8436}, mesh = {Albumins/*analysis/immunology ; Animals ; Collagen/*analysis/immunology ; Epitopes ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; *Phylogeny ; Radioimmunoassay ; Species Specificity ; }, abstract = {Genetic relations among living species can be deduced from biochemical as well as morphological similarities, but our understanding of fossil species has depended entirely on their morphology. Residual proteins in fossils might provide genetic information, but their small quantity and chemical alterations due to time and environmental agents have prevented the obtaining of species-specific analysis. This report describes a radioimmunoassay capable of detecting extremely small amounts of fossil proteins, such as collagen and albumin. Species-specific proteins have been identified in a frozen Siberian mammoth, a Pleistocene bison, and a series of human fossils that includes Neanderthal, Homo erectus and Australopithecus robustus. This technique promises to provide molecular data on the genetic affinities of fossil and living species.}, }
@article {pmid6782677, year = {1981}, author = {Thompson, DD and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Age determination of the Shanidar 3 Neanderthal.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {212}, number = {4494}, pages = {575-577}, doi = {10.1126/science.6782677}, pmid = {6782677}, issn = {0036-8075}, mesh = {*Aging ; Bone and Bones/*cytology ; *Fossils ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; }, abstract = {Close agreement between the age at death estimated by macroscopic and microscopic methods was obtained for the Shanidar 3 Neanderthal. This suggests the possibility of obtaining age at death estimates by microscopic methods in other fossil hominids where the skeletal remains are highly fragmentary and macroscopic methods are not applicable.}, }
@article {pmid6774620, year = {1980}, author = {Holloway, RL}, title = {Indonesian "Solo" (Ngandong) endocranial reconstructions: some preliminary observations and comparisons with Neandertal and Homo erectus groups.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {53}, number = {2}, pages = {285-295}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330530213}, pmid = {6774620}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Cephalometry ; *Fossils ; Functional Laterality ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Indonesia ; *Paleontology ; }, abstract = {Latex rubber brain endocasts of solo I, V, VI, X, and XI crania were prepared in order to determine accurate volumes by H2O-displacement and morphological description. The new volumes are not markedly different from previous estimates that had been done by mensuration formulae. The mean volume is 1,151 ml. The endocast surfaces, while devoid of gyral and sulcal relief patterns, do show a preponderance of left-occipital-right-frontal petalia patterns, suggesting right-handedness. Metrical observations support the viewpoint that the solo crania are more closely related to earlier Indonesia homo erectus than to Neandertals.}, }
@article {pmid487072, year = {1979}, author = {Du Brul, EL}, title = {Poor old Neanderthal man: response to a response.}, journal = {Brain and language}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, pages = {251-257}, doi = {10.1016/0093-934x(79)90053-1}, pmid = {487072}, issn = {0093-934X}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Facial Bones/pathology ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone/pathology ; *Language Development ; Orofaciodigital Syndromes/pathology ; Skull/pathology ; }, }
@article {pmid677288, year = {1978}, author = {Tappen, NC}, title = {The vermiculate surface pattern of brow ridges in Neandertal and modern crania.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {49}, number = {1}, pages = {1-10}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330490102}, pmid = {677288}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {*Cephalometry ; Europe ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; }, abstract = {A convoluted surface pattern of ridges and grooves characterizes the frontal torus in adult Neandertal fossils. Modern human skulls rarely have the pattern well developed. It is not observed in postcranial bones, nor in skulls of Neandertal children. This vermiculate bone is resistant to oriented cracking from weathering or fractures. Structural characteristics of the bone give evidence on the problem of the function of hominid brow ridges.}, }
@article {pmid96699, year = {1978}, author = {Smith, FH}, title = {Evolutionary significance of the mandibular foramen area in Neandertals.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {48}, number = {4}, pages = {523-531}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330480412}, pmid = {96699}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Cephalometry ; *Fossils ; Gene Pool ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Mandible/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Mastication ; *Paleontology ; Selection, Genetic ; }, abstract = {An unusual morphology of the mandibular foramen area is described, and its incidence determined for several fossil and modern hominid skeletal samples. This morphology, designated the horizontal-oval type mandibular foramen, is found in 46.2% of the 26 Neandertal foramina examined and in 23.1% of a European Upper Paleolithic sample of 13 foramina. In a total of 747 foramina from five modern skeletal samples, the highest incidence is 3.72%. Possible explanations for the presence of the H-0 trait and its unusually high incidence in Neandertals are examined. It is concluded that this feature is probably a genetic trait which either (1) might be selected for in Neandertals as a part of a massive masticatory apparatus, or (2) represents a discrete cranial trait without functional significance that simply reflects the high incidence of certain genes in Neandertal gene pools.}, }
@article {pmid341314, year = {1978}, author = {Galaburda, AM and LeMay, M and Kemper, TL and Geschwind, N}, title = {Right-left asymmetrics in the brain.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {199}, number = {4331}, pages = {852-856}, doi = {10.1126/science.341314}, pmid = {341314}, issn = {0036-8075}, mesh = {Animals ; Brain/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging/physiology ; Cerebral Cortex/anatomy &amp; histology ; Dementia/etiology ; Dyslexia/etiology ; Fossils ; *Functional Laterality ; Humans ; Primates/anatomy &amp; histology ; Pyramidal Tracts/anatomy &amp; histology ; Temporal Lobe/anatomy &amp; histology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; }, abstract = {Structural asymmetries between the hemispheres are found in the human brain. Asymmetries in the auditory regions and in the Sylvian fissures are present even in the fetus. The Sylvian asymmetries may have existed in Neanderthal man and are found consistently in some apes. They may relate to right-left differences infunction. Thus, the striking auditory asymmetries could underlie language lateralization. The asymmetries in the frontal and occipital lobes and the lateral ventricles are correlated with hand preference. Anatomical asymmetries may help to explain the range of human talents, recovery from acquired disorders of language function, certain childhood learning disabilities, some dementing illnesses of middle life, and the evidence for behavioral lateralization in nonhuman primates.}, }
@article {pmid414345, year = {1977}, author = {Takahashi, R}, title = {The formation of nasal septum deviation in human evolution.}, journal = {Rhinology}, volume = {15}, number = {4}, pages = {159-165}, pmid = {414345}, issn = {0300-0729}, mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Dogs ; Facial Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Haplorhini ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Nasal Septum/*abnormalities/anatomy &amp; histology ; Primates ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The purpose of this research is to determine when in the process of human evolution nasal septal deviation first occurred. There is a higher incidence of nasal septal deviations in man, while the septum of anthropoid ape is vertical and has not been found to have nasal septal deviations. It is said that our ancestors evolved respectively from ape like primates through Australapithecus, Pithecanthropus, Neanderthal man and finally Modern man. I concluded from my observations that the nasal septal deviations in man first occurred at the Neanderthal stage.}, }
@article {pmid930235, year = {1977}, author = {Herrmann, B}, title = {[The postcranial remains of the Neanderthal man from Le Moustier].}, journal = {Zeitschrift fur Morphologie und Anthropologie}, volume = {68}, number = {2}, pages = {129-149}, pmid = {930235}, issn = {0044-314X}, mesh = {*Femur ; Germany ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Museums ; Paleontology ; *Tibia ; }, }
@article {pmid333881, year = {1977}, author = {Vlcek, E}, title = {[Reconstruction of the postcranial skeleton of an infant of Neanderthal man from Kiik-Koba (the Soviet Union) (author's transl)].}, journal = {Arztliche Jugendkunde}, volume = {68}, number = {3}, pages = {173-179}, pmid = {333881}, issn = {0001-9518}, mesh = {Anthropology, Physical/*history ; Anthropometry ; Body Height ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Infant ; *Skeleton ; USSR ; }, abstract = {The first study concerning the postnatal skeleton of Neanderthal man gives us information about the development of the skeleton of Neanderthal man in the earliest stage of postnatal ontogenetic development. The very good state of preservation of the postcranial skeleton of the infant of Neanderthal man from Kiik-Koba in the Crimea made it possible to carry out for the first time a graphic reconstruction of the entire skeleton in norma frontalis and norma lateralis, in natural size. In this way we have obtained the necessary information for evaluation of body height, for the establishment of body proportions of an infant of Neanderthal man, and for a comparison of these proportions with those of a recent infant of a European that is on the same stage of ontogenetic development.}, }
@article {pmid341731, year = {1977}, author = {Rosen, G}, title = {Rudolf Virchow and Neanderthal man.}, journal = {The American journal of surgical pathology}, volume = {1}, number = {2}, pages = {183-187}, doi = {10.1097/00000478-197706000-00012}, pmid = {341731}, issn = {0147-5185}, mesh = {Biological Evolution ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Paleontology/*history ; Pathology/*history ; }, }
@article {pmid405108, year = {1977}, author = {Saban, R}, title = {[The endocranial parietal vascular traces in the hominid line].}, journal = {Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des seances de l'Academie des sciences. Serie D: Sciences naturelles}, volume = {284}, number = {10}, pages = {803-806}, pmid = {405108}, mesh = {Biological Evolution ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; *Fossils ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Meninges/blood supply ; *Paleontology ; Parietal Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The study of the grooves traced by the middle meningeal veins on the parietal bone or the endocast of Hominid fossils shows different patterns which correspond to each evolutive stage. Height types are characterised among the Hominids (Australopithecines, Archanthropines, Paleanthropines and Neanthropines): I, robust Australopithecine type; II, gracile Australopithecine type; III, earliest Pithecanthropine type; IV, evolved Pithecanthropine type; V, Preneandertal type; VI, neandertal type; VII, Neanthropine type; VIII, modern type.}, }
@article {pmid321732, year = {1977}, author = {Brown, WA and Whittaker, DK and Fenwick, J and Jones, DS}, title = {Quantitative evidence for the helicoid relationship between the maxillary and mandibular occlusal surfaces.}, journal = {Journal of oral rehabilitation}, volume = {4}, number = {1}, pages = {91-96}, doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2842.1977.tb00970.x}, pmid = {321732}, issn = {0305-182X}, mesh = {Dental Occlusion ; History, 16th Century ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Paleodontology ; }, abstract = {A method for measuring the transverse inclination of molar teeth is described which enabled significant differences (P less than 0.001) between the three molars to be demonstrated for a sample of English Modern (n 24) and Romano-British (n20) skulls. No significant differences between the transverse molar inclinations were found for the Bronze Age (n 10) or the Neanderthal (n 8) sample.}, }
@article {pmid319682, year = {1977}, author = {Rhoads, JG and Trinkaus, E}, title = {Morphometrics of the Neandertal talus.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {46}, number = {1}, pages = {29-44}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330460106}, pmid = {319682}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Anthropometry ; Biological Evolution ; *Fossils ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Locomotion ; *Paleontology ; Talus/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {A number of morphometric analyses of Neandertal tali since the turn of the century have failed to reach a consensus on the functional affinities of these fossil foot bones. To clarify the problem a univariate and multivariate analysis of the available Neandertal and Skhūl tali in relation to those of modern humans was performed using nine linear dimensions and four angles. Our analysis indicates that Neandertal tali are indistinguishable from modern human tali in the implied locomotor capabilities and similar in overall size and proportions. The primary differences between the fossil and modern tali involve the greater articular robustness of the fossils, probably to compensate for higher levels of biomechanical stress.}, }
@article {pmid319679, year = {1977}, author = {Doyle, WJ and Johnston, O}, title = {On the meaning of increased fluctuating dental asymmetry: a cross populational study.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {46}, number = {1}, pages = {127-134}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330460116}, pmid = {319679}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Bicuspid/*anatomy &amp; histology ; *Biological Evolution ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Genetics, Population ; History of Medicine ; Humans ; Indians, North American ; Inuit ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Molar/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Odontometry ; *Paleodontology ; Stress, Physiological/*physiopathology ; }, abstract = {Suarez reports a greater magnitude of fluctuating dental asymmetry for Neandertal sample when compared with a sample of modern Ohio whites. He postulates that this greater antimeric variance could be due to a greater degree of inbreeding in the Neandertal populations. In the present investigation, the magnitude of fluctuating dental asymmetry is evaluated for Eskimo and Pueblo populations. These populations were found to exhibit dental variance of equal magnitude to that of the Neandertal population. As these populations are not highly inbred, a stress related mechanism is suggested to explain these observations and the inbreeding hypothesis is rejected. The implications of this mechanism to Brace's Probable Mutation Effect are discussed.}, }
@article {pmid802519, year = {1976}, author = {Neiburger, EJ}, title = {[Impacted incisor by Neanderthal man].}, journal = {Die Quintessenz}, volume = {27}, number = {12}, pages = {145-146}, pmid = {802519}, issn = {0033-6580}, mesh = {History, Ancient ; *Incisor ; *Paleodontology ; Tooth, Impacted/*history ; }, }
@article {pmid1008536, year = {1976}, author = {Vallois, HV and de Félice, S}, title = {[Neanderthal sternum from Regourdou. Complementary note].}, journal = {Anthropologischer Anzeiger; Bericht uber die biologisch-anthropologische Literatur}, volume = {35}, number = {4}, pages = {229-235}, pmid = {1008536}, issn = {0003-5548}, mesh = {France ; Humans ; Hungary ; Male ; *Paleontology ; Portugal ; Sternum/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, }
@article {pmid1247117, year = {1976}, author = {Trinkaus, E}, title = {The morphology of European and Southwest Asian Neandertal pubic bones.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {44}, number = {1}, pages = {95-103}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330440113}, pmid = {1247117}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Asia, Western ; Europe ; *Fossils ; Humans ; *Paleontology ; Pubic Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Descriptions of Southwest Asian Neandertal os coxae have stressed the supero-inferior flattening and acetabulo-symphyseal elongation of the superior pubic rami. Further analysis of Neandertal pubes, including two European specimens. La Ferrassie I and Krapina 208, indicates that Neandertal pubes are distinguished primarily by a relative elongation of the superior rami. The supero-inferior flattening of the pubic rami with the formation of a distinct ventral border, present among the Southwest Asian Neandertals, is less pronounced among the European Neandertals. Neither sexual dimorphism nor biomechanical hypertrophy appears adequate to explain this morphological pattern of Neandertal pubic bones.}, }
@article {pmid1007392, year = {1976}, author = {Smith, FH}, title = {The Neandertal remains from Krapina, northern Yugoslavia: an inventory of the upper limb remains.}, journal = {Zeitschrift fur Morphologie und Anthropologie}, volume = {67}, number = {3}, pages = {275-290}, pmid = {1007392}, issn = {0044-314X}, mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Carpal Bones/anatomy &amp; histology ; Clavicle/anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Humerus/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Paleontology ; Radius/anatomy &amp; histology ; Scapula/anatomy &amp; histology ; Ulna/anatomy &amp; histology ; Yugoslavia ; }, }
@article {pmid813529, year = {1976}, author = {Smith, FH}, title = {A fossil hominid frontal from Velika Pećina (Croatia) and a consideration of Upper Pleistocene hominids from Yugoslavia.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {44}, number = {1}, pages = {127-134}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330440118}, pmid = {813529}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Cephalometry/methods ; *Fossils ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Odontometry/methods ; *Paleodontology ; *Paleontology ; Yugoslavia ; }, abstract = {Fossil hominid remains dating to the Upper Pleistocene in Yugoslavia are reviewed. Particular emphasis is placed on the assessment of a hominid frontal from the site of Velika Pećina in northwestern Croatia. This specimen represents the earliest absolutely-dated hominid associated with the Upper Paleolithic in Europe. Also the hominid material from the site of Veternica is discussed, and data are presented on the new remains from Sandalja. It is concluded that no Neandertal remains, except for Krapina, have been found in Yugoslavia.}, }
@article {pmid786975, year = {1976}, author = {Hotton, F and Kleiner, S and Bollaert, A and Twiesselman, F}, title = {[Petrous bone of the Spy Neanderthal. Radio-anatomic study].}, journal = {Journal belge de radiologie}, volume = {59}, number = {1}, pages = {39-50}, pmid = {786975}, issn = {0302-7430}, mesh = {Ear, Inner/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; History, Ancient ; History, Modern 1601- ; Mastoid/anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; *Paleontology ; Petrous Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Radiography ; }, }
@article {pmid1098478, year = {1975}, author = {Falk, D}, title = {Comparative anatomy of the larynx in man and the chimpanzee: implications for language in Neanderthal.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {43}, number = {1}, pages = {123-132}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330430116}, pmid = {1098478}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Cephalometry ; Deglutition ; Epiglottis/anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone/*anatomy &amp; histology/diagnostic imaging ; Infant, Newborn ; Larynx/*anatomy &amp; histology/physiology ; Male ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Models, Biological ; *Paleontology ; Pan troglodytes ; Pharynx/anatomy &amp; histology ; Radiography ; Sex Factors ; Skull/anatomy &amp; histology ; *Speech ; Tongue/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {Using the larynges of the newborn human and chimpanzee as models, Lieberman and Crelin ('71) and Lieberman, Crelin and Klatt ('72) have reconstructed the larynx of the "classic" Neanderthal La Chapelle aux Saints. The authors used their reconstructed vocal tract to generate linguistic functions which led them to conclude that Neanderthal lacked the ability to produce fully articulate human speech. In this paper, it is shown that their reconstruction of the larynx of Neanderthal is based on a placement of the hyoid bone of La Chapelle which is too high. The reconstructed hyoid bone of La Chalpelle which is too high. The reconstructed hyoid bone has been placed in a position unlike that occupied by hyoid bones of newborn humans, adult humans, stillborn chimpanzees or adult chimpanzees. In any laryngeal reconstruction, the function of swallowing must be taken into account. The ability of the reconstructed Neanderthal to swallow is discussed in light of a comparative analysis of swallowing in man and the chimpanzee. It is concluded that the statement that Neanderthal was less than fully articulate remains unsubstantiated because it rests on a questionable reconstruction of the larynx.}, }
@article {pmid1090188, year = {1975}, author = {Le May, M}, title = {The language capability of Neanderthal man.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {42}, number = {1}, pages = {9-14}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330420103}, pmid = {1090188}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Achondroplasia ; Adult ; *Biological Evolution ; Brain/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Cephalometry ; Cerebral Cortex/anatomy &amp; histology ; Child ; Dental Arch/anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone/anatomy &amp; histology ; Infant, Newborn ; *Language ; Larynx/anatomy &amp; histology ; Male ; Mandible/anatomy &amp; histology ; Occipital Bone/anatomy &amp; histology ; Palate/anatomy &amp; histology ; Paleontology ; Platybasia ; Prognathism ; Radiography ; Skull/diagnostic imaging ; Speech ; }, abstract = {Considerable publicity has been given a recent article by Lieberman and Crelin ('71) which argues that Neanderthal man lacked the physical features necessary for speech. This present paper presents statistics on some modern men with normal speech who show physical features in common with Neanderthal man. The brain of Neanderthal man was as large as, or larger than, that of modern man. The brain reflected by endocranial cast of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints skull resembles that of modern man in an area important for speech and therapy suggests Neanderthal man had the neural development necessary for language.}, }
@article {pmid811073, year = {1975}, author = {Adams, LM and Moore, WJ}, title = {Biomechanical appraisal of some skeletal features associated with head balance and posture in the Hominoidea.}, journal = {Acta anatomica}, volume = {92}, number = {4}, pages = {580-584}, doi = {10.1159/000144471}, pmid = {811073}, issn = {0001-5180}, mesh = {Animals ; Gorilla gorilla/anatomy &amp; histology ; Haplorhini/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Posture ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, abstract = {The condylar position index, condylar angle and the area of insertion of the nuchal musculature corrected for condylar position, direction of muscle pull and skull size were determined in Homo sapiens, Gorilla, Pan and the casts of two Neanderthal and two australopithecine crania. In all three attributes, the values of H. sapiens exceeded, by statistically significant amounts, those for the ape genera. The greater value for the condylar position index indicates a better balance of the head, that for the condylar angle reflects the more vertical orientation of the vertebral column while that for the corrected nuchal area suggests a less effective nuchal musculature in H. sapiens as compared to the apes. In the casts of the Neanderthal crania, the values all came within, or close to, the ranges for H. sapiens. In the australopithecine casts, the condylar angle cane within the ranges for H. sapiens while the condylar position index and the corrected nuchal area were intermediate in value between H. sapiens and the extant apes. These findings are consistent with observations from other skeletal regions that while Australopithecus had an upright posture, this creature was, in the complex of posturally significant morphological features, distinct from extant hominoids.}, }
@article {pmid4432926, year = {1974}, author = {Suarez, BK}, title = {Neandertal dental asymmetry and the probable mutation effect.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {41}, number = {3}, pages = {411-416}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330410307}, pmid = {4432926}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Analysis of Variance ; *Biological Evolution ; Breeding ; Dentition/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Female ; Functional Laterality ; Humans ; Male ; *Mutation ; Paleodontology ; Tooth Abnormalities ; }, }
@article {pmid4682530, year = {1973}, author = {Tappen, NC}, title = {Structure of bone in the skulls of Neanderthal fossils.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {38}, number = {1}, pages = {93-97}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330380123}, pmid = {4682530}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Humans ; *Orbit ; *Paleontology ; Skull/*anatomy &amp; histology ; }, }
@article {pmid5015196, year = {1972}, author = {Sergi, S and Ascenzi, A and Bonucci, E}, title = {Torus palatinus in the Neandertal Circeo I skull. A histologic, microradiographic and electron microscopic investigation.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {36}, number = {2}, pages = {189-197}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330360207}, pmid = {5015196}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {Bone and Bones/anatomy &amp; histology/cytology ; Humans ; Methods ; Microradiography ; Microscopy, Electron ; Palate/*anatomy &amp; histology/cytology ; *Paleontology ; }, }
@article {pmid4939978, year = {1971}, author = {Musgrave, JH}, title = {How dextrous was Neanderthal man?.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {233}, number = {5321}, pages = {538-541}, doi = {10.1038/233538a0}, pmid = {4939978}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {*Anthropology, Physical ; Fingers/anatomy &amp; histology ; Hand/*anatomy &amp; histology ; Humans ; Metacarpus/anatomy &amp; histology ; Thumb/anatomy &amp; histology ; }, }
@article {pmid16063324, year = {1971}, author = {Ascenzi, A and Segre, AG}, title = {A new Neandertal child mandible from an Upper Pleistocene site in southern Italy.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {233}, number = {5317}, pages = {280-283}, doi = {10.1038/233280a0}, pmid = {16063324}, issn = {0028-0836}, }
@article {pmid4926992, year = {1971}, author = {Wright, DJ}, title = {Syphilis and Neanderthal man.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {229}, number = {5284}, pages = {409}, doi = {10.1038/229409a0}, pmid = {4926992}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Bone and Bones/pathology ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Paleopathology ; Rickets/history ; Syphilis/*history ; *Syphilis, Congenital ; }, }
@article {pmid4927195, year = {1971}, author = {Mayr, E and Campbell, B}, title = {Was Virchow right about Neandertal?.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {229}, number = {5282}, pages = {253-254}, doi = {10.1038/229253a0}, pmid = {4927195}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Acclimatization ; Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Humans ; *Paleopathology ; Primates/*classification ; Rickets/*diagnosis ; }, }
@article {pmid4939066, year = {1970}, author = {}, title = {Was Neanderthal man rickety?.}, journal = {The Medical journal of Australia}, volume = {2}, number = {26}, pages = {1220}, doi = {10.5694/j.1326-5377.1970.tb63445.x}, pmid = {4939066}, issn = {0025-729X}, mesh = {Biological Evolution ; Germany ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Paleopathology ; Rickets/*history ; }, }
@article {pmid5464248, year = {1970}, author = {Ivanhoe, F}, title = {Was Virchow right about Neandertal?.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {227}, number = {5258}, pages = {577-579}, doi = {10.1038/227577a0}, pmid = {5464248}, issn = {0028-0836}, mesh = {Animals ; *Anthropology, Physical ; Biological Evolution ; France ; Germany ; Humans ; Mongolia ; *Paleontology ; *Primates ; Rickets/*diagnosis/etiology ; Spain ; Sunlight ; Vitamin D/physiology ; }, }
@article {pmid5265151, year = {1970}, author = {Stahl, W}, title = {[Neanderthal and his varied story].}, journal = {Zahnarztliche Praxis}, volume = {21}, number = {2}, pages = {24}, pmid = {5265151}, issn = {0044-1651}, mesh = {Paleontology ; }, }
@article {pmid5271876, year = {1970}, author = {Legoux, PR}, title = {[Human paleontology. Dental age determination in the Neandertal child of Pech-de-1'Aze].}, journal = {L' Information dentaire}, volume = {52}, number = {3}, pages = {217-220}, pmid = {5271876}, issn = {0020-0018}, mesh = {*Age Determination by Teeth ; Child ; Humans ; *Paleodontology ; }, }
@article {pmid5306961, year = {1967}, author = {Delattre, A and Fenart, R and Empereur-Buisson, R}, title = {[Vestibular orientation of neanderthal skulls by the radiologic method].}, journal = {Journal des sciences medicales de Lille}, volume = {85}, number = {4}, pages = {219-222}, pmid = {5306961}, issn = {0021-8111}, mesh = {Humans ; *Paleodontology ; Radiography ; Skull/*diagnostic imaging ; Tomography ; Vestibule, Labyrinth/*diagnostic imaging ; }, }
@article {pmid5333746, year = {1966}, author = {Legoux, P}, title = {[Sketch of the problem of dental evolution in Neanderthal man. Recent details on the fossils of Homo sapiens].}, journal = {L' Information dentaire}, volume = {48}, number = {46}, pages = {4569-87 passim}, pmid = {5333746}, issn = {0020-0018}, mesh = {History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Paleodontology ; }, }
@article {pmid5322876, year = {1965}, author = {Legoux, P}, title = {[Age determination by teeth of the neanderthal child of Roc-Marsal].}, journal = {Revue francaise d'odonto-stomatologie}, volume = {12}, number = {10}, pages = {1571-1592}, pmid = {5322876}, issn = {0035-3043}, mesh = {Age Determination by Teeth ; *Aging ; Child, Preschool ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; *Maxillofacial Development ; *Paleodontology ; *Tooth ; }, }
@article {pmid14257176, year = {1965}, author = {LABORIT, H}, title = {[APROPOS OF THE NEANDERTHAL AUTOMOBILIST].}, journal = {La Presse medicale}, volume = {73}, number = {}, pages = {927-929}, pmid = {14257176}, issn = {0032-7867}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Philosophy ; *Psychophysiology ; }, }
@article {pmid14326954, year = {1965}, author = {Carbonell, VM}, title = {THE TEETH OF THE NEANDERTHAL CHILD FROM GIBRALTER: A RE-EVALUATION.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {23}, number = {1}, pages = {41-49}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330230119}, pmid = {14326954}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {*Anatomy ; Child ; *Dentition ; Gibraltar ; Humans ; *Mandible ; *Maxilla ; *Neanderthals ; *Paleodontology ; *Radiography ; *Tooth ; }, }
@article {pmid14170697, year = {1964}, author = {KURTH, G}, title = {[HOW DO WE EVALUATE THE NEANDERTHAL MAN TODAY?].}, journal = {Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift (1946)}, volume = {89}, number = {}, pages = {1516-1520}, doi = {10.1055/s-0028-1113160}, pmid = {14170697}, issn = {0012-0472}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Humans ; Male ; *Neanderthals ; *Paleontology ; }, }
@article {pmid14096892, year = {1964}, author = {DEGERBOL, M}, title = {[OUTLINES OF THE HISTORY OF MANKIND. I. THE CLASSIC NEANDERTHAL MAN].}, journal = {Nordisk medicin}, volume = {71}, number = {}, pages = {57-59}, pmid = {14096892}, issn = {0029-1420}, mesh = {*Anthropology ; *History ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; }, }
@article {pmid14108945, year = {1963}, author = {KINDLER, W and KIEFER, R}, title = {[ROENTGENOLOGIC STUDIES ON FRONTAL SINUSES AND MASTOIDS IN THE NEANDERTHAL MAN IN THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN REGION. II].}, journal = {Zeitschrift fur Laryngologie, Rhinologie, Otologie und ihre Grenzgebiete}, volume = {42}, number = {}, pages = {752-767}, pmid = {14108945}, issn = {0044-3018}, mesh = {*Anthropology ; *Biological Evolution ; *Craniology ; Europe ; *Frontal Sinus ; Humans ; Male ; *Mastoid ; *Neanderthals ; *Paleontology ; *Radiography ; *Research ; }, }
@article {pmid17817388, year = {1961}, author = {Bordes, F}, title = {Mousterian Cultures in France: Artifacts from recent excavation dispel some popular misconceptions about Neanderthal man.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {134}, number = {3482}, pages = {803-810}, doi = {10.1126/science.134.3482.803}, pmid = {17817388}, issn = {0036-8075}, }
@article {pmid13756054, year = {1960}, author = {KINDLER, W}, title = {[X-ray studies on the frontal sinuses and mastoid processes in the classical Neanderthal man in the Central European area].}, journal = {Zeitschrift fur Laryngologie, Rhinologie, Otologie und ihre Grenzgebiete}, volume = {39}, number = {}, pages = {411-424}, pmid = {13756054}, issn = {0044-3018}, mesh = {*Anthropology ; Frontal Sinus/*diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Mastoid/*diagnostic imaging ; *Neanderthals ; *Paranasal Sinuses ; Radiography ; X-Rays ; }, }
@article {pmid17842931, year = {1960}, author = {Stewart, TD}, title = {Form of the Pubic Bone in Neanderthal Man.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {131}, number = {3411}, pages = {1437-1438}, doi = {10.1126/science.131.3411.1437}, pmid = {17842931}, issn = {0036-8075}, abstract = {Shanidar I and III from Iraq have the same peculiar form of pubis as Tabūn I from Palestine. These are the only such pubes known to exist. These facts suggest that Neanderthal man (Shanidar-Tabūn) and an early variety of modern man (Skhūl) coexisted during Mousterian times in this part of the world.}, }
@article {pmid14421422, year = {1959}, author = {MARQUER, P}, title = {[Neanderthal man: race or species?].}, journal = {Concours medical}, volume = {81}, number = {}, pages = {4201-4204}, pmid = {14421422}, issn = {0010-5309}, mesh = {*Anthropology ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Racial Groups ; }, }
@article {pmid13506026, year = {1957}, author = {STRAUS, WL and CAVE, JE}, title = {Pathology and the posture of Neanderthal man.}, journal = {The Quarterly review of biology}, volume = {32}, number = {4}, pages = {348-363}, doi = {10.1086/401979}, pmid = {13506026}, issn = {0033-5770}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Paleontology ; *Posture ; }, }
@article {pmid13506025, year = {1957}, author = {HOWELL, FC}, title = {The evolutionary significance of variation and varieties of Neanderthal man.}, journal = {The Quarterly review of biology}, volume = {32}, number = {4}, pages = {330-347}, doi = {10.1086/401978}, pmid = {13506025}, issn = {0033-5770}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; *Bone and Bones ; *Head ; Humans ; Male ; *Neanderthals ; *Paleontology ; *Skull ; }, }
@article {pmid13506024, year = {1957}, author = {EISELEY, L}, title = {Neanderthal man and the dawn of human paleontology.}, journal = {The Quarterly review of biology}, volume = {32}, number = {4}, pages = {323-329}, doi = {10.1086/401977}, pmid = {13506024}, issn = {0033-5770}, mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; *Bone and Bones ; *Head ; Humans ; Male ; *Neanderthals ; *Paleontology ; *Skull ; }, }
@article {pmid17748419, year = {1956}, author = {Straus, WL and Eiseley, LC}, title = {Centennial of Discovery of Neanderthal Man.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {124}, number = {3233}, pages = {1183}, doi = {10.1126/science.124.3233.1183}, pmid = {17748419}, issn = {0036-8075}, }
@article {pmid13277209, year = {1955}, author = {PIVETEAU, J}, title = {[Some structural traits of a young neanderthal and their phyletic significance].}, journal = {Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des seances de l'Academie des sciences}, volume = {241}, number = {17}, pages = {1173-1175}, pmid = {13277209}, issn = {0001-4036}, mesh = {Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Paleontology ; *Phenotype ; }, }
@article {pmid14364871, year = {1955}, author = {ARAMBOURG, C}, title = {[Posture of Neanderthal in vertical position].}, journal = {Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des seances de l'Academie des sciences}, volume = {240}, number = {7}, pages = {804-806}, pmid = {14364871}, issn = {0001-4036}, mesh = {*Anthropology ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Posture ; }, }
@article {pmid12985852, year = {1952}, author = {MONTAGU, MF}, title = {Neanderthal and the modern type of man.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {10}, number = {3}, pages = {368-370}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330100321}, pmid = {12985852}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {*Anthropology ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; }, }
@article {pmid14903065, year = {1951}, author = {HOWELL, FC}, title = {The place of Neanderthal man in human evolution.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {9}, number = {4}, pages = {379-416}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330090402}, pmid = {14903065}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {*Anthropology ; *Biological Evolution ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; }, }
@article {pmid14885432, year = {1951}, author = {KALLAY, J}, title = {Healed tooth fractures in a Krapina Neanderthal.}, journal = {American journal of physical anthropology}, volume = {9}, number = {3}, pages = {369-371}, doi = {10.1002/ajpa.1330090312}, pmid = {14885432}, issn = {0002-9483}, mesh = {*Fractures, Bone ; Humans ; *Neanderthals ; *Paleodontology ; *Tooth ; *Tooth Fractures ; }, }
@article {pmid18892148, year = {1948}, author = {GRUBER, JW}, title = {The Neanderthal controversy; 19. century version.}, journal = {The Scientific monthly}, volume = {67}, number = {6}, pages = {436-439}, pmid = {18892148}, issn = {0096-3771}, mesh = {Humans ; Male ; *Neanderthals ; }, }
@article {pmid19987764, year = {1930}, author = {Cleveland, AJ}, title = {Young Man with Arrested Development; Neanderthal Type of Physiognomy.}, journal = {Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine}, volume = {23}, number = {11}, pages = {1569-1570}, pmid = {19987764}, issn = {0035-9157}, }
@article {pmid17808993, year = {1927}, author = {}, title = {THE NEANDERTHAL MAN.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {66}, number = {1715}, pages = {xii}, doi = {10.1126/science.66.1715.0xii-s}, pmid = {17808993}, issn = {0036-8075}, }
@article {pmid17812091, year = {1925}, author = {}, title = {CRIMEAN NEANDERTHAL REMAINS.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {61}, number = {1576}, pages = {x}, doi = {10.1126/science.61.1576.x-s}, pmid = {17812091}, issn = {0036-8075}, }
@article {pmid17748411, year = {1915}, author = {Maccurdy, GG}, title = {NEANDERTAL MAN IN SPAIN: THE LOWER JAW OF BANOLAS.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {42}, number = {1072}, pages = {84-85}, doi = {10.1126/science.42.1072.84}, pmid = {17748411}, issn = {0036-8075}, }
@article {pmid17774607, year = {1893}, author = {Fraipont, J}, title = {THE IMAGINARY RACE OF CANSTADT OR NEANDERTHAL.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {22}, number = {568}, pages = {346}, doi = {10.1126/science.ns-22.568.346}, pmid = {17774607}, issn = {0036-8075}, }
@article {pmid17744514, year = {1893}, author = {Claypole, EW}, title = {The Neanderthal Skull.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {21}, number = {531}, pages = {191}, doi = {10.1126/science.ns-21.531.191}, pmid = {17744514}, issn = {0036-8075}, }
@article {pmid17842509, year = {1893}, author = {Brinton, DG}, title = {The Neanderthal Skull.}, journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)}, volume = {21}, number = {527}, pages = {136}, doi = {10.1126/science.ns-21.527.136}, pmid = {17842509}, issn = {0036-8075}, }